# My new Cuvier's dwarf caiman



## philipniceguy

Hi all Just picked up my Cuvier's dwarf caiman today. Big thanks too "cold blooded beast" for pointing me towards "nightgecko" and big thanks to "nightgecko" for helping me sort the sale out with Marc owner of Wrigglies:no1:. 
its around the 3ft mark nice and healthy and going enjoy getting to know it :lol2:
here a few pics of it: 


























































ps sorry if shirt offends some people :whistling2:


----------



## molorus_bivittatus

Congratulations mate, lovley croc, also loving the setup! Nice to see some people are prepared for the size and care for these crocs! 
Great stuff


----------



## anothernoob

Wicked Stuff buddy! any info on his enclosure size, temps and basking? Looks like you've done a cracking job with it!!!


----------



## philipniceguy

molorus_bivittatus said:


> Congratulations mate, lovley croc, also loving the setup! Nice to see some people are prepared for the size and care for these crocs!
> Great stuff


cheers



anothernoob said:


> Wicked Stuff buddy! any info on his enclosure size, temps and basking? Looks like you've done a cracking job with it!!!


Cheers bud
its prob all on my outbuilding thread here: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...building-house-monitors-caiman-hopefully.html somewere but in case its not.
the enclosure is 10ft L 8ft W 8ft H (not that it needs it) the pond is 4ft L 6ft W 2ft D and the temps as of few mins ago water 26'c right under the basking light par38 100W is 32'c and ambient temps are 20'c-26'c depending were I take them. seems to be happy:


----------



## Wrigglies

Thanks very much Philip and glad to see she is in her new enclosure okay, she will love it in there.


----------



## chapmand

philipniceguy said:


> Hi all Just picked up my Cuvier's dwarf caiman today. Big thanks too "cold blooded beast" for pointing me towards "nightgecko" and big thanks to "nightgecko" for helping me sort the sale out with Marc owner of Wrigglies:no1:.
> its around the 3ft mark nice and healthy and going enjoy getting to know it :lol2:
> here a few pics of it:
> 
> image
> image
> image
> image
> image
> image
> image
> 
> ps sorry if shirt offends some people :whistling2:


nice to see you get one bud :2thumb: ive read your threads/posts since before you got your dwa so it is genuinely nice to see the end : victory:


----------



## philipniceguy

Wrigglies said:


> Thanks very much Philip and glad to see she is in her new enclosure okay, she will love it in there.


yer I came home had a 1min hold of her (prob only 1 for a long long time) and then popped her into the water, Its been swimming around alot for a caiman :lol2:. As yet it hasn't come out of the water, and when im in view it freezes and stays still until I am gone, luckly I can watch it on the ipcam :flrt:. its perfect thanks very much:2thumb: You had some stunning other crocodilians and monitors :notworthy:



chapmand said:


> nice to see you get one bud :2thumb: ive read your threads/posts since before you got your dwa so it is genuinely nice to see the end : victory:


seemed to take forever :lol2: but it was not that long really. Must say though it's far from the end :whistling2::whistling2:,always stuff to improve. I guess you could say it's the end of chapter 1 :lol2:.


----------



## ChopChop

WOW...thats not bad size for your first caiman :lol2:

stunning mate nice and chucky an nice set-up mate looks a good lay out.

not as cute as mine but a lovey animal mate im over the moon for you ENJOY!! :mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble:


----------



## philipniceguy

ChopChop said:


> WOW...thats not bad size for your first caiman :lol2:
> 
> stunning mate nice and chucky an nice set-up mate looks a good lay out.
> 
> not as cute as mine but a lovey animal mate im over the moon for you ENJOY!! :mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble:


cheers bud, maybe a bit large for my first personal one, but I have helped others with handling, general care while on hols and stuff. I didn't want to get a babie and have it in another enclosure first, but its still got a ft or so to grow I hope :2thumb: hopefully i can get it to tong feed likes your lil 1 does: victory:


here is a clip I put together http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3XF-CBHdXU I recorded lots of clips of it swimming and then made this video out of the better bits, its all taken from ipcam:2thumb:


----------



## ChopChop

philipniceguy said:


> cheers bud, maybe a bit large for my first personal one, but I have helped others with handling, general care while on hols and stuff. I didn't want to get a babie and have it in another enclosure first, but its still got a ft or so to grow I hope :2thumb: hopefully i can get it to tong feed likes your lil 1 does: victory:
> 
> 
> here is a clip I put together My Cuviers dwarf caiman - YouTube I recorded lots of clips of it swimming and then made this video out of the better bits, its all taken from ipcam:2thumb:


 im sure it will in time pal, im looking forward to plenty of pics and vids from you anyways :2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

ChopChop said:


> im sure it will in time pal, im looking forward to plenty of pics and vids from you anyways :2thumb:


oh don't worry your get loads :whistling2:. I got worried it could not get out so before lights out I installed a extra ramp bit









soon after enclosure lights out, but not main outbuilding lights, it was doing:

















then as of 2 mins ago it just jumped out the corner of the pond, so I didnt need to worry at all as it doesn't even need the ramp :lol2::bash:
this is it now on ipcam


----------



## ChopChop

haha they are stunning cuviers anrt they deffinaly the bonniest crocodilians, i was going to say he/she would easly be able to jump out of that pond, realy is a nice set-up tho pal well done :2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

ChopChop said:


> haha they are stunning cuviers anrt they deffinaly the bonniest crocodilians, i was going to say he/she would easly be able to jump out of that pond, realy is a nice set-up tho pal well done :2thumb:


cheers mate. I new it could for food like your video of tong feeding, but I wasn't sure it would just do it to get out or be able to grip to the top of the pond glad to say it does, seems to have checked out the whole enclosure now, its nice watching it on ipcam as all my other animals are asleep but the Cuvier is nice and active I'm shocked how active it is :2thumb:, hope it keeps that up not just night 1 :lol2:.


