Gene finally has a thread!

I figured it was time I started a thread for my boy Gene, he is my beautiful 25% SD & 25% Jamp platinum reticulated python. Gene is 16 months old and pushing 5’ – 5.5’, and is puppy dog tame. I’ll post some of his older pictures from when I brought him home as well as progression pictures. I know I’ll never be able to compete with Sauzo & Jmcrook.

-Steve

Gene soaked for almost 2 days until he shed, didn't know he was in shed until I saw that he had changed skin.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psl65o9gs9.jpg

Just before he shed, and loved his colors.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psilcu07jq.jpg

And one from last week!
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pslf5vxa0q.jpg

Haha it's not a competition we're just sharing our reticulated noodles with those that are interested! Gene looks awesome btw. Can't believe he's that small at 16 months with 50% mainland blood at 25% SD and jamp. Phyllis just turned a year old, is 100% kalatoa, and I'm pretty sure has broken the 6' mark.
I almost bought a 100% kalatoa male recently. Still tempted hah


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Nothing to compete with bud. They are all great and your pictures are pretty nice.

Keep the updates coming.

There's nothing wrong with your little dude. I enjoy all the retic pictures that are posted on this site. Keep them comming.

Here he was just before dinner the other day. Sad that medium rats won't leave a lump. He ate Tina's small rat too so he was nice and full after this picture.

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http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psfnnvzal5.jpg

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Gorgeous snake! His eyes are awesome.

I like Platinums. And whats up with the snake with the most mainland blood is the smallest lol.

I do love his eyes http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psfnnvzal5.jpg

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Originally Posted by Stearns84

I do love his eyes http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psfnnvzal5.jpg

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Sorry learning the app :-(


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http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...pso5hlb3g5.jpg

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Quick tub clean for Mr. I pee everyday. Just an idea of how small Gene is, this is a large hide in a 41qt tub rack setup.

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psoakbgb8v.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psmck5yuf7.jpg

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Gene looks a lot thicker than Caesar but Caesar is longer. Here's Caesar in his large hide. I just ordered him and Dottie jumbo hides last night so next Tuesday they both finally get upgraded lol.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...225cd996_b.jpg

When I get done with my taxes I'll get a few pictures of him while he's out. Need to find something for a size comparison. I can't wait for the T8 to get here along with the rhp.

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Haha join the crowd. Hopefully the two I got on order will ship next week and then next month I can order the last one for Luna so once I get rid of her mystery mites, I can put her in a T8 also and put her with the other snakes. Then I can focus on the BCC later this year.

Gene was out for about an hour tonight. He is about to start his shed cycle soon, so he is even more lazy than normal. He is finally getting a little thickness on him.

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psv5bsmey4.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psgm9kgqxr.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psjoioyef5.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...pso4brj9hg.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psmvrn0kw1.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...psfofcr0ld.jpg


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Gene is starting to go into shed so I figured I'd post a pick from a few months back. Had some left over vesda pvc, so I made a small climbing tree. He loves it, then usually going on the couch and falls asleep.
http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...pspyitv1ck.jpg

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ca9f59dde8.jpg

Poor boy looks miserable in shed.

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Poor guy haha he does look miserable. Phyllis looks the same way when she's in shed. None of my snakes have ever gotten eyes nearly that cloudy though. Definitely dull and an little hazy but never a true blue like that


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Got home from work and Gene got a fresh paint job! One piece shed but he left it in his water dish, then took a poo in it.... so I have poop soup. Pulled open the rack and he just looked out,I always tap his head with an empty paper towel roll and his attitude changes to, "okay it's not time to eat".
I'd be hard pressed to buy anything but a retic again. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8be5e22342.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...050664027e.jpg

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Very handsome retic!

What a handsome fella!

Been meaning to reply to gene's thread he's a good looking retic enjoy.

Beautiful coloration! He's a dang good looking critter. And I definitely know what you mean about being hard pressed to get anything other than retics now... as I have two now and still want more! [emoji216][emoji216]


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Beautiful coloration! He's a dang good looking critter. And I definitely know what you mean about being hard pressed to get anything other than retics now... as I have two now and still want more! [emoji216][emoji216]


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My absolute only complaint is the daily pissing. Every single day Gene will piss, sometimes a little, but enough to to ensure that all the paper towel is now wet. I sometimes think he does it just so he can come out.

