First big snake?

[Reptile_love]

So I'm wanting to get my first big snake. I really want a retic, I've heard good and bad but a lot has been exaggerated imo. I haven't been able to find anything that's straight-forward on their locality sizes. Any tips for my first? Also is there a locality that gets to 12ft max? If so what website/store is safe for shipping and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for an original pattern. All help is good help.

[EL-Ziggy]

Best wishes with your first big snake. Do you keep any snakes currently? I don't keep retics, I opted for an olive python and a scrub python instead, but I love the Tiger, Phantom, and Golden Child morphs. I've seen some gorgeous retics on Morph Market. I also know that Bob Clark produces some stellar animals. I'm sure some seasoned retic keepers will chime in with more recommendations shortly.

https://www.bobclark.com/available/reticulated_pythons/

https://www.morphmarket.com/us/c/rep...-pythons/index

[Reptile_love]

Yea I have an adult female jungle carpet python and used to have a BCC but gave her to a breeder. I get 30% of the money of any of her offspring once they sale. And I may be donating my carpet python to a reptile zoo since there's so many people who are scared from ignorance of today

[Kubelwagen]

Yea I have an adult female jungle carpet python and used to have a BCC but gave her to a breeder. I get 30% of the money of any of her offspring once they sale. And I may be donating my carpet python to a reptile zoo since there's so many people who are scared from ignorance of today

You’re possibly rehoming the carpet python for this reason but would replace it with a retic? Im confused.


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[jmcrook]

I may have drawn the short straw with my pair of retics when I had them, but I could not recommend more strongly against them depending on your experience with larger snakes. 1 retic equals the upkeep of 12 carpet pythons in my experience. I’d suggest boas or morelia. All the appeal of a giant snake in a much easier to manage package. After getting out of retics and getting into Boas and Morelia I couldn’t be happier and wish I had made that decision from the outset. Read the hundreds of pages of experiences with retics from me, Gio, and a few others on here.


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[EL-Ziggy]

I agree with JMCrook about retics being a species best reserved for advanced experienced keepers. Retics, especially males, can be very temperamental. Make sure you're well up to the task and also have a reliable 2nd person to assist you in case things get sketchy.

[Reptile_love]

I'm gonna talk to reach out reptiles to get a locality that won't get too big. At this time I'm getting a retic that's not gonna be too long, maybe 10-12ft max but more likely I'll try to get one that's 8ft max. The reason being I wanna have the snake but not one that's 15ft+ in order to learn about there temperament in person and to learn more about how to handle them before getting a mainland. I'm aiming for at least 500 hours of handling before getting a mainland or maybe another that will get longer. I've always been obsessed with them and I've handled one before that was as sweet as can be, just a bit jumpy at 12ft long but I knew the owner and I trusted his word on that particular snake

[bcr229]

So I'm wanting to get my first big snake. I really want a retic, I've heard good and bad but a lot has been exaggerated imo. I haven't been able to find anything that's straight-forward on their locality sizes. Any tips for my first? Also is there a locality that gets to 12ft max? If so what website/store is safe for shipping and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for an original pattern. All help is good help.

Look for a high percentage (>50%) female not male. Yes males stay smaller but my 100% SD male is an eight foot jerk that threat charges and likes to back up to you and spray you with pee/musk, and he does it on purpose while looking at you.

My 50% SD adult female is about 11 feet, absolutely chill and easily handled, not flighty, etc. She's still a big snake but not massive like a mainland will get.

Spend the money to get one from a reputable breeder. There are a lot of non-SD or low-percentage SD non-morphs advertised as high percentage because they command a higher price, and by the time you figure out you were sold a pure mainland that is going to top out at 18-20 feet the seller is long gone.

[Sonny1318]

All I know about relics, is you better like urates and urine. Just my two cents. ✌️ And they’re also a little bit spunky, lol.

[Reptile_love]

That's a spicy meatball😂