----------



## coldestblood

philipniceguy said:


> here is a clip I put together My Cuviers dwarf caiman - YouTube I recorded lots of clips of it swimming and then made this video out of the better bits, its all taken from ipcam:2thumb:


Nice enclosure. Croc looks like s/he's enjoying the swim.


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> Nice enclosure. Croc looks like s/he's enjoying the swim.


yer think she did:2thumb: 

I took a load of clips from overnight (total darkness) and put this clip of them all together:
Cuviers dwarf caiman nighttime viewing - YouTube

enjoy


----------



## Whosthedaddy

Seems to be settling in well already.


----------



## philipniceguy

Whosthedaddy said:


> Seems to be settling in well already.


I think so too but it prob helps the fact that since I put it in I only went in sight of it 1s to add the extra ramp (which it didnt need)


----------



## azza23

Congrats phil, you finnally got her, and may i say she's gawjus, :no1::2thumb:


----------



## Mikeyp2000

Excellent mate, i've been lurking your threads and i'm glad you've got the caiman. Keep up with the youtube vids as well...


----------



## philipniceguy

azza23 said:


> Congrats phil, you finnally got her, and may i say she's gawjus, :no1::2thumb:


yer got one at last, it alot less active today, which was what i was thinking it would be like.



Mikeyp2000 said:


> Excellent mate, i've been lurking your threads and i'm glad you've got the caiman. Keep up with the youtube vids as well...


thanks very much and don't worry more videos to come


----------



## jambo1984

nice mate set up is cracking like all your others:no1:


----------



## musher116

got to agree with last post ,cracking set up the same as your others ,im soooo jealous of your croc m8 very nice .:2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

It's very shy in the daytime but it's not so bad at night I see it swimming around on ipcam and come onto land so thought I would go see if it moved back into water when I went into building It didn't for 5 mins or so which I was happy with :2thumb: so took these

few from tonight:
taking from feeding hatch








taken through door glass so not perfect








taken through feeding hatch








some photos from the ipcam:


----------



## philipniceguy

another update on it:

it's first meal since I owned it, sadly it had to be a chick:bashdidn't eat rat I offered the other day)
Cuviers dwarf caiman eating nightview - YouTube
at the end of the clip when its on the wood see how fast it moves when I enter the room :bash: thank god I got the camera or I'll never see it :lol2:

and a video of daytime activity
Cuviers dwarf caiman day swim 17.04.2012.wmv - YouTube


----------



## philipniceguy

another video of Cuviers eating a rat: victory:
Cuviers dwarf caiman eating a rat - YouTube

and 2 pics from just after :2thumb:


----------



## toddsdevil

thats awesome bud congrats! im about to start making a viv and apply for my DWA, it takes time but will be worth it. i hope i can achive a viv like yours!


----------



## philipniceguy

toddsdevil said:


> thats awesome bud congrats! im about to start making a viv and apply for my DWA, it takes time but will be worth it. i hope i can achive a viv like yours!


Thanks and take ideas from mine and do a better one : victory:


----------



## toddsdevil

philipniceguy said:


> Thanks and take ideas from mine and do a better one : victory:


thanks bud, both threads have given me quite a few ideas :2thumb:


----------



## bw89

Wow, she/he's a stunner. I bet your thrilled, I'm really glad for you. I always read through your enclosure build and have loved every step.: victory:

P.S love the orange eye-glow in the picure immediately after the video:no1:

Will be watching your threads:Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## philipniceguy

toddsdevil said:


> thanks bud, both threads have given me quite a few ideas :2thumb:


glad to here it good luck with the DWAL keep me posted : victory:



bw89 said:


> Wow, she/he's a stunner. I bet your thrilled, I'm really glad for you. I always read through your enclosure build and have loved every step.: victory:
> 
> P.S love the orange eye-glow in the picure immediately after the video:no1:
> 
> Will be watching your threads:Na_Na_Na_Na:


thanks :blush: and yes very very thrilled, I'm also very pleased to note that the Caiman (no name yet) has become MUCH more bold/brave over this weekend, not hiding whenever I enter the room, it doesn't even jump into the water (on the few times it's out of it) so as it's become less shy I'm very please as it was like heating so on a empty enclosure:lol2:. Next step is for it to come towards the front and take food from LONG tongs :lol2: but this can come later build on the seeing it out :no1::no1: so happy

see pics in the daytime, not very quick pics before it dives into the water, at last I get nice pics without having to rush and when I leave its still there:


----------



## CichlaKeeper

That cuviers is a stunner. Your enclosures are better than most zoos :2thumb:


----------



## Tuatara

Lovely cuviers there mate cracking size aswell! Looks like shes settled in quickly into the enclosure have read your other thread from the start love the outbuilding and the occupants!


