Dwarf Tiger Retic Questions

Hey everyone,

I have some questions about a possible male dwarf tiger retic from Vital Exotics. This animal was bred from a 75% dwarf female to a 100% dwarf male. Vital Exotics says that their line of dwarfs, when over 50% dwarf, generally stay in the 6-9 foot range for males, and 8-12 for females. Does this seem realistic? I have had burms and large boas before, so definitely can handle a large animal. I just wanted to make sure I was getting a realistic assessment of an adult size for this purchase.

thanks!

I met Kris at a show in Minneapolis and he seemed like a knowledgable straight up guy.

Cody (Reptile Experts) will probably have more info as he is well versed in the genetics and size potential. I like the snake you are looking at and would consider one myself if the 6-9 FT range holds true.

Good luck with the purchase, it looks really nice.

Kris is an EXCELLENT guy to work with, and an outstanding member in the retic community. He keeps detailed traces of his SD / D lines which help future keepers and breeders trace the amount of bloods in their own outcrosses later. Kris will answer your questions quick, and work with you whenever he can.

I responded to this question in PM - I'll post it here so others can see

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Yeah, I've housed a 10' male comfortably in a 4x2x2 without any issues. The larger space males have, the more aggressive they seem to become during the breeding season (territory related). The problem with Dwarf retics, is the locales which are most commonly used (Jampea) still may and can reach max lengths around 16' for females, and 12-14' for males (records). On average, the female pures get 12' and the males around 8-9'. Having said that . . . My Goldenchild male is about to turn 2 years old. Was fed very appropriately and large items. He is housed in a Vision 400 with plenty of room, and is around 8' ready to breed. He is only 50% Jampea. In theory, the more blood you get, the smaller they can become.

So while 6-9' is definitely not inconceivable, there is still a chance that the snake could get above 10' even at that dwarf level since the pures can max out much larger and you're simply adding in mainland blood during the crosses.

Feed heavy (every 4-7 days) for the first 6 months in my opinion, then back off to every 7-10 days, then back off to every 10-14 days an appropriate sized item when it starts adding to girth and not length (usually around 18 months). Where they are at this point, should stable out, and add no more than a foot in their lifetime, pending that you maintain this schedule.

Any more questions, just ask.

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Thanks for the responses. I have messaged with Kris on text and he responds amazingly fast! Seems like a good guy and I do trust what he says, glad to hear that he has a nice reputation.

I bought my retic from Kris. He was great to work with. Cannot recommend him enough!

I just e-mailed Kris today and had a response within 10 minutes. Spot on answers and very pleasant attitude.

No offense to royal python owners, but I'm thinking about placing my son's royal in favor of a dwarf male or SD female.

I'm not really a morph guy, but the tiger morph in the retic species is maybe my favorite of all patterns.

Wow. I was glad to find this post since I was getting ready to post something very similar. I'm also looking into a dwarf tiger from Kris. I've spoke to him before and he is a very nice guy and if he is producing some this year, I may finally go ahead and get one. I'm still a little worried on their size though, not so much length but thickness.

That's the main reason I refuse to get a mainland retic. I'm wondering since Kris has high percentage dwarves, do they still get as thick?

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...bbb59a606a.jpg
Females will. Retics are slim by design compared to things like burmese. But dwarf retics can still pack some girth

Update! Put a deposit on a 2015 dwarf tiger retic from Kris. Vital Exotics is extremely communicative and legit. Cant wait to get the baby in.

Sweet deal! Get all your ducks in a row before it arrives ;)

Yeah I'm all set up. I have a 41 qt rack coming from Beeger boxes. Will also quarantine him for a month

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Yeah I'm all set up. I have a 41 qt rack coming from Beeger boxes. Will also quarantine him for a month

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Keep us updated. I'm tossing around the idea myself, but a lot of things would need to fall into place here before I try.

Ooh I could deal with 10'. I'd tossed out my idea of getting a retic eventually because of the huge size but I love the shape of them and the intelligence. I can't wait to see pics and your setup.

So would you have to feed a super dwarf retic rabbits? Or could large rats work?

I have 3 super dwarfs on rabbits.

Hey Cody- Quick unrelated question: I have a large female boa that's getting too big for a single XL rat. Do you recommend moving to rabbits rather than multiple rats in a feeding? I would like her to put on some size before I breed her next year.

Also, just saw your profile. I am a biologist as well, working on my PhD. Nice to see another scientist in the herp world.

Thanks,

Josh

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Hey Cody- Quick unrelated question: I have a large female boa that's getting too big for a single XL rat. Do you recommend moving to rabbits rather than multiple rats in a feeding? I would like her to put on some size before I breed her next year.

Also, just saw your profile. I am a biologist as well, working on my PhD. Nice to see another scientist in the herp world.

Thanks,

Josh

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Yes, go to rabbits VS feeding multiple prey items. XL rats, especially captive raised rats (which is what most feed), actually contain more fat and the BC metabolism does not deal well with fat.

Once you are on the appropriate sized rabbits, you should never need any other size increase. I would also change the prey size from time to time and go with a smaller rat or quail on occasion and then go a long period with little to no food.

Feast/famine feeding is very natural and it is almost impossible to underfeed a boa constrictor.

I recommend reading anything written by Gus Rentfro on the web that relates to raising long lived, healthy BCs. Also read

THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR By Vin Russo.

New Dwarf Tiger Retic arriving tomorrow! Will post pics when I get him.

Do any of yall have experience with Beeger Boxes?

Grats and as for Beeger Boxes, go check FaunaClassifieds under the BOI section. I think there is mixed reviews about him. Good luck.

Yeah I saw the bad guy thread on fauna. Some people swear by him, some are having issues with shipping.

I don't think the problem with Beeger Boxes is with the quality, just the same one that plagues most enclosure makers at the moment, which is getting them shipped out in under a few months.

Yeah I don't need it asap. They quoted me two weeks until shipped

Ok so here is my problem. Currently I have 3 sub adult boas, the dwarf male retic, and looking for a dwarf female retic to pair with him. Im trying to find the most economical solution to housing all of them using racks. I was initially planning on having two different 3 level 41qt tub racks delivered to house them all as juveniles, and then progressively move them out to larger individual cages as they grow out of the rack. Any other suggestions?

Got the new dwarf baby out today for the first time. Struck at everything! Finally calmed down though.

They will do that ;-)