Dwarf vs. Regular Retics

Hello! This is a question more for my own personal research/curiosity... I know I am nowhere near ready for any 'large snakes' and I'm already as full as I can be pet wise honestly(Until nathan and I get married and get our own house anyway)

But since I've joined this forum I've learned a lot of specifics..Never knew Jag Carpets had neurological problems for instance.


So out of the Retic owners out there who have owned/worked with dwarfs and super dwarfs...How much of a difference is there between them.. Personality wise? I know these snakes are known for their intelligence, are the smaller versions just as calculative? Can the dwarfs be prone to neuro problems, or do they generally have a more nasty/less nasty attitude?

:cool: It's cool if you guys are busy, but it's just a question that I've never found a straight answer to. I LOVE retics, especially purple albinos and sunfires.. But boy is their size daunting! Maybe one day, but honestly, that day is far far away..


Oh! One more question.. Are there any signs that help you be SURE you are getting a dwarf?? I wouldn't want to be surprised when my 'little' snake kept growing..and growing..and growing! :O


Anyway, thanks!

Regarding whether or not how to tell that it's actually a dwarf or not.

There aren't any actually dwarf retics. There are super dwarves and localities that grow smaller than the mainland retics. I believe, but may be wrong, that mainland retics are from the Sulawesi Island. Whereas some known "dwarf" retics are from Madu Island, Jampea Island, and Kayudi(not sure on spelling). Retics are strong swimmers and can can travel great distances at sea. This has lead them to inhabiting smaller islands with less resources for their huge sizes. At one point I saw a chart showing how different retics had slightly different head shapes. I think that was on a different forum though.

I hope this helped and that too much of what I said wasn't wrong.

I will have to correct you a little, ome of the info is wrong they are describing the dwarfs such as jampea, as a sub-species, which if I am right then they are seperate from normal retics. Same with Super dwarfs. I have also worked with all of the and own a few of them and I have to say temerment is about the same the difference is you are comparing sizes, no one wants to get bit by a snake, but when sizes count then I prefer smaller over bigger. I have had 18 footers with a nasty disposition, but also had a superdwarf at one time that was the meanest thingI had ever come in contact with. Scared my Pitbul who would whine when the snake was out of enclosure during claning time. Snake never came in contact with him or vice a versa. Just a nasty snake I have never had a snake do that to any of my dogs, espcially my pits

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Originally Posted by Jadonh

I will have to correct you a little, ome of the info is wrong they are describing the dwarfs such as jampea, as a sub-species, which if I am right then they are seperate from normal retics. Same with Super dwarfs. I have also worked with all of the and own a few of them and I have to say temerment is about the same the difference is you are comparing sizes, no one wants to get bit by a snake, but when sizes count then I prefer smaller over bigger. I have had 18 footers with a nasty disposition, but also had a superdwarf at one time that was the meanest thingI had ever come in contact with. Scared my Pitbul who would whine when the snake was out of enclosure during claning time. Snake never came in contact with him or vice a versa. Just a nasty snake I have never had a snake do that to any of my dogs, espcially my pits

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Have the different locales officially been classified as different subspecies? Last I heard they hadn't been, but it was only a matter of time. Thanks for the info!

Oh wow! Thanks for the information! I had seen on several websites 'super dwarf' and 'dwarf' retics for sale... So they are just from different areas so they stay smaller? Do you or anyone here know what to look for(scale wise, head shape wise, pattern etc.) that can let you know for sure you have one of the smaller ones? Or do you just really really have to trust the breeder! :O

That's so cool, I knew they were strong swimmers...imagine being out at sea between islands and seeing one. That would be insane! :D


So there are localities that are smaller and super dwarfs? Or are super dwarfs another locality? :)

I am so curious, I can't help it! I love learning! Especially about snakes :P

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Originally Posted by Gibber19

Have the different locales officially been classified as different subspecies? Last I heard they hadn't been, but it was only a matter of time. Thanks for the info!

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I thought I had read somewhere that they had beenI could be wrong, but I think so. Try mostersnakesforums.com

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

Oh wow! Thanks for the information! I had seen on several websites 'super dwarf' and 'dwarf' retics for sale... So they are just from different areas so they stay smaller? Do you or anyone here know what to look for(scale wise, head shape wise, pattern etc.) that can let you know for sure you have one of the smaller ones? Or do you just really really have to trust the breeder! :O

That's so cool, I knew they were strong swimmers...imagine being out at sea between islands and seeing one. That would be insane! :D


So there are localities that are smaller and super dwarfs? Or are super dwarfs another locality? :)

I am so curious, I can't help it! I love learning! Especially about snakes :P

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Once again try monstersnakesforums.com

I would suggest constrictors.com or thereticnation.com Both have very good at explaining and talking about retics...