----------



## tarantulatez

Wow! stunning Caiman mate and the enclosure is awesome :2thumb::no1:


----------



## philipniceguy

CichlaKeeper said:


> That cuviers is a stunner. Your enclosures are better than most zoos :2thumb:


thanks very much :blush: If I had more room they would be even better :2thumb:



Tuatara said:


> Lovely cuviers there mate cracking size aswell! Looks like shes settled in quickly into the enclosure have read your other thread from the start love the outbuilding and the occupants!


thanks very much, it's nice to see the end results for myself :2thumb:



tarantulatez said:


> Wow! stunning Caiman mate and the enclosure is awesome :2thumb::no1:


cheers bud:blush:


----------



## philipniceguy

A video of my caiman taking food from tongs for the first time since I owned it :2thumb: can only get better and better : victory:
Cuviers dwarf caiman first tong feeding - YouTube

Im so chuffed it has not taken very long at all. got it on the 11.04.2012 it's now 27.04.2012 so 2 weeks 2 days to go from a shy caiman, hiding away as soon as we enter the room, to not hiding away when we enter and now to taking food from tongs, next step I guess will be it coming towards me for food or whatever :2thumb::2thumb: 

so happy :flrt:


----------



## philipniceguy

and few pics aswell :whistling2:


----------



## philipniceguy

sorry if peeps getting bord of the photos I take LOADS every week of all my pets and family, just upload a few : victory:









tong fed again today :2thumb: very pleased :2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

here peeps have some more pics :2thumb:


----------



## coldestblood

Great pics of an amazing looking caiman.

Can see you're really enjoying him. He's one lucky croc.


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> Great pics of an amazing looking caiman.
> 
> Can see you're really enjoying him. He's one lucky croc.


Yes I really am enjoying owning a Cuviers. It's just what I though it would be like:2thumb: many years to go :2thumb:

the normal daytime images :2thumb:








next to the food "dish" sadly it was hiding so had to leave it on the dish no tong feeding this time, but glad to see it eating and out and about :2thumb:


----------



## Jack W

Beautiful caiman, nice setup and great pics mate. Just wondering how often do they need to be fed? I'm not planning on getting on, just curious.


----------



## philipniceguy

Jack W said:


> Beautiful caiman, nice setup and great pics mate. Just wondering how often do they need to be fed? I'm not planning on getting on, just curious.


that of course depends on there size so on but mine I feed it once a week (friday)


----------



## Vectis

What a fascinating beastie! He is really photogenic  His home is impressive too. Looks like a lot of work and thought has gone into it.

I have a daft question if you don't mind...How do you handle him? Are caimans something you handle regularly or just for health checks or vet treatment or when you clean his enclosure? I guess he's more of a looking at 'pet' than a cuddling one! (I put pet in inverted commas as I don't know if you'd call him that). You can probably tell I'm not a DWA keeper or planning on becoming one, but I do love looking at the wonderful animals in this section.:blush:


----------



## philipniceguy

Vectis said:


> What a fascinating beastie! He is really photogenic  His home is impressive too. Looks like a lot of work and thought has gone into it.
> 
> I have a daft question if you don't mind...How do you handle him? Are caimans something you handle regularly or just for health checks or vet treatment or when you clean his enclosure? I guess he's more of a looking at 'pet' than a cuddling one! (I put pet in inverted commas as I don't know if you'd call him that). You can probably tell I'm not a DWA keeper or planning on becoming one, but I do love looking at the wonderful animals in this section.:blush:


I don't handle it unless I MUST, the day I put it into its enclosure I did and again few days later just to check its size, but I have no plans to handle it again, unless of course I need to for health reasons or enclosure maintance, though 95% can be done with it remaining in the enclosure with someone watching it while i'm doing it. With regards to handling of course it can be done, holding it around the neck and base of tail BUT its very stressful on the animal so I will only do it if needed. Luckly I have a few mates who are happy to help me as and when needed :2thumb: I also have a "catch pole" which allows for save quick removal of the caiman if needed, tried it out when measureing it from catching, taping mouth, measuring and puting back was done in under 3 mins :2thumb: most of that time was trying to measure it :bash:


----------



## philipniceguy

photo frenzy today, I had to build a tunnel to join my to croc monitors enclosure together http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...onitors-caiman-hopefully-18.html#post10047037
and of course this goes through the caimans so I really p:censor:d it off today but good thing is because I was in and out all day it was very active so here LOADS of pics from today : victory:


----------



## philipniceguy

and some more


----------



## coldestblood

More great pics.


----------



## zekee

Awesome animal, and an awesome set up, well done. Would love one myself....oh would probably feed me to it though.


----------



## Kibu

I am personally a Cham person, but that guy looks great. http://img.tapatalk.com/60e4d139-1dc7-80a9.jpg[/IMG. These r my two. My female is pregnant


Sent from my iPad using tapatalk


----------



## Ste123

Wow you got some bright laces on your shoes :whistling2:





The caiman looks alright i suppose :Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> More great pics.


cheers bud :2thumb:



zekee said:


> Awesome animal, and an awesome set up, well done. Would love one myself....oh would probably feed me to it though.


think mine thinks about it sometimes when i spend hours just looking at my collection :gasp:



Kibu said:


> I am personally a Cham person, but that guy looks great.
> 
> cheers : victory:
> 
> 
> 
> Ste123 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow you got some bright laces on your shoes :whistling2:
> 
> The caiman looks alright i suppose :Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> 
> 
> bright red thats nothing let's just say i like to stand out from the crowd : victory:: victory::Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> then again I do like bright red on black like 1 of my dogs
Click to expand...


