Columbus Ohio ??

[new2natives]

Is anyone on here from the Columbus / Central Ohio area??
I am mainly looking for some sort of smaller(ish) croc or alligator to keep long term in a large indoor pond with my large turtles.
I am just starting to look for info, so I dont know exactly what I am looking for. But i am 100% sure I dont want anything over 4' (if thats possible?)

I'm just started looking around a little bit and asking questions, and none of the local pet stores seem too good.
I checked with Captive Born Reptiles on the east side, and they were just OK imo
And a year or two ago i found a place in ?Grove City? that sells fish and used tanks, and they had a little tank of 12" alligators? But at the time i wasnt interested, and i havent been back there since. I'm not even sure of the name of the place.

ALSO -- Several people have told me about a monthly show that happens somewhere on the West side of columbus on Broad St. but i haven't been able to find any info.

I did find a show that is going on this Saturday in Lewis Center, OH ... I think its the All-Ohio Reptile Show ??? Is this the same thing?? I will probably go and look around (unless someone says its not worth it) but I am several months away from purchasing anything.

Any help would be appreciated.
As well as pointing me in the direction of knowledgeable locals

 

[Sylvias]

just so you know, even dwarf caimans will eventually grow larger than 4ft. I do not know of a crocodialian species that stays under 4ft for it's lifetime.

 

[new2natives]

not that this is a good source, but i was watching some show on discovery/animal planet within the last month and they were showing some type of crocodile and saying how it was the smallest ... and that a large one would be 3.5' in the wild, so i thought maybe it would be smaller in captivity
typically these shows are not the best resource, and even if it were true, that doesn't mean it can be bought in the US

more than anything, i am just looking for info, and i want to see what is available to buy, so then i can have a realistic idea of if this is even a feasible idea for me to pursue.
and if so, then i will learn as much as i can, and then decide if and what i will buy

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

just so you know, even dwarf caimans will eventually grow larger than 4ft. I do not know of a crocodialian species that stays under 4ft for it's lifetime.

sry but ur wrong here.

Cuviers dwarf FEMALE will most likly not exceed 4ft. it may or may not but max will be approx 4ft with 4.5ft the extreme outside max

good site for anyone interested in a caiman or other croc
http://crocodilian.com/

what info do you need/want?

 

[littleg902]

Dwarf caimans are probably one of the most difficult out of all crocodilian species to succesfully keep alive. They are very prone to stress (often prematurly kills), which is one of the main reasons they are so difficult. Many of them are also imported with caiman pox too. They will get over 4 feet but are farily slow growers. If you have no experience with large or aggressive reptiles, I would stay away. Try a CB water monitor if you would like a large scaly pet. I've kept this species before so im not just spewing crap.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

Dwarf caimans are probably one of the most difficult out of all crocodilian species to succesfully keep alive. They are very prone to stress (often prematurly kills), which is one of the main reasons they are so difficult. Many of them are also imported with caiman pox too. They will get over 4 feet but are farily slow growers. If you have no experience with large or aggressive reptiles, I would stay away. Try a CB water monitor if you would like a large scaly pet.

again, depends on species and sex.

A female cuviers will doubtfully exceed 4ft, and if it does 20 or 30 years if not more to reach it.

The species im getting are unbelieveably aggressive, but hardy(from my research)

now the the stress thing i dont know. But its not hard to deal with stress.

 

[littleg902]

No matter the case its better off to have some experience in dealing with large, aggressive reptiles. Dwarfs have always been a handful for me. They are a lot quicker and less mellow than gators, thats for sure.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

that from my understanding, is true

 

[new2natives]

If you have no experience with large or aggressive reptiles, I would stay away.

please explain??
how does one get experience without having one? dont you gain that experience in raising it at a smaller manageable size, so that once its larger, you know how/how not to handle it?

i really have no desire to keep anything other than turtles and croc/gator

No matter the case its better off to have some experience in dealing with large, aggressive reptiles. Dwarfs have always been a handful for me. They are a lot quicker and less mellow than gators, thats for sure.

how are they a handful ?
maybe i'm just naive (a decent possibility) but i thought if you get them at a small size, you could get them used to being handled on occasion, but i dont think i would be "playing with it" really. I just think they would be cool to watch them in an enclosure that mimics their wild habitat.
my plan was something along the lines of a ~1000g pond with logs, and driftwood, as well as some sort of enclosed land so that they could get out and walk around, and bask under some sort of heat source, and they would pretty much be left alone to do what they do.
this all would be dependent on what species i get, and their swimming/moving requirements. this is all very much in the planning stages

does anyone have pictures of how they keep theirs?

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

please explain??
how does one get experience without having one? dont you gain that experience in raising it at a smaller manageable size, so that once its larger, you know how/how not to handle it?

i really have no desire to keep anything other than turtles and croc/gator




how are they a handful ?
maybe i'm just naive (a decent possibility) but i thought if you get them at a small size, you could get them used to being handled on occasion, but i dont think i would be "playing with it" really. I just think they would be cool to watch them in an enclosure that mimics their wild habitat.
my plan was something along the lines of a ~1000g pond with logs, and driftwood, as well as some sort of enclosed land so that they could get out and walk around, and bask under some sort of heat source, and they would pretty much be left alone to do what they do.
this all would be dependent on what species i get, and their swimming/moving requirements. this is all very much in the planning stages

does anyone have pictures of how they keep theirs?

u know my enclosure. most dwarf caiman spend more time on land than water, pref in a burrow. and calming them works a small amount but in the wild ur small u need an attitude to survive. they are small, so they got the attitude.