Experienced reticulated python owners ONLY

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Originally Posted by frostysBP

Yes my statement is very blunt tbowman...but if you read this kids other post you would know why...I know that 90% of 16 years dont truly know what they want outa life and a retic is a huge commitment...going to college isnt impossible but look how many snakes are getting rehomed every day because of this situation. When I was 16 I wanted a tic to...but I also wanted Lot of other things...went to college right after highschool and am paying thousands of dollars in school loans and I dont want anything to do whit what I went to school for. Finding a place to rent at a young age is hard enough much less one that will let you have 15+ foot snakes or snakes in general....there is alot more to think about than just the care of the animal. DVirginiana hit the nail on the head with your statement.

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I also think DVirginia brought up good points. The time period between a person's late teens and mid 20's is when most of us have the least residential stability. We move to/from college dorms or off-campus housing every few months, we move out of our parent's house and into a rental (or we boomerang...), we find our first full-time professional jobs which may not be close to where we grew up or went to school, we join the military, etc.

Keeping one ball python or even a rack of them through all of that would be less hassle than keeping one retic.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

Some of these posts are predicated on the assumption that if you buy a retic it is going to be a gigantic animal. Maybe reptile experts can elaborate on this but aren't there some SDs that can be kept in cb70s or maybe the ve 175? I may be wrong there.

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Yes there are BUT they tend to be flightier than their mainland cousins, and even if they are fairly high percentage they can still get big.

This turned into a good thread with many thoughtful posts.

Times are getting more difficult - navigating young adulthood with a large snake is only going to get harder. Life now isn't what it was in the 70's. Whole different world.

Just my perspective (from 47 year old woman who doesn't yet own a single snake), take it for what you think it's worth.

All things considered through this thread, there is some thought to be had. Age is a consideration to make, at 16 there are plenty of people who are raising retics. As has been said, it can put some constraints on your college life, so you need to be aware of that. Keeping in mind that retics may soon be not allowed to cross state lines (and already are not allowed into Texas or Florida) you'd need to at least have an idea NOW where you will be in 2 years, what college, what career path. Do you want to be a towny and stay in your home town, or do you want to be a chaser and live elsewhere.

Retics are a big commitment. But they are manageable with a good thought process going into it. I don't want to hinder any ones ambition towards raising one of these incredible animals. But you asked for things you should know - and these are all things you should know and consider. Feeding cost is just a small commitment. Even working at a burger joint you'll be able to afford food for ONE snake if you are semi budget minded. Housing commitments will be a different situation. If you plan to rent later in life, not all places will allow giant constrictors. If you plan to buy a house you have to face city ordinances, state laws, and even home owners association since the HOA loves to be involved in your life.

I think the greatest take home for you in all of this is:

Fully think out whats ahead of you. Where are you going, where do you want life to take you - can you take your new commitment with you?
Can you budget for its needs - special vets, large caging (one time buy), cleaning supplies (every other day sometimes).
Volunteer with a local keeper, but keep in mind not all giant keepers announce they have giants within their local community to keep fear down. But look in facebook groups and talk to people.

Saw dwarf and sd stuff brought up. I love Jampea local retics right now. I've worked with Kalatoa crosses for a while now, and they are a lot more flighty, yes they remain smaller, but it's not a fun experience to handle them as much. Jampea is a middle ground retic - not the largest of them all, but not the smallest. My 50% crossed male who is breed ready is only 8' give or take, and he is incredibly relaxed outside of the cage. Our largest retic is a Jampea Cross Purple Albino Female, and she is just under 14' at this current day and really not growing anymore. Dwarf / SD crosses are unpredictable. You could get a grower that takes charge of their potential and grows grows grows grows grows. You could get a runt that stays small. I'd highly recommend a jampea cross if you can find one that interest you. My wife and I are devoting ourselves nearly fully to Jampea crosses in our future projects to bring some new combos. But again, this is my own personal preference. If you're after the big snake experience, by all means get a mainland. But If you want a slightly more controllable size, and still get an awesome experience, I cant recommend Jampea crosses enough.

Shoot me a message down the line when you start getting specific questions, and I'll be glad to help.

Well that was a fun read, anyone know if the kid ended up getting one?


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Im curious to know as wel, was going to add some opinions but maybe not .:rolleyes:

holy crap!! when/why was frostyBP banned? i was wondering where he was... besides yelling at peeps for not using a t-stat p, he was a cool and helpful dude. :/