----------



## Ste123

philipniceguy said:


> cheers bud :2thumb:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bright red thats nothing let's just say i like to stand out from the crowd : victory:: victory::Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> then again I do like bright red on black like 1 of my dogs
> 
> image
> image



oooh the red collar helps to see him in the water now that's sensible and fashionable  stunning dog


----------



## philipniceguy

little video from today:
Cuviers dwarf caiman snatches food - YouTube

it is getting MUCH braver not hiding much now adays and coming towards the tongs on feed days so all is progressing well:2thumb::notworthy:


----------



## Tim Hallam

that's great space you've got there nice to see. I don't know if anyone has mentioned it sorry if they have but those basking lamps won't be doing much good up there
if you're using full spectrums they out of usable range for UV . also not many people "get" this but you'd be surprised how much Crocodilians bask whilst in the water so give it a spot lamp over his pool. cheers Tim.


----------



## philipniceguy

Tim Hallam said:


> that's great space you've got there nice to see. I don't know if anyone has mentioned it sorry if they have but those basking lamps won't be doing much good up there
> if you're using full spectrums they out of usable range for UV . also not many people "get" this but you'd be surprised how much Crocodilians bask whilst in the water so give it a spot lamp over his pool. cheers Tim.


if you mean the PAR38 100w heat wise they give of more than enough "heat" if you mean the "now" megaray UV, If the caiman is below the megaray it will get the UV from it though not much (if they need it at all they dont need much), though I dont beleave they really need UV anyway (I now there is a big debate on it), long as there fed a good diet (not chicks or bits of meat with no bones in so on as so many do). I get your point on basking in the water but I do not wish to do this (personal pref) my water temp is high at 27'c so it rarely bothers to bask when it comes out of the water it spends most of the time in the cooler areas of the land :2thumb:.


----------



## Tim Hallam

didn't mean to put you on the defensive, but you say your water temperature is higher than your air temperature? I'd be aiming for the other way round as it is in nature what that means is you'll have higher levels of condensation to deal with be on the look out for fungal infection it can weigh heavy on their respiratory system in the long term,and yes as they get most d3 requirements from excess d3 stored in the liver of the prey item they don't ordinarily require any additional d3 that is assuming the prey animal was exposed to sufficient levels of UV and a correct diet to produce excess requirements of d3 in the first place I assume you have ensured this to be the case, and I didn't no anybody actually used megarays are they any good? what does your meter readings say? and the other thing was about ambient light often overlooked but I don't think a energy savers really perform to the levels crocs thrive on you ought to think about a bank of artifical daylight tubes with a colour temperature of around 6500k they really come alive under that. 
you're animal looks very bright eyed which is great but watch that belly they get obese real easy and can quickly succomb to heart failure. best of luck


cheers Tim.


----------



## philipniceguy

Tim Hallam said:


> didn't mean to put you on the defensive, but you say your water temperature is higher than your air temperature? I'd be aiming for the other way round as it is in nature what that means is you'll have higher levels of condensation to deal with be on the look out for fungal infection it can weigh heavy on their respiratory system in the long term,and yes as they get most d3 requirements from excess d3 stored in the liver of the prey item they don't ordinarily require any additional d3 that is assuming the prey animal was exposed to sufficient levels of UV and a correct diet to produce excess requirements of d3 in the first place I assume you have ensured this to be the case, and I didn't no anybody actually used megarays are they any good? what does your meter readings say? and the other thing was about ambient light often overlooked but I don't think a energy savers really perform to the levels crocs thrive on you ought to think about a bank of artifical daylight tubes with a colour temperature of around 6500k they really come alive under that.
> you're animal looks very bright eyed which is great but watch that belly they get obese real easy and can quickly succomb to heart failure. best of luck
> 
> 
> cheers Tim.


Tim I was not on the defensive I was mearly answering your concerns :2thumb:. I never stated the air temp was more than the water, in the enclosure today just been and checked everywhere, the temps range from 22'c in the dark hide areas to 28.5'c near the basking area to 32'c-34'c under the basking area. The condensation doesn't seem to be a issue as all the surrounding enclosures are warming and I do have a dehumidifer on the outside:2thumb:, though of course I will keep an eye out: victory:. Funny you should say about the energy savers BUT the ones i use are 6500k true white light energy saving bulbs 23w ES LOW ENERGY SAVING DAYLIGHT LAMP | eBay shop is down the road from me. the colour shows the reptiles in a better light but I mainly use them to glow the enclosures up :2thumb: they work a treat. I would think a "bank of tubes" would just be a waste of electric personally if placed correctly just one 23w one of these glows the enclosure up amazingly worst case of course you could use another 1 placed far apart from it:2thumb:. Banks of them "just for light" is kinda outdated I think of course everyone has there own opinions. The megarays are MUCH better than solar glos I used to use. I got 5 solar glos at once and in under 2 months all gone, 2 blow and the other 3 glass came away from the metal es screw, they are 100% rubbish cant handle humidity (high in other enclosures) at all:bash:. The Megarays on the other hand seem to be working great not had one blow yet and can't see any signs of damage so all good. As far as i am aware you can only buy them from Mega Ray but I could be wrong. I will of course keep a eye on its weight : victory: I currently have lowered it's food as I felt when I got it, it was a tad fat around the belly area so from when I got it it's had less food per week than it used to, as with all my animals I judge the amount depending on there weight, size, so on.

