# Feeding bill for a Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman



## Paulusworm (Jan 26, 2009)

Hi all. I'm new to the DWA forum and have a question for you all. What is the food bill like for a single Cuvier's when compared with something like a Bosc? Are we talking similar money or significantly different? I don't have my licence yet and am still at the researching/pricing up stage at present. I love the large crocodilians but, considering that I live in a four bed terraced house in the city with my wife, five kids, three snakes, three Anoles and a Bosc monitor, a saltie wouldn't really be a sensible pet. A 5 foot Cuvier's seems like a more sensible choice. Any additional advice you can give would much appreciated. Thanks in advance : victory:.

p.s. If anyone keeps Cuvier's, lives in or near Portsmouth and is will to let me meet some Cuvier's in the flesh then that would be fantastic.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

I'd say you're looking at less food and lower cost than a Bosc monitor. 

The Juveniles we have are fed every three days on ~1-2 items at a time; med locusts, large crickets, pinkies, whitebait pieces, baby squid, worms etc.
The adults are fed once per week and often choose not to feed for months at a time...


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Would this apply for any crocodilian? Number of items not cost, and relative to size .


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## Paulusworm (Jan 26, 2009)

Cheers :no1:.

I've been ploughing my way through the info on crocodilian.com. Lots of useful info there but are there any other good websites that you lot would recommend?


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## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

Crocodilians have very small stomachs, very slow metabolisms and will get obese easily. A single chicken is all that an adult male saltie (700kg+) will need in a week, and it will still put on weight. In the wild large crocodiles will certainaly kill large prey, but they are unable to eat it in one go. They rip parts of the carcass off as and when their stomachs are empty, they will then guard the carcass and digest. 
In short crocodilians do not need to eat very much, and they do very well on offal. Australian croc farms feed production animals solely on chicken heads.


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## Paulusworm (Jan 26, 2009)

DavidR said:


> Crocodilians have very small stomachs, very slow metabolisms and will get obese easily. A single chicken is all that an adult male saltie (700kg+) will need in a week, and it will still put on weight. In the wild large crocodiles will certainaly kill large prey, but they are unable to eat it in one go. They rip parts of the carcass off as and when their stomachs are empty, they will then guard the carcass and digest.
> In short crocodilians do not need to eat very much, and they do very well on offal. Australian croc farms feed production animals solely on chicken heads.


I read about that behaviour. Drag a large prey item to the bottom and wedge the rest of it under something on the river bed for later. So do they have the intelligence to understand that they are full or is it just instinct? Not sure that I've ever seen a fat crocodilian.


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Hmm makes sense, I think I have neglected these beasts for too long! 

Are there any books scientific or husbandry biased that stand out, specifically on crocodilians?


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## Scales and Fangs (Mar 22, 2007)

Our Cuviers has no feeding regime (sp) what so ever.

The only pattern that does stand out is that she wont eat for weeks after she's been handled.

She is offered food every week sometimes she will eat 3 weeks in a row, other times she will not eat for a week or 2. Sometimes she will take it if it's left at the side of the water, other times she will launch out the water at it.

She is about 5 years old and just over 3ft, she is offered chicks, various size rodents and the occasional fish.

But to answer the OP question, they are much cheaper than most if not all monitirs to feed.


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