my best advice is google search alligator care sheets and u will find out all the husbandary needs of your animal. for the light issue and due to the age i would use both a heat source and ubv lamps or mercury vapor bulbs and for his size and size enclosure he should have your going to need a few of them. for the size of the enclosure the very least he should be in is 9foot by 9 foot with 3/4 water 1/4 land to bask in. speaking of heat your going to need to heat the water with out your gator eating the glass heater (which will happen if not protected).

Now from what i take of the piss poor care that had been given to him before you got him i can assume his "friendly" behavure is due to illness but only a vet should determine that and it should be done a.s.a.p. Trust me when i say that due to i lost 2 dwarf caimen from not acting the second i noticed something wrong.

lastly dont be too upset when people sound angry when someone such as yourself posts they have a animal that walks freely around that even at its size can do some real damage or if it is allowed to roam 2 yrs from now and decides a foot looks yummy then its on national news "pet gator attack". and thats why people such as my self have get permits and declare each animal we have and pay fees for each one (well in ny thats how it is)and congress over a few bad examples pass bills to out law our hobby. Another upsetting to people is u saying how you just took on care of him, most people the are going to do things right owning a alligator or caimen research for years and already have a nice portion of their property set aside to care for the animal.

wish you the best of luck, please becareful and treat the animal the best that he deserves after the crappy start he had to life.

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