some pics 
head pic








watching me while im taking reading


----------



## philipniceguy

little update video, the caiman jumping for the food: victory:
Cuviers jump feeding - YouTube

from the shy, always hiding caiman when i got it, it is the total opposite now. Never hides away, stays on the land even if i'm in sight, best of all of course is the fact it can tell the tongs mean food and it swims towards them and jumps up to get the prey, so far its managed to get around 2ft out of the water for it : victory:. I much prefer the bold "Top of the food chain" style that it has become, because it knows it's TOP. Of course there is a down side makes simple things like enclosure cleaning ALOT harder but only adds the the joy of keeping a cuviers :2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:.


----------



## chrisgard

looks really good mate, nice one, well done on putting the real work in to a great enclosure, i loved your build blog on here , it made me envious!! I hope to have a few dwas one day but not any time soon!

good luck with them and are you intending on breeding crocodillians?


----------



## philipniceguy

chrisgard said:


> looks really good mate, nice one, well done on putting the real work in to a great enclosure, i loved your build blog on here , it made me envious!! I hope to have a few dwas one day but not any time soon!
> 
> good luck with them and are you intending on breeding crocodillians?


thanks very much. I have plans to breed mainly due to the fact I don't have the space and if I got another and they had a fight so on I would be kinda stuck :lol2:. Maybe one day in the future I might if i move :2thumb: and get more space of course. It would be a great thing to do, but for now i'll just have to enjoy this one: victory:


----------



## philipniceguy

philipniceguy said:


> thanks very much. I have *NO* plans to breed mainly due to the fact I don't have the space and if I got another and they had a fight so on I would be kinda stuck :lol2:. Maybe one day in the future I might if i move :2thumb: and get more space of course. It would be a great thing to do, but for now i'll just have to enjoy this one: victory:


missed the NO :lol2: heres some update pics/clips
















I love this one its very clear and can see the eye is covered so cool pic :mf_dribble:









and a clip this is it jumping again for food this clip is 1 rat and 2 chicks. Check out the noise of the jaw as it misses the rat:2thumb::mf_dribble:
Cuviers caiman tong feeding 1 rat 2 chicks - YouTube


----------



## philipniceguy

few from today:

























its willingness to come towards me for food, is making it soo much easy for pic taking


----------



## coldestblood

You're making me want a croc!

Great pics.


----------



## NightGecko

She is looking really good Philip glad you gave her such a good home :2thumb:


----------



## jb92

Great looking caiman and a great enclosure! Glad to see responsible people owning these amazing animals!
Thanks for sharing the pictures. 
JB Owens


----------



## mstypical

I'm more of a snake person than a 'lizard' person but hots have never interested me for some reason, if I *was* ever to consider DWA, it would be for one of these little beauties, what an amazing animal :no1:


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> You're making me want a croc!
> 
> Great pics.


They don't do much (like most hots) but when they do it's a really joy to watch:2thumb:



NightGecko said:


> She is looking really good Philip glad you gave her such a good home :2thumb:


thanks I'm also glad I got it from your work it's turned into the ideal caiman :2thumb:



jb92 said:


> Great looking caiman and a great enclosure! Glad to see responsible people owning these amazing animals!
> Thanks for sharing the pictures.
> JB Owens


thanks very much :blush:



mstypical said:


> I'm more of a snake person than a 'lizard' person but hots have never interested me for some reason, if I *was* ever to consider DWA, it would be for one of these little beauties, what an amazing animal :no1:


there is something about them that makes me drawn to them, it's certainly not there unconditional love for humans :lol2:.

having a rat think this one was abit on the large side but managed to eat it in the long run :whistling2:


----------



## [email protected]

Great pics!


----------



## philipniceguy

[email protected] said:


> Great pics!


thanks :2thumb: and good site you have "the reptile report" :notworthy:


----------



## [email protected]

Thanks, much appreciated : )


----------



## Christie_ZXR

Just being nosey, but how do you pooh-pick in there? Is it just a case of keep a close eye on him whilst you're cleaning up? Or does he have to move somewhere? 

He's very lovely btw! Love some of those shots you've got where they eyes really stand out


----------



## philipniceguy

Christie_ZXR said:


> Just being nosey, but how do you pooh-pick in there? Is it just a case of keep a close eye on him whilst you're cleaning up? Or does he have to move somewhere?
> 
> He's very lovely btw! Love some of those shots you've got where they eyes really stand out


I have a pond net on 4ft pole in order to scoop stuff out the water (only bark to date) , though it never poos in there :notworthy:, I just go round and pick it up, I have a wood "shield" which blocks it from seeing me, but the BEST tool I have is my OH's eyes she is ALWAYS there watching it whenever I enter the enclosure, but TBH unless I have the blue food tray and blue tongs he swims under the wood bit and doesn't move until I'm gone. Being a Crocodilian they don't poo often like a dog THANKFULLY. there also is various "clean up crews" like woodlice in all my vivs which helps get all the little bits I miss : victory:


----------



## Christie_ZXR

Ah, that makes sense. I did wonder if you might use a shield of some sort! Cheers


