# HES'S A MAN EATER!



## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

here's a pic of my new pet dwarf caiman brewtus. right now hes only 8 inches long and likes to bite all the time. hes just eating crickets and rosy reds and quite the little pig with a nice little pop belly goin on.

J-Rod


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

dam what a cutie
i want one so bad


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## Pyri (May 26, 2005)

How big those grow?


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

Dr.Green- haha yes he is quite the cutie with quite the bad attitude

Pyri- he gets to be about 3-4 feet in captivity, they have been known to reach 6 feet on a rare occusion in the wild.

just for future reference casue i know its coming soon. i live in georgia it gator wheather here all the time. i have 6 acres at my house so there is plenty of room for his outdoor pin when he gets older.

J-Rod


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## Dr Exum (Nov 6, 2004)

smokinbubbles said:


> Dr.Green- haha yes he is quite the cutie with quite the bad attitude
> 
> Pyri- he gets to be about 3-4 feet in captivity, they have been known to reach 6 feet on a rare occusion in the wild.
> 
> ...


sounds good,,,, nice pic.. i wonder about food cost....


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

Dr Exum said:


> Dr.Green- haha yes he is quite the cutie with quite the bad attitude
> 
> Pyri- he gets to be about 3-4 feet in captivity, they have been known to reach 6 feet on a rare occusion in the wild.
> 
> ...


sounds good,,,, nice pic.. i wonder about food cost....
[/quote]

thanks man.
my 3 inch room actually cost more then he does right now with food. but when he gets to be abot full grown you are suppsoed ot feed em about 3-4 times a week of something about the size of a chicken.


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

Very cool, I would love to have one some day! One LPS sells them, but I dont know what people do with them in Iowa when they get big...


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## franks (Sep 4, 2005)

I heard there about five hundred bucks each


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

Awesome caiman! Where'd you get him from?

We have an american alligator at my house, but I like caimans more... that guy looks really good.


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## bmpower007 (Feb 11, 2005)

Awesome caimen J-Rod, he looks great I was planning on getting one few months back but I dont have enough room for him.Good luck o yah can you make a feeding video.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i kno a store that sells caimens for 75 a piece. i wish i had somewhere to put 1 =/


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

u could keep one in a kiddy pool with some sort of fence around it.. or a dog pen with a kiddy pool in it..


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

jiggy said:


> u could keep one in a kiddy pool with some sort of fence around it.. or a dog pen with a kiddy pool in it..


that still sounds to small for a 4 foot gator to me.

but sounds he'll beable to find plenty of room on six achers


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## Onion (Sep 20, 2005)

S**t, thats crazy! Didnt know that people had gators for pets








Will he be dangerous when hes full grown? You go to keep updating this thread


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

any full pics of his enclosure?


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

thanks all for the replies. i will keep yall updated quite often.

i payed 135 for him plus 70 for shipping so i couldn't pass a deal up like that. im not sure about 75 bucks though. i know thats the price for american alligators but i have never heard of dwarf caimans runnin below 200. probably get somethin extra like loaded with tons of free internal parasites.right now hes about 8 inches long of pure meanness. today i was cleanin out his enclouser and i had ot pick him up and he started callin his mom (the little croaking thing you see them do on t.v.). i will try to get some better pics up tonight but im not goin to give any promises. right now hes in a 55 with a piece of lexsane (spelling) to give Brewtus a nice water area with a filer and fish in it. he doens't eat in front of me yet but i have noticed his stomach growing and crickets and fish dispearing, hmmm. hes great right now becasue hes small but someone asked the question if i will be dangerous when hes full grown and yes he will be. he will be big enough to be able to easily take off a hand or arm if he does a death roll.i plan on making a outdoor enclouser of a 8x10 water area of about 2 feet deep and a land area of about the same size. oh yeah i got him from kingsnake.com in the classafied part under crocodilans

J-Rod


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

smokinbubbles said:


> thanks all for the replies. i will keep yall updated quite often.
> 
> i payed 135 for him plus 70 for shipping so i couldn't pass a deal up like that. im not sure about 75 bucks though. i know thats the price for american alligators but i have never heard of dwarf caimans runnin below 200. probably get somethin extra like loaded with tons of free internal parasites


so just because theyre less expensive u think there all infected?


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Flip said:


> thanks all for the replies. i will keep yall updated quite often.
> 
> i payed 135 for him plus 70 for shipping so i couldn't pass a deal up like that. im not sure about 75 bucks though. i know thats the price for american alligators but i have never heard of dwarf caimans runnin below 200. probably get somethin extra like loaded with tons of free internal parasites


so just because theyre less expensive u think there all infected?








