Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering if it hurts to allow crocodilians to roam around your bedroom or house with just a basking spot and water for him out? im not talking about a dog bowl when i say water. i mean like a tub or kiddy pool? can it hurt them? i was reading some posts before were they talked about letting their gaters have free roam of the house. just wondering if someone can provide the negs and pos's of allowing this.
thanks,
danny

Danny,

Glad to see you are still in the forums. Still looking for info about them or do you actually have one now? Anyways, in my opinion, I wouldnt allow it to roam the house. Especially while it is smaller it can get into places that you probably don't want it to. If you provide a basking spot and a water source big enough for it to soak itself in (atleast cover it's back) and move around, then I would advise keeping it limited as to where it could go. Patch up small areas that it could fit through. Tie up electrical wires high. Most likely he will try to hide in a dark hid-away spot where noone can see him so he feels more secure. Next you will need to make sure that the temp of the house is reasonable. Somewhere around atleast 80 degrees with an even warmer basking spot of course. I personally do not allow my gators to free roam (not saying that I haven't considered it) but I would recommend being very cautious before doing so. After the animal gets of considerable size, it's powerful tail might make a huge mess of your mom's house. Next you have to be concerned about other possible pets if you have them. Fluffy might become Yummy!! Anyways, just make the right decisions in what you do and take proper procautions. If you do the right thing, you and everyone else, hopefully will still be able to enjoy owning our animals without PETA and HSUS jumping down our throats every time we turn around. There might be some others in here who do allow the animals to free roam and might be able to provide some better options.

Have fun and Good Luck!!!

Chris

I wish I had an alligator as a kid!

With that said, now that I'm older I believe that certain animals should not be kept by minors (crocodilians being one of them). Just my opinion, but for any animal that needs such large care requirements the temporary home of your parents isn't the best idea either. Again, just my opinion and it'll only take a few minutes before a search turns up what you would rather hear.

An exception of course would be if you could convince your parents to get a gator as their own pet. If they are the type and are properly educated on the subject then everyone wins!