----------



## philipniceguy

some more piccys :flrt:
front on








front on








my fav of today:2thumb:


----------



## NightGecko

philipniceguy said:


> thanks I'm also glad I got it from your work it's turned into the ideal caiman :2thumb:


If you pop back up you can have a go with something a bit bigger :2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

NightGecko said:


> If you pop back up you can have a go with something a bit bigger :2thumb:


I'll take you up on that soon, Aug maybe ?? as im off :2thumb:


----------



## em_40

Lovely, nice to see some out of the water ones :2thumb:


----------



## StaneyWid

Glad i found this thread and then your YouTube at the back off it :no1:

Sweeeeeeeettt!!!!!!! "Well Gel" 

Great collection one of the best ive seen :flrt:


----------



## philipniceguy

em_40 said:


> Lovely, nice to see some out of the water ones :2thumb:


got some more for ya :2thumb:



StaneyWid said:


> Glad i found this thread and then your YouTube at the back off it :no1:
> 
> Sweeeeeeeettt!!!!!!! "Well Gel"
> 
> Great collection one of the best ive seen :flrt:


thanks very much :blush:

to celebrate the fact im able to keep this stunner here is some pics of tonight (not bad pics it was 100% pitch black :lol2


----------



## philipniceguy

water pic from other day








cuviers chilling were it prefers when it's warm :2thumb:








stuff this you opened the door im diving into the water


----------



## philipniceguy

some from today:

relaxing on the wood, seems to be it's fav place on land :2thumb:

































was taking pics of my croc monitors and heard a funny noice looked into the door and see these pics, must though it would eat me while I was not watching luckly glass saved me :lol2:


----------



## trueviper

Lovely crocodilian and enclosure. Always fills me with envy to see these fantasic outdoor enclosures people build for their crocs and monitor lizards. You can allways see that the keepers have put a lot of thought into them and that the conditions these animals need are being met.
Definately a positive effect the DWA laws have had on keeping these little monsters :no1:


----------



## philipniceguy

trueviper said:


> Lovely crocodilian and enclosure. Always fills me with envy to see these fantasic outdoor enclosures people build for their crocs and monitor lizards. You can allways see that the keepers have put a lot of thought into them and that the conditions these animals need are being met.
> Definately a positive effect the DWA laws have had on keeping these little monsters :no1:


thanks very much and your right I just wish ALL keepers had to follow the same rules, rather than each council being differant.


having abit of dinner








having abit of its dinner








new hide area as the other was only 8mm and bowing so this much better








the hide area folded old in case I have alot of cage maintance to do make it easyer this was though I can't see when if ever i'll use it :lol2:


----------



## coldestblood

Looking great as usual. How much, and how often do you feed him? I've only cared for babies, and they ate mainly locusts and pinkie fluffs.


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> Looking great as usual. How much, and how often do you feed him? I've only cared for babies, and they ate mainly locusts and pinkie fluffs.


I feed once a week. it gets 2 xl rat weaners or 1 weaner and 2 chicks. no set rule but thats mainly what I been giving it as it's a little on the chubby side so hoping to looses abit of belly fat :lol2:. normally it acts hungry a day or so before feed day. By "acts hungry" I mean in stead of just relaxing doing not alot, it watchs everything im doing and moves towards me if I stay in sight for a few mins. when it's not hungry it stays away from me :2thumb:


----------



## coldestblood

philipniceguy said:


> I feed once a week. it gets 2 xl rat weaners or 1 weaner and 2 chicks. no set rule but thats mainly what I been giving it as it's a little on the chubby side so hoping to looses abit of belly fat :lol2:. normally it acts hungry a day or so before feed day. By "acts hungry" I mean in stead of just relaxing doing not alot, it watchs everything im doing and moves towards me if I stay in sight for a few mins. when it's not hungry it stays away from me :2thumb:


Not a lot of food then really. I expected it to be more.

I have an idea of what you mean about them acting hungry. I use to keep tegus and nile monitor, and they always knew when feeding day was coming. Does the caimen show it in a similar way to the large monitors, or is it much more obvious (for lack of a better word)?


----------



## philipniceguy

coldestblood said:


> Not a lot of food then really. I expected it to be more.
> 
> I have an idea of what you mean about them acting hungry. I use to keep tegus and nile monitor, and they always knew when feeding day was coming. Does the caimen show it in a similar way to the large monitors, or is it much more obvious (for lack of a better word)?


I would say its less obvious, my nile monitor is at the doors, clawing whipping and trying get at it/you as soon as you open the main outbuilding door :lol2:. it just swims towards you slowly and waits by the edge. when it is not hungry it will never swim towards me. no not alot of food, they don't do alot to "burn" any off so don't seem to need nowere near as much as other animals the same size.

my son is of for school holidays and wanted to feed the caiman so I let him, he never entered the enclosure (never will) and I placed him so that the caiman couldn't see him due to the filter and LOOONG tongs so was "safe" he really enjoyed it and went on for hours after :flrt:
My son feeding the Cuviers dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) - YouTube


----------



## philipniceguy

more pics of Cuviers basking, which is rare :lol2:


----------



## craig1985

That is one beautiful looking dwarf caiman


----------



## philipniceguy

craig1985 said:


> That is one beautiful looking dwarf caiman


thank you

more pics:

say cheese








caiman hiding








caiman hiding at the back doing this alot ATM think it's a bit hot in outbuilding for it :bash: in this weather








my son with caiman watching you
















lovely teeth
















tail








side view








birds eye view


----------



## lucas829

Dude awesome cuvier's I want one myself so bad i'm working on getting my DWA at the moment and then i'm getting one myself:2thumb:


----------



## philipniceguy

lucas829 said:


> Dude awesome cuvier's I want one myself so bad i'm working on getting my DWA at the moment and then i'm getting one myself:2thumb:


well good luck to ya :2thumb:, I enjoy keeping mine its amazing :2thumb: and wish to get other crocs, caimans so on but space is the issue currently.