[/quote]

Generally with herps there's a reason why they're less expensive. ESPECIALLY if they're less expensive at a pet store than they are from private sellers. Think about it. The pet store sells at RETAIL prices. They have a mark-up to maintain. Usually for reptiles it's around a 4x markup. Let's say it's just 3x they're going for. At $75 that means they picked it up for $25 from their supplier. Sounds pretty shifty to me... Probably still loaded with parasites, as was said. And no doubt wild caught. (Though I don't know about the breeding of dwarf caimens.)

Or they're selling you something that looks like a dwarf caimen _now_ and it'll keep growing past the 4' mark... and keep growing... and keep growing, heh.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

Mettle said:


> thanks all for the replies. i will keep yall updated quite often.
> 
> i payed 135 for him plus 70 for shipping so i couldn't pass a deal up like that. im not sure about 75 bucks though. i know thats the price for american alligators but i have never heard of dwarf caimans runnin below 200. probably get somethin extra like loaded with tons of free internal parasites


so just because theyre less expensive u think there all infected?








[/quote]

Generally with herps there's a reason why they're less expensive. ESPECIALLY if they're less expensive at a pet store than they are from private sellers. Think about it. The pet store sells at RETAIL prices. They have a mark-up to maintain. Usually for reptiles it's around a 4x markup. Let's say it's just 3x they're going for. At $75 that means they picked it up for $25 from their supplier. Sounds pretty shifty to me... Probably still loaded with parasites, as was said. And no doubt wild caught. (Though I don't know about the breeding of dwarf caimens.)

Or they're selling you something that looks like a dwarf caimen _now_ and it'll keep growing past the 4' mark... and keep growing... and keep growing, heh.
[/quote]

the price thing i said about the dwarf caimans was a joke, but yeah there is usually a reason why animals can be a lot cheaper then usual. one big thing is is what mettle said about being CB and WC. WC are always a lot cheaper due to having a high ricks of having a disease, missing body parts, or internal problems (or also just having wild instinct still in there blood). dwarf caimans now have become more popular as pets so there is people breeding them in captivity more. actually pretty much all the ones you see are born in captivity. im not sure about the one i got but the person i got it from is a perosn that has been in business for over 28 years and very trusting. just becasue a price is cheaper, CB is always the way to go over WC.now im not douting the price being 75 bucks but that price is extremly low and just kinda makes you wonder why it's so low.

J-Rod


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

smokinbubbles said:


> thanks all for the replies. i will keep yall updated quite often.
> 
> i payed 135 for him plus 70 for shipping so i couldn't pass a deal up like that. im not sure about 75 bucks though. i know thats the price for american alligators but i have never heard of dwarf caimans runnin below 200. probably get somethin extra like loaded with tons of free internal parasites


so just because theyre less expensive u think there all infected?








[/quote]

Generally with herps there's a reason why they're less expensive. ESPECIALLY if they're less expensive at a pet store than they are from private sellers. Think about it. The pet store sells at RETAIL prices. They have a mark-up to maintain. Usually for reptiles it's around a 4x markup. Let's say it's just 3x they're going for. At $75 that means they picked it up for $25 from their supplier. Sounds pretty shifty to me... Probably still loaded with parasites, as was said. And no doubt wild caught. (Though I don't know about the breeding of dwarf caimens.)

Or they're selling you something that looks like a dwarf caimen _now_ and it'll keep growing past the 4' mark... and keep growing... and keep growing, heh.
[/quote]

the price thing i said about the dwarf caimans was a joke, but yeah there is usually a reason why animals can be a lot cheaper then usual. one big thing is is what mettle said about being CB and WC. WC are always a lot cheaper due to having a high ricks of having a disease, missing body parts, or internal problems (or also just having wild instinct still in there blood). dwarf caimans now have become more popular as pets so there is people breeding them in captivity more. actually pretty much all the ones you see are born in captivity. im not sure about the one i got but the person i got it from is a perosn that has been in business for over 28 years and very trusting. just becasue a price is cheaper, CB is always the way to go over WC.now im not douting the price being 75 bucks but that price is extremly low and just kinda makes you wonder why it's so low.

