Reptile & Amphibian Forums

on crocodilian.com it mentions that chinese alligators are one of the best crocodilians for captive husbandry. due to their small size and docile nature. i was wondering does anyone know of any in the u.s. in private collections?
thanks,
jason

Chinese alligators do make the best captive, but due to them being critically endangered they’re almost impossible to get.

i was just trying to hold on to a glimer of hope that maybe someone knew of a breeder. i remember somewhere in this forum a guy with a pair in denmark i think. i thought if they could be in denmark they could be here. oh well.
jason

the chinese alligator is listed as E by the US Fish & wildlife ... this crocodilian is listed appendix 1 for wild populations by CITES, however captive bred populations of this species are concidered appendix 2 by CITES

CITES 2 makes these animals available for transportation, trade, sale, whatever .. basicly they are not protected nor regulated.

the only problem is that CITES is the international law, but the US fish and wildlife still says NO, its counted as E here in the USA no matter what international law says.

the US probaly does this to keep the chinese alligator from being the next pet craze & also to avoid this species being released into the wild here in the USA as that would cause problems for native species of alligator and crocodile.

The Chinese alligator is available here in the US by private breeders, jerry motta being one ... this species goes for about $2000.00 - $2500.00 per baby

Hope this helps you,
Donny

it does thank you very much.
jason

also how do i eventually get in touch with him, does he have a link at kingsnake.com? i will have to save up for a while before i could spend that much on an alligator, but i think that in the long run a chinese alligator makes much more sense than it's american cousin.
thanks again,
jason

I havent spoke with him for some time, I no longer have his contact info, it shouldnt be hard to get from someone on this site tho.

Motta is just one private person that breeds this species, their are many others.

This might be an idea for you, drop a line 2 Mitch at Diamond Reptile, he is a pretty cool guy and has great contacts when it comes to crocodilians.

Just so you know, in order to have shipped across state lines this species will require a CBW (captive bred wildlife permit) or ITT (interstate transportation permit) both issued by the USFWS, to keep it all legal.

thank you very much.