Pic of Cuviers from back wall








Cuviers looking stunning as normal








I don't think I can stand up streight here now the tunnel/bridge is fitted lol








Me changing the bulb with my tong protection :lol2:








Me pointing at the Cuviers who is acting like it is not watching me but it is :gasp:


----------



## lucas829

philipniceguy said:


> well good luck to ya :2thumb:, I enjoy keeping mine its amazing :2thumb: and wish to get other crocs, caimans so on but space is the issue currently.
> 
> Pic of Cuviers from back wall
> image
> Cuviers looking stunning as normal
> image
> I don't think I can stand up streight here now the tunnel/bridge is fitted lol
> image
> Me changing the bulb with my tong protection :lol2:
> image
> Me pointing at the Cuviers who is acting like it is not watching me but it is :gasp:
> image



yeah dude that's the only thing i'm worried about at the moment lol but hey who cares i wanna get one so haha... yeah i wanna get a load more crocs to after i get my caiman and get some hot's aswell how did you find the inspection?


----------



## xDEADFAMOUSx

id LOVE a caimen, but unfortunatly i dont have the room atm, and even if i where to make the room, DWA would prob get declined, not only becausse no-one in the north east has a DWA (few caimens and venomous in shops held under PSL) but i live in a two bed ground floor flat. so i prob have more chance winning the lottery.... then i can buy a huge house and have one... so i best start to put the lotto on 

gorgeous animal though and great enclosure


----------



## Daz1989

xDEADFAMOUSx said:


> id LOVE a caimen, but unfortunatly i dont have the room atm, and even if i where to make the room, DWA would prob get declined, not only becausse no-one in the north east has a DWA (few caimens and venomous in shops held under PSL) but i live in a two bed ground floor flat. so i prob have more chance winning the lottery.... then i can buy a huge house and have one... so i best start to put the lotto on
> 
> gorgeous animal though and great enclosure


:gasp:
Is it hard to get dwa up north i bloody hope not im moving to cramlington next year and will be looking to get a dwa in the next 4-8 years hopfully.


----------



## xDEADFAMOUSx

According to a local reliable reptile shop, no one in the north east has a dwa... and she has great connections with the local councils


----------



## coldestblood

I live in the north east, and mine DWAL took less that 6 weeks. Thats from booking my inspection, to recieving my license in the post, and bringing my snakes home. I think the hardest place to get a license up here is Leeds.

A two bedroom flat shouldn't be a problem. As long as the room is setup right, and all the safety protocols are followed, I can't see why you'd be refused. If it's a council flat, then you may have problems


----------



## xDEADFAMOUSx

I was relating to the north and south tyneside areas. And in my flat theres a front room, my daulghters room, our room, bathroom and kitchen, no room for a kitten less a caimen lol


----------



## Horny Toad

xDEADFAMOUSx said:


> According to a local reliable reptile shop, no one in the north east has a dwa... and she has great connections with the local councils


There are one or two that I know of in the North East.


----------



## xDEADFAMOUSx

v-max said:


> There are one or two that I know of in the North East.


In the south tyneside local?


----------



## Horny Toad

xDEADFAMOUSx said:


> In the south tyneside local?


Nope, but in the North East.


----------



## Naturally Wild

v-max said:


> Nope, but in the North East.


Only me and one other in the north east are legal. coldestblood is not in the northeast.


----------



## Horny Toad

Naturally Wild said:


> Only me and one other in the north east are legal. coldestblood is not in the northeast.


Agreed, you and I can think of one other holding DWA license in the North East.


----------



## philipniceguy

tried the caiman on crayfish today, seemed to enjoy them so here is some pics

just hanging out








head pic








head pic








relaxing








caiman relaxing








crayfish munching








munching on a crayfish








tong feeding it a crayfish


----------



## Whosthedaddy

Any chance of being so bold as to ask a few basic questions?

How active are they or is he just mooching around waiting for food?

What did the council have to say on the minimum land water space required? Did you look into a Spectacled or just the Curviers? I know that the former will need a larger sized enclosure but wondered how much more?

What are you using to heat the enclosure, does this include a basing spot or just with overall ambients?

Are you heating the water?

