OK, need some help here.

Retics are smart. It sounds like he's learned that if he pops out of his hide when you walk by there's a good chance he'll get fed.

Mine do the same thing - but as soon as they know they're not getting fed, because I have the spray bottle or I'm preparing to take them out - they hit the reverse gear and go right back into their hides.

I agree with bcr and EL about not being fed. These retic are a very active species in the wild and climb and cover quite a bit of ground. I would just let him be active and the natural innate behavior consistent with the species. Why don't you consider a larger enclosure for the future earlier?

Been saying most snakes are over fed for a long while now. Not saying Caesar is. It don't let species activity and potential to eat mass quantities get you into a habit. Conditioning is part of this as mentioned. The reason people hook train is because some species especially retics think they are eating every time the door opens. They learn where the door is and are ready when they see motion. If mainland males can be maintained on one large a week Caesar can too.


Might be time to explore perches, larger caging, water bottle toy or other areas.

I don't think always feeding is the answer. It will mellow him for a bit. It's that's digestion taking place.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Retics are smart. It sounds like he's learned that if he pops out of his hide when you walk by there's a good chance he'll get fed.

Mine do the same thing - but as soon as they know they're not getting fed, because I have the spray bottle or I'm preparing to take them out - they hit the reverse gear and go right back into their hides.

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Lol that is EXACTLY what he does!!! He pops out. And then when no dinner he hits reverse until just his head is out of the hide and lays back down hahaha.

Yeah I might look into a larger cage for him this summer. The activity isn't really the part that bothers me, its him shoving his head between the litter dam and sliding doors. What are you using between your doors JM or anyone else with AP cages?

Also, hook training was a bad idea for him lol. He HATED the hook. It was the only time I ever saw him actually get angry enough to open his mouth, coil up and hiss. If he gets all excited, I just boop him on the snoot with his twisted up paper towel. he knows that thing now as I've used it since I got him. He's fine with it and the instant I boop his snoot or bonk the top of his head with it, he will lay down or hit reverse and back into his hide.

Ok well thanks guys. Think I'll do tough love and make him wait it out and stick to around the 200g rat a week or a decent size quail. He's not big enough for gpigs or rabbits yet, at least not the size that the gal at my reptile shop has.

And bcr hit the nail on the head. Like I said, that's exactly what he does hahaha. Little bugger must have learned that. I'm being played by my retic :P On the plus side though, his and Dottie's jumbo hides should be here today woohoo.

Hook training is anything tapping him before you deal with him. Wallace attacks metal hooks too LOL.

Tap training might be better term.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Yeah I might look into a larger cage for him this summer. The activity isn't really the part that bothers me, its him shoving his head between the litter dam and sliding doors. What are you using between your doors JM or anyone else with AP cages?.

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I've got two thin pieces of foam core board from matting my artwork used to fill the gap in the right door track. You could probably use about a 3/8" thick strip of wood or styrofoam or something too. The part that I hate about having to fill that gap is that I can't use the left door. I have to open the right door, take out the strip filling the gap, and then open the left side. I need to send Ali an email asking if they can make some sort of shim that will raise the bottom door track to be flush with the litter dam of the front cage panel. That would mean having to cut different size doors, move the lock up about 1 1/2-2", etc. alternatively I've considered going with the swinging doors but I just don't like them. They're not glass, they don't swing down, the post in the center of the cage from is bigger, the door frames are proportionally smaller windows. I'd prefer to keep the sliding option if they can make a way to eliminate the gap in the right side of the door track if at all possible.


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

I've got two thin pieces of foam core board from matting my artwork used to fill the gap in the right door track. You could probably use about a 3/8" thick strip of wood or styrofoam or something too. The part that I hate about having to fill that gap is that I can't use the left door. I have to open the right door, take out the strip filling the gap, and then open the left side. I need to send Ali an email asking if they can make some sort of shim that will raise the bottom door track to be flush with the litter dam of the front cage panel. That would mean having to cut different size doors, move the lock up about 1 1/2-2", etc. alternatively I've considered going with the swinging doors but I just don't like them. They're not glass, they don't swing down, the post in the center of the cage from is bigger, the door frames are proportionally smaller windows. I'd prefer to keep the sliding option if they can make a way to eliminate the gap in the right side of the door track if at all possible.


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YeaH I did similar with my boa. Once the nook was filled he lost interest. Good call JM.

I'm loving these retic threads. They def weren't on my radar but I can def see an SD in my future. lol

To me your retic looks mighty thin. My dwarf retic can eat up to 10% of her body weight every five days! I'd feed way more until you get some girth on that snake, then once they fill out a bit you can cut way back. My dwarf just passed the ten pound mark and is now too heavy for my scale LOL. When they are young their metabolism is super fast, in just two days a large rat bump is completely gone, personally I think they should be fed every five days when young. Once they get a bit bigger and older they slow way down.