MONTREAL - Five crocodile-like caimans were a long way from their natural waddling grounds in South and Central America when wildlife agents came across them in a home in rural Quebec.
A spokesman said Tuesday that agents seized the quintet at a residence where other legally owned reptiles, insects and tropical fish were also found near Levis, Que.
The spectacled caiman is a crocodilian reptile found closer to the equator and is the most common of the species because it can adapt to both salt and fresh water.
The five in question were still babies and were only about 30 centimetres long each. By comparison, an adult male caiman can measure 2.5 metres.
The reptiles were living in a vivarium, said Sgt. Sylvain Marois, a wildlife officer in the region.
"They were still babies but these animals are constantly growing so they grow throughout their lives, depending on diet and the habitat in which they live," Marois said.
Marois said he doesn't know how the reptiles' owner got a hold of them. While it's rare to find them in Quebec, Marois said it's something wildlife agents come across sometimes.
One hypothesis is that the reptiles were ultimately being prepared for resale later on — but Marois said the investigation isn't over yet.
The owner could face charges for illegally having the reptiles; only someone with a zoological permit can possess certain types of reptiles in Quebec, Marois said.
Wildlife officials say the seizure serves as a reminder that it is illegal to possess venomous snakes and lizards, crocodiles, sea turtles and soft-shell turtles.
Agents were tipped off by a member of the public who noted there were bizarre comings-and-goings at the home in Pintendre, near Levis, Que.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/08/16/what-a-zoo-five-caiman-c_n_928348.html?ref=weird-animals
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