Species Covered: |
Spectacled Caiman |
Other species covered: |
Dwarf Caiman, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Yacari Caiman, Piranha
Caiman, Broad-snouted Caiman, Smooth-fronted Caiman |
Characteristics: |
Males tend to grow faster and they get larger. Average male
can be 6 feet, female 4.5 feet. Life expectancy is 75 in the wild.
Unknown in captivity. |
Sexing:*** |
When the cloaca is large enough to put your pinky in, you can sex
them. This usually doesn't happen until they are about 3 years old
or about 3-4 feet. I don’t recommend probing, because a slight
miss can ruin your caiman's reproduction chances. |
Mostly Active: |
Night. They are nocturnal by nature. |
Land and Water Needs: |
Take the length of your largest caiman and use 2 x that amount for
the width and 3 x that for the length of the water area. Have enough
land area around it for them to bask and turn around comfortably. |
Lighting and UVA or UVB: |
UVA and UVB for daytime and heat elements without light for night
time, when they are kept indoors.** |
Temperature: |
85-90 degrees for air and water |
Diet: |
Carnivorous.
Chicken (not too much because the additives can affect their offspring
and breeding). Live fish in the pond at times (not too much because
the oil and scales can be detrimental if used in abundance).
Dead fish, deer, steak, any raw meat, road kill, mice, rats, rabbits,
bunnies or squirrels. |
Supplements: |
Reptile calcium and vitamins on occasion. Especially if feeding
them meat without bones for a while. |
Maintenance: |
Clean the filters regularly and be prepared to refill the pond occasionally. |
Breeding: |
Usually during the rainy season (spring). Mothers can lay between
20-40 eggs. |
Other Information: |
No matter what you are told, they do not "only grow as large
as their enclosure" and you can NEVER tame them. There is 250,000,000
years of killer survival instinct going on that has not had to make
any real changes in all that time. If you're looking for a pet that
will fetch your slippers, this is not the animal for you! And when
it bites you, it will hurt. |