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Phyllis does the same thing. 2-3 days after eating the floodgates are opened and it's daily cleaning at minimum


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He always goes straight to the couch.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a5d62921eb.jpg

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I need a SD platinum tiger lol. I like the color on those platinums. Has Gene pissed on the couch yet?

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I need a SD platinum tiger lol. I like the color on those platinums. Has Gene pissed on the couch yet?

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I'm 90% sure he pissed one time, so I scrubbed the cushions but then they were really wet. So I moved them around before Kendall (girlfriend) got home. She questioned it,so I blamed it on her cats. She knows they are :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:s so she bought it.

Gene when I got home tonight, "Hey dad I peed very little but I need out.".https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...de18059cfb.jpg

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Gave the cheating ex wife the houseb in the divorce and I got an apartment. Didn't realize our apartment is always freezing or its 100* with the heat on. Didn't really think to much when I ordered a rack, figured it was going to be maintenance free. Keeping ambient Temps up sucks. I'm looking forward to spring to get this isolation off. Ugh

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5d34d55145.jpg

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We're waiting on dinner to thaw. I'm currently drawing up plans for a custom stand for Gene's T8, might order Tina (ball python) one too.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...58291eb7f8.jpg

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Lol awesome pic.

Gene was a little moody. I think the cat has been on top of the rack, I'm a little worried about when I get his T8 seeing as its only going to be 3' (at the top).

He somehow moved his hide over his water dish, don't know how he did it or when he did. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c257086a60.jpg

The water bowl is under here.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...75968e5046.jpg

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What tub is that? I forget the size but is it the one that's like a taller 41 qt?

Skip the T-8,,,, I think its way too small and will only be a short time cage. Reticulated pythons use arboreal spaces and are rather active when given behavioral options that include climbing and perching.

I can't remember his percentages of SD/D or if he's all mainland, but I'd prepare to cage him in something 6 feet wide, 30" deep and minimum of 2 feet high.

A T-8 is what a lot of people get for their royal pythons.

He's a great looking specimen and I love those last pictures.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Skip the T-8,,,, I think its way too small and will only be a short time cage. Reticulated pythons use arboreal spaces and are rather active when given behavioral options that include climbing and perching.

I can't remember his percentages of SD/D or if he's all mainland, but I'd prepare to cage him in something 6 feet wide, 30" deep and minimum of 2 feet high.

A T-8 is what a lot of people get for their royal pythons.

He's a great looking specimen and I love those last pictures.

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Thanks Gio,

Gene is 25%SD & 25% jamp. He is almost 2 and maybe pushing 5.5'. He mom was only 7' and dad was 6'. I think I have a runt on my hands. I was going to order another T8 for Tina (pastel ball python), but maybe I'll look into something else for Gene.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stearns84

Thanks Gio,

Gene is 25%SD & 25% jamp. He is almost 2 and maybe pushing 5.5'. He mom was only 7' and dad was 6'. I think I have a runt on my hands. I was going to order another T8 for Tina (pastel ball python), but maybe I'll look into something else for Gene.

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Yeah,

Give him some room and something for you to see him display his full spectrum of behaviors.

He's neat snake and I'll bet he'll use what you give him!

I was kinda thinking like Gio that he might outgrow the T8 but if you're confident that he'll stay between 7-8 ft the T8 could work. I have a 7ft bull snake in a T8 comfortably. I thought retics were semi arboreal so a little more vertical space might be appreciated. Do you have another critter you could move into the T8 later if you upgrade Gene to a 6ft cage?

Actually I know a lot of breeders who use T8s with shelves for boas and they work fine. I do agree though, for a retic who is more active, a T8 will probably be outgrown. I'm using a T10 with a shelf for Caesar right now who is just over 5' and he's fine in it. He uses the shelf but seems to especially love to sit on top of his hides.

It really just depends how active your snake is. I got my 5' sunglow and 7' normal BCI in T10s and I do think the T10 is a bit small for Rosey but none of my snakes are really active unless it is closing in on 3 weeks, then they are crawling around looking for food.

Ideally, for me, a 6x3x18 or T25 would be best. Easy to heat with RHP or flexwatt and still offering plenty of room. The thing with the shelf is it adds floor space just like flat top hides too. Like my T10s with a shelf are the equivalent of a 48x30x15. So that's why I would use flat top hides and a shelf or a perch although a perch is just something else for your snake to grab for when you are taking it out if its a grabby snake.

