FAQ about crocodiles feding :

courtesy to :  crocodilian.com/crocfaq/faq-5.html

- What does a caiman eat in the wild? 

Wild caimans are opportunistic - that is, they'll eat a wide variety of different prey items as they become available during different seasons. The size of prey items depends on the size of the caiman, with hatchlings eating small insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles, and larger caimans eating larger versions of these prey. As they grow, caimans include mammals, birds and larger reptiles in their diet. Adults also include a fair number of crustaceans and molluscs (e.g. freshwater crayfish, snails) in their diet, which their broad, powerful jaws are especially adept at crushing. In many crocodilian species, adults will readily cannibalise young crocodiles. 

Most other crocodilian species follow the same kind of dietary progression, from small insects and fish when young, to a wider variety of larger prey as they grow. Slender-snouted species tend to eat more fish, and broad-snouted species often include hard-shelled prey in their diet. 

- What can I feed my caiman in captivity? 

As caimans and other crocodilians normally take a wide variety of prey items in the wild, they will eagerly eat almost anything that is put in front of them in captivity. This means that you have to ensure your animal is getting a balanced diet. Here are some guidelines for feeding your caiman. 

Getting a balanced diet is all about making sure the body gets all the protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins, minerals and other goodies that the body needs to survive. As crocodilians tend to eat whole animals, they often get the complete package deal in one meal - protein from muscle, calcium from bones, etc. It's a good idea to follow this formula in captive animals. Many owners have a habit of feeding pieces of lean meat to their animals. Whilst lean meat is perfectly ok as part of a varied diet, it should be supplemented with additional calcium from other sources to avoid calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency can take months to show itself as a problem. 

A good diet, then, is one that provides your caiman with a reasonable degree of variety. Many caiman owners like to feed their animals fish, and there are any number of different species you could use such as herring and perch, although some fish are better than others in terms of their nutritional content. Several owners keep goldfish free-living in their caiman's water area just in case their animal gets hungry, although there are better fish that could be used. In this case, you'll need to use an air stone and water pump to oxygenate the water or the fish will die quickly. The fish themselves also need to be fed regularly. However, be warned! There are two big disadvantages with feeding fish. The first is that fresh and frozen fish often contain large amounts of the enzyme thiaminase. Freezing appears to increase concentrations of thiaminase in tissue, so frozen fish should be treated with some caution. Thiaminase destroys the vitamin B1 (thiamine) and thus if you're using fish ensure you use a vitamin B1 supplement, or you heat the fish (80 degrees C for a short period) to denature the enzyme. Not all fish contain thiaminase - eg. ocean perch are a better choice. The second problem with feeding fish, particularly oily fish, is the possibility of vitamin E deficiency (steatitis). This is a common disease in crocodilians fed a very high proportion of fish in the diet, so be aware of its implications. The high proportion of unsaturated and rancid fatty acid that is present in fish (particularly if it's not fresh) rapidly accumulates in the caiman's body if you feed little else. Oxidation of these fatty acids (which is prevented by the presence of vitamin E, an anti-oxidant) leads to the formation of ceroid pigment that results in necrosis of fat cells and serious inflammation. Fatty build-ups and nodular lesions develop throughout the body cavity and within the extensive subcutaneous and intramuscular fat pads. If this sounds nasty, you're right - it can be fatal to the animal. Increased variety in the diet is the easiest way of avoiding this problem. 

Caimans and most species of crocodilians will readily take a variety of insects when younger. You can either purchase such insects from most pet stores or catch them yourself using a light trap or fine net - but make sure you collect them from an area free of insecticides and other chemicals. Ensuring that the insects are healthy and well fed means that your caiman will be eating good quality food. Mice also make good food items, small pinkies being suitable for small caimans, and the adults for larger animals. Rats are also suitable, and like many of these foods are commonly available from pet stores or other outlets. Other food items which can be fed to add variety include pieces of meat (pork, chicken, beef - which can be fed on the bone in larger adults), earthworms (not the worms used commercially in composting - they're poisonous to small crocodilians), snails, freshwater crayfish, spiders, even frogs and small lizards. Of course, some caimans are fussy and will turn their noses up at certain food items. One owner points out that his caiman dislikes squid, and isn't very keen on butterflies - possibly because of the large, powdery wings. There are plenty of alternatives, however, so rejection shouldn't normally be a problem. 

Be careful feeding young hatchlings - unlike adults, their digestive systems are more fragile and cannot handle everything you throw at them. Over-feeding insects, particularly those with hard, chitinous exoskeletons (e.g. black crickets), can block the gut as the chitin isn't broken down easily. One of the authors recommends squeezing soil out of earthworms before feeding young hatchlings, otherwise the coarse grit may damage the intestine. 

Although feeding whole prey may be natural, there are alternatives. For young hatchlings especially, many owners recommend finely chopping or mincing whole prey items and feeding them on a small dish. This way, the food will break down in the stomach far more quickly, and digestion will be much more efficient. Crocodile farms always feed ground food to hatchlings to maximise food conversion rates and overall health. You can switch to whole prey as the animal grows in size. The disadvantage of feeding ground food is the considerable mess that is possible if your caiman decides to walk all over its food and drag it into the water. Be prepared to clean the tank and water every day if you use minced food. 

Commercial feeds are available for both hatchlings and adults alike. These are typically a pelletised feed that the animal takes either on land or in the water. Not all species will take pellets, although recent research has discovered that appropriate ingredients to encourage feeding may be required for particular species. Pelletised feeds have many advantages, such as being easy to store, far less risky to offer to the animal, and they usually don't cause a mess in the enclosure. By all accounts, they appear to be nutritionally complete in the long-term.