Whats the filter / pump? Do you still have to fish out the 'solids'


----------



## philipniceguy

Whosthedaddy said:


> Any chance of being so bold as to ask a few basic questions?
> 
> How active are they or is he just mooching around waiting for food?
> 
> *not as active as a monitor but it swims around most of the day and wonders around at night, but of course more active come feeding day.*
> 
> What did the council have to say on the minimum land water space required?
> 
> *the "minimum" by law is enough to fully submerge there self and turn around, land wise enough to get fully out the water and turn around BUT of course NEVER go for the minimum. My council was happy with the 10ft by 8ft enclosure with pool 6ft by 4ft by 2ft deep*
> 
> Did you look into a Spectacled or just the Curviers?
> 
> *No I didn't went for the smallest of them all due to fact I personaly felt my enclosure was too small for other crocodilians, but one day in future (new house or something) I would like to own a few others.*
> 
> I know that the former will need a larger sized enclosure but wondered how much more?
> 
> *Depends on what your council sees as a suitable size*
> 
> What are you using to heat the enclosure, does this include a basing spot or just with overall ambients?
> 
> *I use a 4ft tube heater at night located on the RH side, basking area located on LH side for daytime (9am - 9pm) consisting of 2 x 100w par38*
> *of which it has only used 2s since owning it. also is a 23w daylight bulb lighting the enclosure up for better viewing and colours*
> 
> Are you heating the water?
> 
> *Yes I use a 500w aquaium heater/thermostat located oh the RH side right next to were the filtered water enters the pool, its protected using UPVC drainpiping with various holes drilled in it to allow water to flow freely through it. it took a good 4 or so days once first plugged in to get to correct temps but once there works a treat and it's rarely on now.*
> 
> Whats the filter / pump? Do you still have to fish out the 'solids'
> 
> *On the rare time it's gone in the water solids needed fishing out. the filter is a Oasis green to clean box filter (i think model 3000) and the pond pump is a hozelock aquaforce (i think model 2500) both of which do the job perfectly as long as you fish out the big chunks* : victory:


old pic of it under basking area rearly used due to high outbuilding ambient temps








Basking bulb used 100w par38








23w daylight bulb used purely to glow up my enclosures a nice bright colour


----------



## Whosthedaddy

Cheers Phil.


----------



## philipniceguy

Whosthedaddy said:


> Cheers Phil.


no problem mate, any other info PM me, if I can help I will:2thumb:

Caiman looking at me








Caiman tail








Caiman taking a look at me








Caiman walking away








close up of the non emotion eyes of the caiman


----------



## anothernoob

philipniceguy said:


> no problem mate, any other info PM me, if I can help I will:2thumb:
> 
> Caiman looking at me
> image
> Caiman tail
> image
> Caiman taking a look at me
> image
> Caiman walking away
> image
> close up of the non emotion eyes of the caiman
> image


Magnificent mate! I love the deep blacks and the contract to his bright head!


----------



## Whosthedaddy

Odd proportioned things

:lol2:


----------



## philipniceguy

anothernoob said:


> Magnificent mate! I love the deep blacks and the contract to his bright head!


yer it is funny dark body light head :2thumb:



Whosthedaddy said:


> Odd proportioned things
> 
> :lol2:


yer they really are, it is alittle chubby aswell so don't help :devil:

Macro picture of the Cuviers eye. Been a long time coming but chuffed with the pic


----------



## azza23

philipniceguy said:


> yer it is funny dark body light head :2thumb:
> 
> 
> 
> yer they really are, it is alittle chubby aswell so don't help :devil:
> 
> Macro picture of the Cuviers eye. Been a long time coming but chuffed with the pic
> image


Eye Eye captain.......


----------



## philipniceguy

azza23 said:


> Eye Eye captain.......


:lol2:
some from feeding today:

Hi i'm feeling hungry look into my eyes :lol2:








Rat lunch


----------



## philipniceguy

Some from today


----------



## cjbss9

*must have*

God I want one of these!!!:gasp:
Looking good!!
Chris


----------



## philipniceguy

cjbss9 said:


> God I want one of these!!!:gasp:
> Looking good!!
> Chris


thank you Chris.

some from feed day today:

ready to jump








the mouth open ready for food 








the jump


----------



## cjbss9

*Awsom!!!*

How great is that Id love to see him in person one day!!!
Lovely collection!!:no1:
Man after my own heart if I had the space!! Well ive got the space but no outbuildings spare at the mo:blush::2thumb:
Chris


----------



## philipniceguy

cjbss9 said:


> How great is that Id love to see him in person one day!!!
> Lovely collection!!:no1:
> Man after my own heart if I had the space!! Well ive got the space but no outbuildings spare at the mo:blush::2thumb:
> Chris


get building :whistling2::lol2:

Tail








Neck spikes. they dont look sharp but boy to they hurt and cut when it's tring fight you off holding it.
























back RH FOOT


----------



## philipniceguy

a update for everyone:

Cuviers taking some fish








Cuviers wishing the glass was not there so it could take a chunk outa my face








stunning eye pic








me watching it eat








eating some food








nice pose








Tail








waiting for more food at door 2 but sadly none more is coming








diving back in


----------



## nathans

What a great healthy looking caiman you have !


----------



## philipniceguy

nathans said:


> What a great healthy looking caiman you have !


thanks mate a tad over weight me thinks :devil:,

some piccys



































and the cuviers best friend............... Miss freeloader:

been in the enclosure longer than the cuviers LOL


----------



## cold blooded beast

certainly looking well fed Phil. . .


----------



## philipniceguy

cold blooded beast said:


> certainly looking well fed Phil. . .


only getting 1 rat weaner or other item now once a week and still looking big :lol2:


----------



## cold blooded beast

philipniceguy said:


> only getting 1 rat weaner or other item now once a week and still looking big :lol2:


great pics as always too. . . .


----------

