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Small gators
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by pictigaster1 on April 4, 2010
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What is the smallest size an american alligator has been bred.Does any one know.Or has any one herd of a dwarf population of gators not dwarfed but a natural small local.I know that east texas gators are smaller on average.The reason is some one is trying to sell dwarf gators on another site.
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RE: Small gators
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by lanceheads on April 4, 2010
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I lived in East Texas for 8 years, and the gators were average in size, so, I would like to know where in East Texas that was, county, etc. You CAN dwarf an alligator while it's a youngster by keeping him in a small enclosure. I knew of a 12 yr old that was only 18"! The owner raised it in a 10 gal. for many years and then moved it into a slighlty larger aquarium. I have heard of other people doing this also, though not intentionally.
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RE: Small gators
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by Rob_Carmichael on April 4, 2010
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We rescued an american alligator that came from a hunter who caught it as a hatchling while hunting in southern Louisiana and kept it for 25 years in a 40 gallon tank! The gator was kept in unheated water, a low wattage heat lamp w/small basking area and was fed 1 or 2 dozen goldfish every month...amazing this thing survived. This gator was 28" and its head was disproportionately large compared to its body. He lived nearly 40 years and even in optimal conditions barely grew while we had it. But, we don't condone this type of husbandry for the sake of keeping them small.
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RE: Small gators
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by jparker1167 on April 4, 2010
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keeping an animal in a small tank wont keep it smaller, animals don't grow to the size of the cage they live it.. not feeding them enough and not providing the correct husbandry will cause them to not grow.
like rob said 12 gold fish a month was feed to the gator to keep it from growing much, it was pretty much just fed enough to keep it alive and that's horrible. If a person can't keep the animal at its adult size they shouldn't get it in the first place.
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RE: Small gators
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by AquaHerp on April 4, 2010
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It is like most animals, physiological. An alligator can be stunted but one has to look at why it's stunted. Basically because it has been deprived of the elements it needs for proper growth. With this come deficiencies in reproductive physiology. Follicle limitations, gonadal suppression and a host of others. Basically....unhealthy animals equals a lack of reproductive abilities. That is from a captive standpoint. For wild populations I would imagine there are indeed some smaller statured gators in certain areas, being more of a genetic thing. The normal female gator can reproduce at around 7 feet.
I do see where you are going with this Archie. We do see some herp populations being smaller in adult size, not that I would truly call them a "dwarf". Some Western cottonmouth populations, speckled rattlesnake and a few others being among those.
DH
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RE: Small gators
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by Cro on April 5, 2010
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Archie, I know of a female American Alligator in the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge that is less than 5 feet long, that has bred, nested, and produced young for at least the last 15 years. She lives by a roadside, in a spring fed area that parallels the roadway. The water area is about 5 feet deep, and about ten feet across, and about 100 yards long. There are several other females in the Okefenokee Swamp Park that are about that size, and have bred for years, and have not gotten larger. So, in answer to your question, 5 foot female alligators can breed, and it is possible that they will never get longer than that in size.
Also, I know of one true dwarf alligator that was well fed, and had a huge area to live in, and was kept at warm temperatures, and still only grew to about 18 inches in length after 19 years in captivity. What was interesting, is that as it got older, it took on the "look" of a older gator, with the wider jaw and facial structure, and body build. Lost track of it years ago when the owner moved out of the US. Wish I could find out what happened to that little gator. Hopefully, it is still out there somewhere.
Best Regards
John Z
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