Hey I am new to this board

Gibbus

Hatchling
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Dec 26, 2003
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Hello Everyone

I am new to this board. I have kept a lot of animals including fw rays, sharks,other marine fish, lots of freshwater fish, reptiles incluing a dwarf caiman, invertebrates on land.
 
Re: Hey I am new to this board

Gibbus said:
... reptiles incluing a dwarf caiman.

I'm just landscaping the back yard (recently moved into this place) and spent a squillion dollars on palms, brick and mortar today. I'm building a freshwater pond ~6 metres long, 3 metres wide x 0.5 metres deep(est). A caiman would be the finishing touch (it might stop the cats pooping in the garden for sure)! How does one procure such a beast? I don't suppose there's such a thing as mail-order caiman is there?? (to New Zealand). Probably laws against such things.

:welcome: to TONMO
Steve
 
"Because they are tropical animals, Cuvier's Dwarf Caimans should have a daytime high temperature of about 33 degrees Celsius with a nighttime low of about 25 degrees Celsius. The water area should remain around 26 degrees Celsius. Although Caimans may not bask as much as other crocodilians, they should be allowed a basking spot in the enclosure."

Thanks for that link; too true C, too cold here in NZ for this wee beast (we get to 0°C at night, extreme low). I did have an entertaining last eve contemplating a croc in the garden.

Back to the drawing board; might get some killer koi.
 
I think Colin's on to something...go try an american alligator :usa: ....ive occasionally seen seen them around where i live, and definitely a little further south... i compared climates and you have a much milder year...

plus if it doesnt work out as a decoration/garbage disposal, the meat isnt too bad....
 
yep, an American alligator will even hibernate under ice if it has to! Plus, not so angry to work with compared to caimans and crocs...
 
Alligators?

I did have an entertaining last eve contemplating a croc in the garden
Steve,
very disappointed that the pool is not marine, 'cause then you could keep some giant octo-puss [however I know that they are not common Kat(eating)fische].
It would also keep the environmental hounds at bay (as I believe they object to every little alien - from mosquito to pigs - that attempts to arrive in those beautiful islands), as you could use native species.
Could even be considered the NZ equivalent of a busman's holiday every time you arrived home??
 
... I'll be trying a marine tank at home, but not indoors (I don't think the floorboards would take 1 ton of water); I've an outside room in which I'll keep the squid on a recirc system.

We're looking at a live squid display at a local fishmart, so 'squid are on the move'. I'm quite comfortable with the system/animals now, enough so to gamble on a little additional public/squid exposure.

It would rock to have an Archi in your back yard, but not yet (too many kids around).
 
Squid at home

Local children still remember the cuttlefish I had years ago - but now they have to make do with a Robin which will come when called and perch on their hands to feed.
(My wife was greatly amused when a courier delivered a parcel the other day - as she went to sign his clip-board Tweet muscled in and the courier took a sharp step backwards! Tweet hung around (literally) until Sheila fed him, and the courier also hand fed Tweet a mealworm, before going away muttering that he could not believe what had happened!)
The bird also nearly got me in trouble - while I was feeding him I saw a cat stalking across the road. In my usually guise of the biggest, ugliest cat on the block I hissed violently at it, so it retreated, and I saw it off with another hiss. Almost immediately a neighbour appeared round the same corner, saying that she knew it was me that had frightened the cat into her garden - when she had only just managed to get rid of the wretched creature!!
 
Alligator location

The last time I heard of Big Boy, he was living about 25km away in a small village called Tatsfield. Although he lives outdoors in summer, I have never heard of him being leased out on a food and board basis for cat control. However, I do understand that he used to be a popular introduction of reptiles to children! (The owners used to run their large constrictors outside sometimes, and children could handle them, but I don't know whether safety legislation has stopped that?) :x
 
nope, still legal in the UK but they are looking to shut that down regarding keeping constrictors.
 
Maybe sub juvinille archis in the pond next year Steve :? Cuttlefish would be nice but I wonder what species could survive that temp.

Speaking of constrictors, I tried getting a pretty cornsnake and a green tree python from a pets store in Malaysia, but there's a law prohibiting the import of snakes from any other countries. I'm not sure if it could be done with a permit but I guess i'll have to be contented with the local burmese and retics for now :cry:
 

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