Spectacled Caiman Care Sheet
Natural Environment: Found along the Amazon River basin in South America.
Other species covered by this care sheet: Dwarf Caiman, Culver’s Dwarf Caiman, Yacari Caiman, Piranha Caiman
Characteristics: Males tend to grow faster and they get larger. Average male can be 6 feet, female 4.5 feet. Mostly Active Night. They are nocturnal by nature.
Life expectancy: is 75 in the wild. Unknown in captivity.
Sexing: When the cloaca is large enough to put your pinky in, you can sex them. This usually doesn't happen until they are about 3 years old or about 3-4 feet. I don’t recommend probing, because a slight miss can ruin your caiman's reproduction chances.
Housing: Full grown Caimans should have an entire 12-14 ft squared room with land and water, water should be filtered, and changed regularly to avoid bacteria build-up from waste and uneaten food items. Pond liners and filters are often used and are readily available from local lawn and garden centers. Water temp should be 80-85F. Large aquarium heaters can be placed within the filtration system. (use manufacturer recommended size for gallons in your setup). They are not particularly fond of light, a hide box or cave should be provided.
Lighting :Full spectrum lighting 12-14 hours per day when housed indoors. Use an Infrared Heat Bulb at night for heat and night time viewing
Temperature: 85-90 degrees for air and water, a basking area of 100 degrees is also recommended
Humidity: High level of humidity is required, this is usually not a problem if the proper water requirements are provided
Diet: A varied diet of Chicken ,Live fish, Dead fish, deer, steak, any raw meat, rabbits, or squirrels. A good reptile calcium should be used on occasion, especially when your caiman isn't getting the proper full spectrum lighting or natural sunlight.
Breeding: Usually during the rainy season (spring). Mothers can lay between 20-40 eggs.
Notes: Caimans are wild, even captive bred specimens will always remain aggressive. They will bite the hand that feeds them. They should never be kept in areas where small children or other beloved animals are present. Never let them out of your sight while cleaning the enclosure. check your local laws about the keeping of this species.
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