When I was in college, I thought it would be cool to have an unusual pet. I've always been fascinated by reptiles and wanted something a little more exciting than a dog or cat. After some research, I became obsessed with the idea of owning an alligator. Of course, keeping an alligator as a pet would be downright dangerous and irresponsible. But then I discovered caimans, which are a smaller relative of alligators found in South and Central America.
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Caimans can still bite and scratch, but they max out around 5 feet long so they wouldn't easily overpower an adult human. I learned they can be relatively calm and make interesting exotic pets if cared for properly. So despite my parents' protests, I decided to get a baby caiman from a reptile breeder. I named him Chester and set up an enclosure in my bedroom with a water bowl, logs, plants, and a heat lamp.
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At first, Chester was tiny - only about 6 inches long. He spent his days basking under the heat lamp or playing in his water dish. He was so small I could hold him in the palm of my hands. But my friends were still freaked out whenever they came over and saw a potential predator lurking in a tank near my bed!
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As Chester grew over the next year, so did the amount of food he could eat. I started with feeder crickets and worms, but soon moved up to pieces of fish, chicken, and even cubes of red meat. Feeding times became quite the spectacle, as Chester would launch himself out of the water with incredible speed to snatch his prey. More than once he nearly knocked over his whole enclosure in his frenzy to eat.
Caring for Chester required a lot of cleaning, maintenance, and attention to his habitat conditions. He needed his water changed daily, his substrate completely replaced weekly, and his lights and temperatures monitored constantly. Handling a caiman also required care - their tails are powerful weapons that can seriously whip you if they feel threatened. Over time I learned Chester's signals and mannerisms so I could interact with him safely.
As Chester grew larger though, so did the ethical and logistical challenges of keeping him. A five foot long reptile is no small responsibility. I started to worry if giving him the best life was possible in an apartment setting. He outgrew the tank I had and needed much more space. I also leaned that caimans can live 30+ years in captivity - making a long term commitment. After two years of caring for Chester, I made the difficult decision to donate him to a reptile sanctuary.
At least there, Chester would have access to a huge pond with other caimans along with professional daily care. It broke my heart to say goodbye to my once tiny pet, but I knew deep down it was the right thing for his wellbeing. As much as I miss watching Chester bask and play, I'm glad he now has room to thrive as nature intended. While keeping Chester was a wild experience, rehoming him taught me valuable lessons about responsibly caring for exotic pets.
Let me know if you have any other questions about my adventures keeping Chester the caiman as a college pet! I'm always happy to share more stories from our crazy time together. Just promise not to try this yourself without doing a ton of research first. Reptiles aren't pets to be taken lightly.