Hello! Thank you for visiting.
When I decided to create this site, I had to weigh many things. I had to think about the impacts that displaying pictures ,of some of the worlds most beautiful and dangerous animals, would have. Am I glorifying the keeping of these animals or am I showing the beauty of them. Well maybe a little of both. I am an avid keeper of crocodilians, and truly admire their power. Look at it this way, they are living Dragons. When Spanish explorers first came to the Americas they wrote Fantastic tales of how they encountered HUGE Dragons that roamed this continent, and how ferocious they were. That is part of the fascination that I and many others have with them. Secondly they are some of the only creatures virtually unchanged since Dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are the Apex Predator of their world.
With the power comes a danger. Many fantasize about the above reasons when deciding to buy or obtain a crocodilian. They don't consider that these animals are ultimate killing machines. From birth they are prepared with instincts and the equipment to carry out their primary goal.....to kill and eat. That is pretty much what they do. Their lives revolve around eating and maintaining body temperature.
What bothers mean is the ease of purchasing virtually any kind of animal. As someone who has kept and still handles venomous snakes, I am appalled at the amount of these animals in untrained hands. Same holds true for crocodilians. Many pet shops offer caiman and alligators for sale to anyone.
I know this because at 12 yrs of age I mowed yard after yard to generate the $25.00 that it cost to buy one of virtually hundreds of Spectacled Caiman, that were kept in a huge tub at a local pet shop. I remember being so excited about it. I walked in droped the cash and walked out with a crocodilian. Of course they were not called caiman. They were called Alligators! The instructions given to me.."They eat fish and don't get any bigger than their aquarium." What a great way to prepare someone. When I got home, my father immediately made a call, loaded me in the car, and off we went to the Cincinatti Zoo. I was raised in Southern Ohio and moved to the Detroit are about 12 yrs ago. There I was introduced to a really nice group of people. They took me behind the scenes and showed me how to care for my new friend. They also showed me how dangerous they were. One of the handlers had taken a nasty bite from a large Spec Caiman 2 years prior and still showed signs of pain and a huge scar. They also introduced me to the lie of how big they will grow. It was a learning experience that I have never forgotten.
In closing, let me say that if you are thinking of getting a crocodilian take some advice. Find someone who knows how to care for them, and actually keeps them. Watch what they do. Look at their setup. Ask as many questions as you can. Prepare to spend money on enclosures and filters and food. When they get bigger, AND THEY WILL, the food actually can get a little less expensive because you can go to the grocery and get raw meats discounted prices in volume. You must also be aware that even though they may become seemingly less agressive they still have the potential to cause great damage. they are wild and are not predictable. Above all of this, it is a living creature. There is absolutely no reason to keep it in a life of misery, so you can own a dragon.