J-Rod
[/quote]

i understand but im sure that not every single place out there that has crazy low prices is defective. although i dont know of the integrity of the place i speak of, they have a huge amount of baby "caimens," and that could also be a reason for their low price. doesnt size play a factor too, among other things


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

Flip said:


> doesnt size play a factor too, among other things


Not that big of a factor.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

well babies usually tend to be less expensive then adults.

alright here are some better pics i took today. his water looks that color becasue the grapevine that hangs in the water a little bit discolors the water, there is a in aquarium filter on the back right wall but i don't think you can see it. today was the first day i have actually seen him eat and boy was that amazing. if yall have ever seen a alligator or croc eat a animal on t.v yall know what im talkin about, but in person its a lot better. i will try to get a video but i have yet to figure it out on my brothers camera and for some reaosn i haven't asked him.well here are the pics, enjoy

J-Rod

*edit- opps sorry yal, forgot to post the pic of his home. its a 55 with a piece of lexsane(sp) i siliconed in it to let it have a nice area of water.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

That's a very cool enclosure.

But does it really sit in the middle of the room like that?









As for prices. Depends on the animal. I know at my store, for instance, our baby bearded dragons were the same price as the larger beardie that we had. He had been there for a bit, the big guy, and eventually went for even less. Sometimes it's quite hard on a pet shop to keep a larger animal around. So they'll sell it off for cheap. We do the same in the fish department with large cichlids. The only except is the aros we have in (which are 18" maybe? and $125/each compared to $30 we were charging for 5" ones we had in months ago).

Price is also dependant on what the store itself paid for them. Again an example from my store... A while ago we had a fish order to do and I got to put in my two cents about what we could order. I saw pigeon blood discus on the order sheet for $6 and said we should get them in. We did and had a sale on 'em, selling them for $35/each. Still great mark-up. But compared to the average retail price of discus in this area which ranges from $60-$200, it was a damn good deal. And about the price that the big local breeder guy sells his at.

So if that store got a deal if they ordered X number of dwarf caimens they might've gotten a really low cost and now can sell them at dirt cheap.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

haha, yes sad but true. its actually not in the middle thugh. my room is pretty big and there is still plenty of room to walk by it. this is all whats in my room so you can kinda picture why its not at anywhere else and up on a stand. two 55g's, one 15Lg, one 20Hg, one 50g, two 29g's,and a 10 gallon. plus i have a queen size bed and two couches. also a little entertainment place as well. so right now i really don't have all that much space to put the aquarium up on anything, also baby dwarf caimans are very shy and get stressed out really easy from heavily trafficed areas, so really hes in a better place then puttin him somewhere else in my house. it looks bad but hey as long as hes happy im happy, haha. i still want to move my egyptian uromastyx in my room, but move my 2 salt tanks somewhere else in the house taking out one of the 55's and the 20.

J-Rod


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

Awsome caimen and enclosure.

Keep us updated with pics


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## Onion (Sep 20, 2005)

He looks cool as hell








Great job with the tank, bet he likes it


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## divinelawyer625 (Dec 12, 2005)

oh man... i love the tank set up and that's a very cute caima... i'm planning on owning one my self.. if i do get it in.. i'll post pics up as well.


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## RAYMAN45 (Oct 2, 2004)

my little guys... cute when small

i think personalty you should of done the tanjk the other way around... more water then land..


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## Guest (Dec 27, 2005)

Absolute insanity J-Rod!

So, how are you plannin on learning how to handle him when he gets better. Dont lose an arm!
















This is just too much


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

RAYMAN45 said:


> i think personalty you should of done the tanjk the other way around... more water then land..


That's how we did ours for our little american gators... but to each his own.


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## rattlesnake (Feb 11, 2005)




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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

hey yall i have been busy as hell lately here at my house and work. sorry its taken so long for updates. brewtus is doin extremly well. hes about 9.5 inches long right now and extremly happy and fat. yes the land thing i am goin to change. it was just a spare aquarium i had that was already set up like that, he still has plenty of room but i am planin on switchen it up. dwarf caimans are known though to be more of a land crocodilan then a water one. right now i have some duck weed that is takin off in his water that i took out of my rhom tank casue it was tankin over. i will try to post some pics of brewtus up tonight. soory again for takin so long.

J-Rod

*edit* p.s. thanks for all the replies


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

ahhhh blah, sorry for takin so long yall. i have been busy busy busy lately. the pics aren't great casue i just got off of work from 3 in the morning and its about 2 georgia time right now and im tired as hell. just tryin to keep yall updated with some pics of brewtus so yall can watch this little monster grow up into a man killer.

J-Rod


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

that is a dope caiman man.

i caught one by hand when we were in brazil. it was like 2 and a bit feet long. i grabbed it, and the friggin thing started huffing and puffing. if i could ever find the picture i have the funniest look on my face.

id love one of those, but i dont think northern winters would be too great for him.


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## JorgeRemigio (Mar 31, 2005)

Nice Palpebrosus!!!! Congratulations!!!!









Is that little monster agressive to You? (some Palpebrosus are just nervous...not really agressive...but some of them...auchhhhh)

Regards

Jorge Remígio


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