Reticulated python diet question?

[ThrillCosby]

So i was browsing on youtube and saw on prehistoric pets that you can slow grow Retics keeping them slightly smaller by feeding a Reticulated something the size of their centre girth every 7-10 days but i dont know if it is healthy or not as i see lots of mixed opinons about this, Me personally i dont think it looks unhealthy as the diet looks stable and the snake is not being overfed, but im not an expert at keeping Reticulated Pythons so i would like to get the opinions of others on this topic.

[Sauzo]

Well, that depends on the retic. Some, if they get hungry will push like crazy and tear up their face so bad they could need vet care. Caesar was like that and if not fed every 5-7 days as a baby, he would push and scrape his chin all up and split his lip. Now that he is older, he only pushes when he wants attention at night and when i open a door and pet him for a while, he will quiet down lol. He is a needy snake though which is kind of a surprise to me...a snake that seems to want interaction.

[cchardwick]

Personally I'd recommend getting a dwarf or super dwarf or a mix of both if you want a smaller retic. That way you can follow a proper feeding schedule and you won't end up with a monster. It's true you can totally control the growth of a snake by limit feeding. I actually just bought a year old ball python that was hardly fed at all, was still a hatchling size after a year. Not sure what kind of long term effects that can have on a snake but I can't imagine it could be good for them.

There are a lot of options when it comes to retics, the super dwarfs are almost too small for me. Some don't get as big as a boa constrictor. I want my retic to be a respectable size, but not a monster LOL. I'm currently working on super dwarf / dwarf / mainland crosses, trying to figure out what percentage of each results in a certain size snake. I think a 50-70 pound retic is my target, big enough to be impressive but not one that I can't lift or control by myself. Anything over 100 pounds needs at least two people at all times in my opinion.

The guideline of feeding every 7-10 days really depends on the age and size of the snake. I think a small young retic should be fed every 3-4 days, especially in the first year when growth is rapid. After a couple years when they get some size and their metabolism slows down they can be fed once every 2-3 weeks. A really big retic could probably fast for months without any issues at all.

[ThrillCosby]

I also have another question, i see a lot of massive Reticulated pythons out there and they are all Tiger Retics, is this a genetic thing or are they just over fed?

[Sauzo]

I have been told tiger gene tends to make them bigger but also makes them more mellow. Caesar is SD/D White tiger het snow and he is a total lounger that likes to be petted believe it or not. He isnt a fan of being carried around though but loves attention.

[ThrillCosby]

I dont care about snake length but i don't like seeing these massive girthy snakes that in my opinion look obese and over fed and i have just looked at some tiger Retic pics and most of them look obese i just didn't know if it is something to do with the Tiger gene or if they are just power fed and maybe i see more big tiger Retics just due to them being very popular. I believe that as a youngster i could feed it every 5 days or so and then when she starts to get bigger maybe then into adult hood i think i could feed a suitable rodent the size of the girth of the snake every 10 days as i dont see anything unhealthy about that, and its got to be better than having an obese snake right?

[cchardwick]

The feeding frequency really depends on how the snake looks. The tiger retic in this video is in perfect condition in my opinion, not too fat, not too thin. Just a real nice healthy weight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABBDGQKDRYE

[dylan815]

I think it depends on the Retic in question.... the ones who smash up their faces and split open their lips when they arn't fed need to be fed enough that they don't do that..... Other wise i think that keeping them smaller by feeding less or feeding less often is an okay thing to do.

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I think it depends on the Retic in question.... the ones who smash up their faces and split open their lips when they arn't fed need to be fed enough that they don't do that..... Other wise i think that keeping them smaller by feeding less or feeding less often is an okay thing to do.

[AbsoluteApril]

. I think a small young retic should be fed every 3-4 days, especially in the first year when growth is rapid.

That is too often in my opinion, growing retics do just fine on a weekly feed. If you are feeding every 3-4 days, the snake is constantly in digestion mode which can tax their organs over time.

[robert7107]

Well, that depends on the retic. Some, if they get hungry will push like crazy and tear up their face so bad they could need vet care. Caesar was like that and if not fed every 5-7 days as a baby, he would push and scrape his chin all up and split his lip. Now that he is older, he only pushes when he wants attention at night and when i open a door and pet him for a while, he will quiet down lol. He is a needy snake though which is kind of a surprise to me...a snake that seems to want interaction.

I have a 50% SD that I have been feeding him once every 5 days.. he's a hatchling but eagerly accept food am I feeding him too often?

Also how soon after feeding can I handle him? I'm feeding him small pray fuzzy rats he was eating rat pups from the breeder..

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