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Posted by MrFisher on March 06, 2003 at 11:41:53:
In Reply to: Re: hey Rob what do you think posted by Rob Carmichael on March 06, 2003 at 06:51:48:
Not to beat the subject to death - I'm only posting this b/c you interpreted my last post as directed to you (which it wasn't) - but I think this is a prime example, as was Jim's to my first post a way's down, to a great response to a newbie.
Specifically, b/c in the past he would have gotten (not necessarily from you Rob) something like, "well, you should have known they're aggressive, now you're stuck with him" or something along those lines.
This was an informative and helpful post that will encourage him to come back and get more info to give his croc a great life!
I think we have progress here, glad some air was cleared up, and hope everyone can follow this example from here on... :)
Mr. F
PS. Reading back on this you'd think I owned this forum or something... LOL
:I agree with everything you said. And to answer the first post, and this isn't meant to bash (so back off anti-"bash" hounds) is that gators should not be looked at as pets that become TAME. They can tolerate being around people and can be enjoyable animals to associate with and are fascinating creatures to observe but to think that they are going to become like a big monitor/lap dog/etc., you are lulling yourself into a false sense of hope. I have only known one alligator that became extremely tame but it wasn't really due to how he was handled (partially, yes); I think he was just had a genetic predisposition for this behavior. We have a couple of gators that are "tame" in your sense but I would never just reach in and lift them out like I do with our monitors...we always assume that these animals will turn the tables. Young gators are feisty but if you want to have a "tame" gator as you put it, you should start off with one that already exhibits tame-like behaviors...that just increases the chances of having a gator that won't someday take off a limb. Am I poking a little fun here? Perhaps, but having worked with these animals for quite a few years (along with other large reptiles) you have to understand that "tameness" is relative and it is more of a question of having these animals tolerate our existence with them without becoming aggressive rather than animals that we can pick up and hold and watch tv with. Just keep handling to short, brief sessions so you don't become a threat to this animal. Try to be as consistent as possible. Don't force yourself on the animal and don't overhandle. Only handle the animal when the area is quiet and the lights subdued (that works well for us). Much of the process of habituating gators to people comes from commitment, dedication, proper handling, proper husbandry and patience. Hope this helps.
