Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would like to say that although I have spent the past three years working with the large monitor speices, I used to be a keeper of large crocodilians. If a young keeper wants a large reptile, buy a water monitor. I think that what most people in here are saying is that, while none of us would mock or make fun of a young herper and his ideas, most of us in here have something the young boy does not..experience. We have handled these large crocodillians. We have feed them and cleaned them and been there when they have become very aggressive. We have been taken to the hospital when our two foot caimans decided to latch their jaws onto our hands, and we have seen the kind of force it takes to pry a crocs mouth open once it slams its jaws shut. Has your son? I watched as a good friend of mine tried to feed a six foot American Alligator (which, as you probably know, has a much calmer temperment than most caimens). This gator was "tame" if crocs ever do become tame. He could be handled and touched fairly easily, and was hand feed every day. So one day, while feeding him, the gator spun around and snatched my friends fully grown Golden Retriever in its massive jaws, and he didn't let go. That dog had been in the gator's enclosure a hundred times with us, and nothing ever happened. Why did it decided on that one day to erupt into a fit of rage and kill his dog, when so many times before it appeared to be one of the most docile reptiles I had ever seen? The answer is simple. Its in the animals nature to do what it did. No matter how much time your son spends "taming" his caiman, it is still a time bomb. If two grown, experienced keepers couldn't save a full grown retriever from an alligator, what chance would you have to save your son if his "tame pet" lashed out as all crocodillians are prone to do? This is just and example of the unpredictable and devastaing nature of these animals. Again, none of are here to belittle or anger anyone. But think about how many people on here are telling you both that this is a bad idea. Kingsnake.com is the place where experienced keepers gather to help younger, newer herps learn about these fascinating creatures. Trust me, we promote the keeping of crocs, but we also denounce it when can read a post and realize that the situation is not a good one. And one final note..even the smallest of crocodillians is still capable of a bite more powerful and more destructive than that of a full grown pit bull or german shepard, and we have all seen what each of those animals is capable of doing to a full grown man, let alone a young boy.

Hi this is Danny's mom again.

Thank you Stormshadow for your post. Everyone's input helped me to see what I could be getting myself and my son into. I agree that he should have some experience with other animals and crocodilians before deciding to own one. Especially after finding out how big they really can get.

I apologize for my rudeness to all of you. Danny will NOT be getting a caiman. Although I am now considering a Savannah monitor for him. Yes I know they get decent size and needs plenty of room, but it won't be as bad as a 7foot caiman.

I will continue to do my research on them and then make a decision. As far as younger kids are concerned, I don't totally see the big deal, mainly because, Chris (venomousviper) claimed that he had one as his first reptile. He still ownes one. He as well seems just as knowledgeable and experienced as yourselves. But as he stated, it's not for everyone, and he doesn't recommend it. (I just wanted to show that it could be done.) But overall, thank you everyone once again for your very valueable input. You have all helped very much, and now my son will probably be able to keep most of his fingers..

Thank you again and have a wonderful thanksgiving.

Jenny

Jenny,

Thank you for listening to everyone here. Please realize that we all love animals and are NOT trying to discourage your son's passion, we are just concerned for his safety. The story above is a great example, and most will tell you we HAVE been bitten.
I can tell you that my larger Caiman "Mania" can be hard for me to handle at times. This is the third house I have purchased, and I finally got to build the enclosure I had envisioned, and it is still far from being complete. Tell your son he HAS pleanty of time! Happy Thanksgiving everyone from Seth, "Mania", and "Princess".

www.wikd.org/gator

Good choice! A savy monitor will get him some good experience with a large and bulky animal. They have decent temperment, and though they can bite really hard, they are fairly calm, will rarely lash out, and will tame nicely with frequent handling. If that goes well, let him move up to a water monitor, then maybe he can start looking for a crocodillian. Check out kingsnake.coms monitor forum. Its one of the nicest on here! Good Luck!!