Retic questions

First of all let me say I have read alot regarding retics and will continue to do my homework until I feel fully confident I can properly care for one. I currently own 5 bps I know big difference that's why im doing all the research and asking all the questions that pop up first. So First question I know larger scale breeders keep baby retics in tubs for some time but how long and at what point is a cage needed largest tub I have would be a 41qt sterlite. Second with my reading I've noticed great debate on cage sizes how long can a retic stay in a 4x2x2 before it needs a 6fter and from sixfter would a need an 8fter?? I plan on getting a mainland I figure if im going to get a big snake might as well be a truly big snake! Currently have my eyes set on a purple albino female any and all answers are appreciated

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Just a word of warning. Find someone locally with a big retic, and handle her for say 20 mins. If you aren't exhausted or changed your mind at that point maybe move forward. Their size and strength can be TREMENDOUS! It might be a rude awakening to wanting a retic. I have been mentoring with a local long time retic breeder and spend as much time handling his 20'+ female lav tiger and she will wear you out in a big way. With that said I now have 6 retics, the two adults are male and female, and I love em. Just make sure it's what you want.

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Yeah I prefer dwarfs for sure, I like my animals in the 8-13 ft range. Still very large and can still do quite a lot of damage but easier to manage day to day.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Yeah I prefer dwarfs for sure, I like my animals in the 8-13 ft range. Still very large and can still do quite a lot of damage but easier to manage day to day.

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Ya dwarfs are great for people that want a retic intelligence and activity level. People see a huge retic and think they are slow lol. They are just as fast as the babies, but more like a freight train when they move like that. Also a coil pop from a big girl can send you across the room lol. But that's the fun in it right?

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Yeah, people severly underestimate how fast and strong retics are, they look pretty docile coiled up in a cage. Actually its pretty much the same for BPs, people think they are fat and slow but the only time ive almost had a stupid feeding error was from a BP. Opened the tub, looked at the BP, she was in the back of a 41 quart tub facing the back wall, i drop my head down to grab a rat from a drip bucket and drip it 1-3 seconds (literally), next thing i know i get a glancing blow off the top of my head and i jerked back, sure enough BP hanging out of the tub looking hungry as ever. That taught me a lot about becoming complacent when dealing with these animals. You can never forget what they are capable of doing to you.

To help answer the OP actual question in regards to caging:

If you feed it heavy and I'm assuming you're planning on getting a female to get a big snake big, then you will see it go through a 41 qt tub within the first 6 months of its life. By the end of the first year if fed weekly a healthy sized meal, you will be in a 4x2x1.5 within 6-8 months, and potentially out of it by the end of the first year.

Some are slow growers, but many if fed heavily can grow 8-9' easy in the first year for females. Most females can be housed in a vision 600, 622, or 632, their entire life. It's quite hard for many females to get above the 16-17' range in captivity, even with steady food supplies. A 16' snake, surprising to most, is content in a 6x3x1.5 cage. So the move to an 8 ft cage would be more or less a leisure move if you move from say a Vision 400 to a vision 632 (or even just a vision 600).

That being said. As others suggest, work with an adult before you make the jump. Volunteer to help clean so you can understand the requirements involved. I'm on a graveyard shift at work. I got off at 5 AM this morning from a 12 hour night, came home to find 3 cages flooded with urine, stayed up till 6 cleaning the cages, and relining them before going to bed. Woke up, and 2 more cages were destroyed. It's not a daily thing, but many its a lot to take care of at times. Be prepared for the commitment. And be prepared for laws to give you trouble later if they are not already in effect. KNOW your regulations and rules, County and State!!!

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For what it's worth. This is my adult purple dwarf female in her vision 600. She's around 12' maybe close to 13 by now. She's taking up about a third of the cage coiled. My business card is on her as a size reference. This photo was this morning.

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