Oh, and so the family grows.

[LauraCox]

It has been a crazy month here for me. A few weeks ago I found a ferret, in a cage, with adoption papers, thrown out in the dumpster. She was purchased and held less than 24 hours before the adopter decided to toss her. I have named her Dumpster (although my roommate insists on calling her Woozle). Then yesterday, a friend of mine, who I know because he often has empty 10 gallon tanks for me called me and said he needed to re-home his two-toed amphiuma, a lesser siren, and a dwarf caiman...IMMEDIATELY.

So within the month I have four new additions. The Lesser Siren is in 10 gallon tank, the amphiuma is in a 29 gallon, and the caiman (her name is Little B*tch or LB) is hanging out in my bath tub for a night or two while her 125 gallon tank is being moved. She's almost 12" long. I will need to build her a larger enclosure eventually but for now the tank will work. I may have just gotten in over my head, but for now i'll just marvel in all my new fun critters.

[S13]

Heartless bastards that abandon animals like that. You should have traced the "adopters" using that paperwork and really screwed them over. Anyway, glad it's in a good home now. That dwarf caiman looks SICK!!

[froglover27]

well those are some exotic pets(: Im jealous, but how big do u think the dwarf caiman will get?

[S13]

well those are some exotic pets(: Im jealous, but how big do u think the dwarf caiman will get?

I did a wiki search on that Caiman because I've never even heard of them and read that they can get up to 5 ft.

[toxxxickitten]

Oh wow!! You sure did obtain some critters quickly! I'm saddened to hear about the ferret. That just makes me sick. It baffles me how heartless some people are. The Caiman looks awesome and I bet will be a handful!

[LauraCox]

Yeah, I have scrambled like hell for research lately. I'm going to keep her in the 125 gallon tank for now and work on renovating the basement. My plans include a 12' by 10' enclosure with plexiglas walls, a big swimming tub, a halogen basking lamp, and hopefully a couple exo-terra sun-glow professional for UVB. We actually don't know if she's a Little B*tch or a Little Bast*rd as you can't sex caiman until they're about 3 feet so we just decided to call her LB (not as if she'll care). I'll post a picture of her tank as soon as I successfully move it.

Oh, and the ferret is doing great! She has her own bedroom (aptly named the 'Ferret Room') where she has free reign and tons of toys and blankets and fun ferret-stuff. They apparently do best in groups so it looks like i might be contacting a ferret-rescue for a second one once the waters of my home settle a bit.

Here she is on the day I found her next to the container I found her in (the only reason I think she didn't escape is the vet said she has/had a slight cold but should be fine)

[Jenste]

Really looking forward to updates on the expansion to your family! How about some bathtub pictures of LB?

[SkeletalFrog]

Awesome! I've been wanting a Dwarf Caiman for years, but need to wait until I can be sure I'll stay in the same spot for more than a few years. They're wonderful animals, if a bit intensive and costly in terms of care.

If you haven't found it yet, this is IMHO the best resource on crocodilian care: Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ (Caiman, Alligator, Crocodile)

Also, there's a trick I know that you might find useful. Once you get the new tank set up with a nice big filter (my favorite is the Eheim 2217), get some small goldfish and keep them in there for a while before putting the caiman in. This gives time and nutrients for bacteria to colonize the filter, so that once you add the caiman, the filter will be ready to help deal with the extra waste. Plus, you can just leave the goldfish in - at worst, they'll give the caiman a snack, and at best, they'll serve as a "canary in the coal mine" to detect water quality problems before they can hurt the caiman.

[ViperJr]

Crocodillians have always been the least interesting reptiles in my book... Until I saw that picture. Stunning creature and two big thumbs up for you taking care of these four unwanted animals!

[UncleChester]

A local pet store has had a ~12" Dwarf Caiman for sale for a few months now. It was found abandoned in the bathtub in an apartment after the previous owners moved out. I just don't understand what's wrong with people that they'd abandon an animal they had taken in. I would have loved to be able to take the Caiman in but there's no way I could house it properly. You're braver than I am for taking one in.

Kudos on the rescues and good luck!

[LauraCox]

Thanks Brian! My roommate and I have started joking about charging admission into our home since it's more exhibit than house and that actually turned into a discusion of starting a reptile rescue... which, after some serious consideration, we're thinking about doing. There just isn't a sufficient one in the area.

There are just far too many people who buy 9" nile monitors at trade shows and don't realize they get 8 feet and have razor sharp teeth. My rooomate is the one with the PhD so I'm leaving the grant writing to her. I'm the one who's brave (stupid?) enough to get into a bathtub with a caiman.

And since it was requested, here's a bathtub picture of LB: