Salt water crocodile enclosure help!

[leighroyaus]

what sort of enclosure would i need to keep a salty IN?
only after a baby (but will keep it for a long time (if gets too big jus pass it to a zoo or a breeder..))
what sort of enclosures would i be looking at needing etc? and what in it?

thanks!

 

[MrBredli]

if gets too big jus pass it to a zoo or a breeder..

If it gets to big?? :roll: I hope you're not serious mate.

 

[peterjohnson64]

So Leigh, I assume your not on the NSW side of the "Arafura Sea" region. Get a freshie mate. In fact, if you read the Reptiles magazine then in the last issue someone found a pigmy form that only grows to 1 metre. Sounds good. and they mentioned something about getting them into the pet trade. But they also tried that with a goanna and it failed so maybe they wont bring the croc in.

 

[leighroyaus]

MrBredli, they take years n years to get real big yes?
ah, true peterjohnson, thanks mate! nah im on the vic side
(question answered can a mod delete this topic now? thanks!) (peter can u edit out my town? haha thank u)

 

[peterjohnson64]

(peter can u edit out my town? haha thank u)

YEP!!!!

 

[leighroyaus]

haha, thanks champ

 

[leighroyaus]

Mod please delete as wrasee is having a cry

 

[da_donkey]

WTF? :?

 

[yommy]

leighr33
Up in the NT is perfectly legal to have crocs as pets though there are some regulations. Besides having to have a licience :

In an urban environment you can have them until they are 2ft - 60cm for freshies and salties. reaching that size:
Saltie about 12-14 months and 18-24 for a freshie depending on your feeding rituals.
In a rural location they can grow as large as you want as long as you have proper housing arrangements.

(for those wondering what do you do with them once they get to the 2ft mark-return them to the croc farm and pay a little less then for the orginal purchase price and start again)

Caging for them up to the 2ft mark most people use a 4x2x2 tank minium. 10 mill thick as a minium also so they don't break it if they thrash. but if you could spend the cash a 6ft plus tank you'd get more value for money and the croc would be better off.

As for which to pick a saltie is a saltie with all that goes with them and they don't tend to stress as much what a freshie can and freshies tend to be a little more flight until they settle down. But my advise would be to do your research first and decide wisely and good luck mate they are cool animal for your collection.

 

[leighroyaus]

awesome thanks yommy
the first with non negative advice thank you

 

[MrBredli]

What a great idea, i'm going to go and buy a puppy, than after 12 months when it starts to get too big i'll just take it to the pound and get a new one :roll:

 

[yommy]

When i researched it, i found a excellent caresheet info on croc husbandary. I'm still interestate but when i get back this week i'll find it and post the link. Won't be until next week though. But worth the read. Maybe someone else knows of it and can help B4 then.

 

[Moclobe]

What a great idea, i'm going to go and buy a puppy, than after 12 months when it starts to get too big i'll just take it to the pound and get a new one :roll:

No just get a saltie and feed the puppy to it!

Regards David

PS I am only joking!

 

[misky]

What a great idea, i'm going to go and buy a puppy, than after 12 months when it starts to get too big i'll just take it to the pound and get a new one :roll:

My thoughts exactly MrBredli

 

[yommy]

don't get what i said out of context. It's alright for you guys down south where crocodiles aren't an issue to any water sports activities. I think the NT it is a good idea to educate the public and have public awarreness that these aren't just man eaters and allowing you to keep them only until they are 2ft, they are perfectly safe and mangable to that size and bigger with correct husbandary skills. Weather croc farming is right or wrong, thats for the individual to decide. But if lieghr33 is interested in them it would be negliable to give ill advise. Let him/her get all the good information avaliable to make their decision thats right for them.

 

[misky]

I agree with you who heartedly Yommy, public awareness and education are extreamy important and if one chooses to keep a croc that is his or her choice but they are a huge responsibility as it is obviously over time going to grow to an unmanageable size for the average keeper. What I will say though is that I think it is irresponsible to even consider taking on one of these animals when you are fully aware that you will not be able to keep it long term and don't have a definate and iron clad place to take it when it does reach such a large size. A lot of zoos... etc. will not take the animal from a private keeper and I would hate to see a captive croc irresponibly released into the wild because anowner had not planned ahead.

 

[yommy]

I agree, but that is why the size restrictions are in place for the NT and returning them isn't an issue.
The person posing the question should be given the for's and against to keeping the species they want and your view could be a good one for the against side for people in the southern states unless extremely experienced. But being allowed to keep them in southern states i'm sure the state laws would be fairly stringent and enforced. I'm sure if a croc turned up in the Yarra the authorities would be going to everyone who had them on there liciences and if they weren't still in their possession would be asking some serious questions.
You would hope people aren't irresponsible to let go a species that isn't from that location but then again you never know.

 

[RustyShadow]

ya leigh i would go a saltie, they settle down more with daly handling. ive found with the real young'ns
up to about 35cm, hold onto them and let them bit down on the meaty part of your hand, they soon learn snapping down on you is not affective, ive had one up to 3 feet in the past that you good carry it around on you shoulders, or cradled in your arm on its back, which to a croc should be a very volnerable position, with its soft underbelly exposed like this. they can make such a great pet.

 

[Brodie]

Hey Leigh,

Mate crocs can be a bit of a pain in the **** to keep, especially freshies. But they are what you want, then it is well worth the effort to keep one.

make sure you get a saltie, freshies are a lot more tempermental and are far more dangerous when young compared to a saltie of a similar size. A bite from one will literally rip open your hand.

I think its funny that people who have no idea about crocs are having a go at you mate, just ignore them. I plan to keep all crocodiles i have now until adulthood, and I have already made arrangements for them to go to other keepers if i die, as theyre gonna live a lot longer than me!!! Having said that I have grown a couple freshies to a 1m before giving em back to the croc farm There are a lot of things like that to think about before purchasing a croc. I will send you some websites tonight when I get home.

Dont listen to people when they say it takes a long for crocs to grow. If you are looking after it well enough, it should be around a metre by the time it is a year old. After that they start to slow down, but a croc that size should be able to take off your hand pretty easily.

I wouldnt expect the pygmy crocs in the short term, and even if he does sell them to the public soon, word is they will be very expensive. Oh and Pete he wasnt the first to find them, these animals have been to known to scientists for years.

 

[Moreliaman]

any latin name on these pygmy crocs ?