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Originally Posted by Gibber19

Have the different locales officially been classified as different subspecies? Last I heard they hadn't been, but it was only a matter of time. Thanks for the info!

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not to my best info.. but who knows what papers have been submitted to what various journals and may be under review.

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

Oh wow! Thanks for the information! I had seen on several websites 'super dwarf' and 'dwarf' retics for sale... So they are just from different areas so they stay smaller? Do you or anyone here know what to look for(scale wise, head shape wise, pattern etc.) that can let you know for sure you have one of the smaller ones? Or do you just really really have to trust the breeder! :O

That's so cool, I knew they were strong swimmers...imagine being out at sea between islands and seeing one. That would be insane! :D


So there are localities that are smaller and super dwarfs? Or are super dwarfs another locality? :)

I am so curious, I can't help it! I love learning! Especially about snakes :P

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I would assume that Super Dwarves are just a locality that grows much smaller. Small enough to actually be classified as a separate subspecies.

If you are looking for a dwarf for sale stick to big breeders(I.e. NERD, The Retic Ranch, Mike Wilbanks, Bob Clark, ect.). One of the most important things to pay attention to when looking for dwarf retics is the percentages of the parents. For example, someone may advertise a "dwarf retic" that is 50% mainland and 50% Jampea(Jampea's average around 10-15, I do believe). You can pretty much average the expected lengths of retic crosses and get what the "dwarf" size should be. So a Jampea/mainland will probably be 15+ foot. If you're looking for something in the 10 foot range for a retic, a superdwarf/jampea is probably the safest bet. In the consideration that you don't mind being on the small end of 10 foot and not overshooting it.

think somethin should be cleared up real quick between the diffrent retics, while all can become calm mainlands are gonna be the calmest from the egg. with regular handlin most will become calm but super dwarfs are much more skittish and nervous and fast, while jamps/dwarfs are almost a middle ground to the mainlands who are just chill..

and as a poster before me said if your getting into a sd or dwarf get from a good breeder, these probably wouldent be something id pick up from a show simply because of the 70% dwarf" nd so on, u just cant be sure untill it breeds so id get one from someone who u can trace the parents back.

and as for the ops intelligence question from everything iv read they are just as smart as mainlands, iv never owned a dwarf but id worked and handled a few sds and they are fun little boogers to play with alot like a carpet python just goes and goes as opposed to my mainland who just perches on my shoulders or around my bicep and rides around while i do chores or whatever im doing

:D Thanks for all the information, everyone! I know I've seen them at shows before, and the first place I had heard of them was on that constrictors unlimited site, so the question had just been sitting in my mind for a while! I'm nowhere near ready for the big animals, my boyfriend is especially against having the biggest at least for now--but someday with enough experience I might want a SD because of their beautiful patterns! I am ok with it being a 'look don't touch' animal!


Of course this is all still years away from happening..I have a few more snakes on my wishlist I think should come before a snake like this!(Hognose, kenyan sand boa, Brazilian rainbow boa, blood python, and of course some ball python morphs) but hey, any knowledge I have leaves me better prepared for the future :gj: Thanks guys!

They are very smart and inquisitive. Just like mainlands. They are also very flighty and fast. If they are handled often they are fine. I have a female super dwarf that won't bite once out of her enclosure no matter what. My male was an import and he simply refuses to be tamed but he isn't bity.

Super dwarf retics should be very small. 6-7 ft as adults and very slender. Like a rat snake.

It can be like handling a live whip but if they are CB and raised correctly with the handling and respect you'd give a mainland retic, they are very enjoyable to have. It's best to get one from a breeder who has had the parents for awhile and can guarantee they will not exceed a certain size. With the dwarf retics you really can't guarantee they will stay under a certain size but 12-15 ft seems the norm.

I would definitely hook up with someone who owns retics of any kind and get experience with them before deciding to buy. They are very smart and are known to hold a grudge. It's helpful to know how to handle them and the calming techniques that work best for them (like gently placing your hand over their head) before investing in one.

I currently keep mainlands, dwarf, and supers. My smaller retics are a bit more skittish, but they calm down in time. That said, I have a WC dwarf female that hates me. Luckily she seems to have topped out at under 11 feet so she's still manageable. My oldest retic is an import adult male that has topped out around 7 foot. He's smaller than my 2 year old Jamps. He was nippy when first imported, but he's since calmed down and is quite docile....outside the breeding season. Males can get a bit moody at that time. Dwarf lines are getting pretty muddy now with many trying to get smaller morphs. The end result are snakes labeled dwarf even though they're a mix between mainland and dwarf variants. If you decide to venture into retics, don't go off the name alone. Be sure to inquire the percentage of dwarf blood.

Jampeas were listed as a subspecies, but whether this will hold is debatable. The others are all seen as the same species currently. Jampeas also aren't all that "dwarf." They don't get as large as some of the other localities on average, but 16+ foot jamps are around.