I have no idea what you have Gene in now but since T8s are cheap and ship quick, one of those would be better than some makeshift tub or something like that where a retic could escape from. That's why I got 3 T8s and a stand that are supposed to ship out end of this week. I'll be putting Dottie, Luna and Rango in them. Luna and Rango might outgrow them but as slow as boas grow, I'll have a good couple years to go. Also remember, AP cages have awesome resale value as everyone wants one lol.

Here's Caesar on his hide. Sat there last night for about 4 hours just moving his head and looking out the door haha.https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...0d8bfcab_h.jpg

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Originally Posted by Stearns84

Thanks Gio,

Gene is 25%SD & 25% jamp. He is almost 2 and maybe pushing 5.5'. He mom was only 7' and dad was 6'. I think I have a runt on my hands. I was going to order another T8 for Tina (pastel ball python), but maybe I'll look into something else for Gene.

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If you aren't in a rush, look at AP T25s. Ap cages are awesome and Ali is awesome. They are very sturdy and don't flex or wobble or anything. Plus they have a very good resale value if you ever need to change it. They also offer tons of customization. Only downside is the wait. Took 13 weeks for my 3 T10s and stand to ship. The 3 T8s and stand are supposed to ship late this week which will be 5 weeks. I plan on getting my 2 female boas and the retic T25s later this year. My male salmon, we'll see how big he gets. He'll be 1 year old end of this month and he's only about 30" so he might stay small.

And on a side note, I came so close to biting the bullet and picking up a 2016 F2 North Brazilian BCC male off Mike at Basically Boas. he's Lemke/Evans/Rentfro stock. Was so close lol. Still might if he's available still after I get my T8s set up lol.

And also I think it kind of depends how you set up the cages. Gio likes doing the full tilt natural set ups which look awesome but probably require more room. I do a minimalist set up for ease of cleaning and ease of getting the snakes out as I tend to bug my snakes a lot and take them out and check them over. I means here's my 3 T10s. I'll put up a new pic when I get the 3 T8s stacked up next to it. But as you can see, I keep my cages pretty plain.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...9586e722_h.jpg

I've always been a minimalist, I want to keep it simple. I can't imagine Gene getting too much larger as he is nearing 2 years old and still under 6' and hasn't gotten any longer, just slowly getting girthy. I'll roll with the T8 until we get out of the apartment (next year).

Has anyone ever thought about building their own enclosure once you start to get into the 6' - 8' size?

Some new photos of Gene while I cleaned his enclosure (damn daily pissing)https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...96795ec7e5.jpg
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Lol like that tiny little hide on the right side in the bottom pic. Does Gene even fit in that thing? lol

Haha actually he does! Not sure how but he doesn't even struggle or overlap himself. He is a runt!

I really feel like you, jmcrook and myself all need to take a comparison shot of our retics next to the same object (paper towel, towel, anything of a standard size) so we can get a better idea of their sizes.



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Yeah. I think Gene looks bigger because he is thicker. Caesar is 5' but he's a lot skinnier than Gene. I mean here's his Sterilite hide which is like 16x14 with him on top.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...0d8bfcab_h.jpg

Think he's about 1.5 to 2" thick.

This is Phyllis next to her hide, I think it's about 12"x8" or 13"x8-9"...? So she's close to a 9" diameter pile of snake right there.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...473c6ac808.jpg she's every bit of 6 1/2' now and around 1 1/2" at her thickest point. Weighs about 1800grams


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Lol, Caesar is about 2100g, 5' and about 1.5-2" thick. How is that when Phyllis is longer and about the same thickness!!?? Maybe Caesar was hiding a turd...

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Lol, Caesar is about 2100g, 5' and about 1.5-2" thick. How is that when Phyllis is longer and about the same thickness!!?? Maybe Caesar was hiding a turd...

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Haha that's why I made the shoelace comment about Phyllis recently. Proportionately, as it seems in pictures anyway, Caesar seems to be a slightly stockier build than Gene or Phyllis. I'd say Phyllis's figure is maybe a tad more girthy of a physique than Gene but not by much. She's very long but very lean and solid muscle.


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Another day, another piss filled tub. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...707a584dae.jpg

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Wow, he pees more than Caesar haha.