Keeping a crocodile

[8ball]

well thanks everyone for the opinions and all. Man I hope alligator farms would take me in though, I wouldnt let some average joe come onto my farm to help me with my crocodilians. And btw my age says 22, its cause when i joined i didnt know if you had to be 18 so back then i think i put 1986 or something lol

 

[8ball]

I can't wait for ours to get to even 50-75 pounds...I plan on buying a house, digging a moat with a drawbridge around it, and letting him wander the moat during the summer with a sign that says, "Beware of turtle"



I wonder if the OP has ever been close to a crocodile or alligator in the wild. I have been less than ten feet away from a 5-6' alligator in Louisiana on more than one occasion (some were a little bigger) and they don't appear to be anything I'd want to have after me...even at that small size.

Here's one I took a few days before moving, it's about 6'...no zoom

lol @ beware of turtle

thats a beautiful gator

 

[edesign]

Thanks I could have got closer but since I was without medical insurance at the time and was a few days away from moving out of state I didn't want to risk anything happening that would screw me over lol

As for the gator farms...they may not let you work directly with them at first, might have to do some grunt work like cleaning up poop and taking out trash or just working with the babies to prove you are serious about it. Also, they may want you to sign a waiver releasing them from responsibility for any injuries or death. It's worth giving them a call and seeing what they say!

I for one just can't see why you would want to keep a Nile croc considering cost, feeding, etc. but I'm not you. Where in TX do you live? Some parts of TX get pretty darn cold in the winter for a decent period of time, including the SE areas near Louisiana. Even in Lafayette, LA we'd have a month or two where the highs would be in the 40's-50's...I would think you would need an indoor pen for a species from East Africa although honestly I do not know what the temperature variations are in that region. An indoor pen plus the outdoor pen would cost a fortune lol. If you do manage to go through with this at some point I wish you luck and please do it properly (work your way up, permits, proper tools, availability of proper medical care, and proper holding areas).

 

[DireWolf0384]

It seems to me that the negatives of keeping a Crocodilian outweighs the pluses. Expense, size, complexity of care and the fact they simply do not make good pets. I think only experts should keep these. You also NEED good insurance. If someone gets hurt or worse, you will have a lawsuit on your hands and basic homeowners insurance will NOT cover these things. Also the political and legal backlash against our hobby could be devastating. They may look cute as a baby, but they won't stay that way for long. I suggest you do as others have said and work with them for a long time at a farm and gain years and years of sufficient experience, then re-evaluate the prospect of getting one. Also, can't you get a Dwarf Caiman? You can get a Crocodilian without the huge size and without the extreme cost and danger. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I just think it may be a mistake at this point. These are extreme animals and a few years of learning about them is not really enough.

 

[pavel]

Crocs and gators are beautiful & I can understand your desire for one. However, I must agree with the majority of posters -- it would be foolish to own one.

Btw, if the guy taking the gator to school thing is true, sedated or not, the guy is a flippin idiot. All it would take would be that ONE time someone is bitten/attacked and then you have: someone dead or seriously injured; devastated familiy (especially in the case of death); MAJOR lawsuit; an animal that would then have to be euthanized; and major negative press for the herp hobby in general.

A lot of good things to ponder by other posters including the suggestion of working (even if it's just volunteer work) at a zoo &/or gator farm.

 

[pandinus]

ok ok, screw the danger for a second. the kid is the man of steel and he and his offspring are completely indestructable for a few minutes. Whats more a curiosity to me is how in this day and age and with the current economic situation could anyone afford this? from the sound of it setting the things home up alone sounds like it will cost at least $20,000 to $80,000 dollars, plus the fact that having even a one man staff, and the amount of food you would need to feed it would go into at least $200 a week, plus im sure the property you would need to keep it on would be at least another $80 grand, so unless your going to college to learn how to fart gold, all the experience and detrmination and skill aside, how in the world can you afford what looks to be at least a drain of $10 grand a year? Without the financial backing of an institution and donations from businesses you would have to be a millionare.



John

 

[DireWolf0384]

I am wondering if the Original Poster was actually serious about getting a Nile Croc? I can't stress how badly it would hurt our hobby should something happen to anyone. The Croc would have to be put down, legislation would be brought forth, and legal and possibly criminal chargers brought on the owner. I've repeated myself but you can't just stick these in a 20 gallon tank and expect it to stay cute.

 

[Pacmaster]

I think he SHOULD get one!!!

GO FOR IT KID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EightLeggedFrea]

What disturbs me most about all this is that I have baby Nile crocs for sale on kingsnake.com! I occasionally check the croc section just to see what they have. I would go no further than a small caiman and even those...I dunno. It all seems like a pointless pain in the butt.

 

[hasani1408]

Please reconsider! I work for a wildlife center and in the last 6 months I have rescued 2 baby american alligators. They are dirt cheap to buy at reptile shows and cute as heck as babies but even then they require a lot. And in the event you would need to get rid of it. Nobody wants to take them in. Most are destroyed. I saw a nile croc for $450 at the last show I went to. And there was a guy there asking another rescue to take his 6ft alligator that hasn't been handled in 2 years. Its a lose lose situation all around. These creatures should be adored in their natural habitats only or a zoo.

 

[burmish101]

If the OP can somehow financially handle this endeavor I would suggest one thing. Before you think about buying one of any size, get hands on experience and training before hand. I wouldnt suggest someone who has never had a snake to get a mamba as a first with no experience with elapids. Also if you truly are amazed with crocs and creatures of the sort if might be better for the animals to leave them with professionals and admire them from a distance. These are of the last animals one should get because it would be "cool to own" or a "badass pet". Remember, you can read all you want, know all the books up and down, but with no first hand experience you can be sure you wont end up in a good situation at all. If your set in your mind I wish you the best of luck and I hope you take this matter as seriously as it is before and after aquisition.