Special Update

[chelvis]

So it has been a month since Bacardi my caiman lizard passed away. I still feel his lost everyday and miss him greatly. Even with him gone I have been still researching caiman lizards like no other. From everything I have gathered I will be putting together a more comprehensive care sheet for these amazing lizards. So far I have five pages formally written out, so hopefully it should be done within the year.

But that was not my special update, the update is that there is a new addition to the household. Two weeks ago I got a new Caiman lizard and I would like to introduce to you Darwin!

So far he has been great. Eating well, had to jump start him. Anyone who is having issues getting a new guy to start eating here is a trick scallops have yet to have a caiman lizard turn down scallops. Hopefully this can be the start of a long friendship.

 

[Quartzyellowjacket]

Citrus Alligator

 

[HeatherN]

lol i just got a bullfrog i named darwin, love the name. and hes a handsome boy for sure! so bright, especially his head! i look forward to reading your caresheet when youre ready to share. congratulations!

 

[dragonmetalhead]

I'm so happy you found another one! Congrats on your new addition.

 

[rayn2754]

Very pretty little guy you have there

 

[Rhetoric]

I'm glad you decided to get another one! I hope you two will spend many years together. I'm excited for all the pics and updates!

 

[chelvis]

It was a hard choice, I didn't want to be unfair to a new lizard and be like well you are nothing like Bacardi, but Darwin is holding his own. Darwin has a personality all his own but I think he will do just fine!

 

[Logie_Bear]

I'm glad that you are giving caimans another go. Darwin is a big beautiful lizard! Did you purchase him from a different breeder?

I also look forward to the care guide you are working on. Did you remove the pond from the enclosure since you suspected it may have led to bacardi's health issue?

 

[laurarfl]

Very nice!

 

[chelvis]

I actully got Darwin from the same place I had gotten Bacardi. Bacardi was extremely healthy for his first year of life, he was good nature and had no eating problems so I figured I would go back to the source. There are very very few captive bred animals, some are listed but no source was given (no zoo or institution). I have a feeling that in a few years we will see a few captive bred caiman lizards on the market. So ya I got him form Ben Siegles reptiles, he is an import and will get a vet exam in the next few weeks.

 

[james.w]

Congrats on the new pick-up.

Not to be disrespectful, but wouldn't a care sheet be better if it was comprised of information gathered by someone who has successfully kept one?

 

[DoctorPepper4]

So it has been a month since Bacardi my caiman lizard passed away. I still feel his lost everyday and miss him greatly. Even with him gone I have been still researching caiman lizards like no other. From everything I have gathered I will be putting together a more comprehensive care sheet for these amazing lizards. So far I have five pages formally written out, so hopefully it should be done within the year.

But that was not my special update, the update is that there is a new addition to the household. Two weeks ago I got a new Caiman lizard and I would like to introduce to you Darwin!

So far he has been great. Eating well, had to jump start him. Anyone who is having issues getting a new guy to start eating here is a trick scallops have yet to have a caiman lizard turn down scallops. Hopefully this can be the start of a long friendship.

when you finish it email it to me i finished Rowley's (my caiman lizard)enclosure if i knew how to post pics i would have posted them by now so you can see if its right or what you would change...but when you finish that care sheet i want it so far all mine eats is snail meat with cat food(i hate cat food) but Rowley wont eat anything else...when i got him thats what they were feeding it...

 

[chelvis]

James I am a little insulted, but I can understand why you would say that. Bacardi was not my only Caiman lizard, he was just the only one I kept as a pet and worked more with him then the others. I did a lot of what people would call flipping, I would order a few grow them to a nice size for people and then sell them for profit. I have also gathered a lot of information from other keepers on their options on how these guys should be kept.

Just to defend myself here, Bacardi did pass away due to my neglect on not checking the automated filtration system. However from his death I can help prevent other people from going down that road. Sometimes animals die and we can learn form that. No one has to read my caresheet, but the fact no one is putting out one makes it hard for anyone to really learn. Would it have been better to do a case study on what Bacardi had, yes, but I also gained a lot of knowledge that would have been excluded such as optimal temps, humidity, water temps, conditions, set-up and feeding.

 

[james.w]

It was by no means meant as an insult. I'm not saying your care was sub-par, but something was missing.

 

[chelvis]

I admit what was missing and its the last time I allow things to go that automated. I will not hide the fact that I have lost an animal, but the info in the sheet is not 100% from my experience.

 

[DoctorPepper4]

It was a hard choice, I didn't want to be unfair to a new lizard and be like well you are nothing like Bacardi, but Darwin is holding his own. Darwin has a personality all his own but I think he will do just fine!

Hey chelvis my wife ended up pick rowley up early so he finally home I posted a video on you tube check it out and tell me what need changing...thnx and by the way he looks amazing you must give me you breeders info so I can order one

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It was a hard choice, I didn't want to be unfair to a new lizard and be like well you are nothing like Bacardi, but Darwin is holding his own. Darwin has a personality all his own but I think he will do just fine!

Hey chelvis my wife ended up pick rowley up early so he finally home I posted a video on you tube check it out and tell me what need changing...thnx and by the way he looks amazing you must give me you breeders info so I can order one