What do you wish you knew before getting into Retics/ Larger pythons.

[bcr229]

I have 80 snakes in my collection, including balls, some smaller colubrids, a carpet python, retics (both dwarf and mainland), a burm, various boas (BRB's, Dums, BI's, boa sigma, yellow anaconda).

The biggest mistake I see people making with SD retics is thinking that because they are small they are easy to deal with, especially the males. That's not the case; males tend to be very difficult, much more than the mainland males. I would rather deal with my 15-16 foot mainland females than my 100% SD male. My SD male has been for sale - quietly - for a few years and I give full disclosure to the potential new owner:

"He has a serious Napoleon/little man complex. I would not recommend him as a pet; just because he's small doesn't mean he's easy to handle - working with him is a two-person job. He also pees on you, the floor, himself, and whatever else he can hit once he's out of his enclosure, and it's deliberate. He will back up to you or wrap his tail around you if you are holding him, and then let fly with a load of musk/urate. He will threat charge if he's on the floor. Hasn't bitten but he makes you think he will."

Amazingly the people who have contact me ultimately pass on him, can't imagine why...

I could keep my mouth shut and not tell any potential buyers about his attitude if they don't ask, but I'm not about to put that snake in a position where someone can't manage him properly.

He was not like this as a baby or even during puberty, the behavior popped up when he turned four(ish) years old.

If you want a larger snake that is more alert/aware but still very manageable and fun to handle, especially by one person, I would suggest a boa imperator or locality, BRB, or carpet python over a giant python.

[Homebody]

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ic-Progression
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...heavy-)/page49
Very long threads

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...n-Semi-graphic
Gio’s last straw with them

I read all of them. Yeesh. These are the experiences that bring true wisdom, but at such a cost I think I'll choose to remain ignorant.

[EL-Ziggy]

I don’t keep retics but I do keep an olive python and a scrub python which are both just as big as an SD retic if not larger. The olive is a really mellow fellow. They’re often called gentle giants even though there are some fiesty ones out there. I’d highly recommend them if you’re looking for a more manageable large constrictor. I can reach in and pull my olive out of his enclosure anytime without worry. The only time he’s ever bitten me was when he missed his rat during a feeding attempt. I quickly invested in some larger tongs and haven’t had any problems since. The scrub reminds me a lot of a retic. They’re often very commanding and demanding animals that deserve the utmost respect and a bit of caution. I’ve had my scrub for almost 4 years now and even though he’s gotten a lot better and doesn’t bite or musk me every time I touch him, he’s still very unpredictable and always keeps me on my guard. I’ve thought about rehoming him several times but haven’t brought myself to part with him just yet. I accept that he’s most likely always going to be a hands off/display only animal. He gets handled only when necessary and never just for fun because handling him isn’t fun. It’s intense and sometimes even scary but I still love him. I did my research beforehand and kinda knew what I was getting into and took the leap to the dark side anyway. I learned some valuable lessons but in hindsight I’d probably pass on the scrub if I had to do it over again. I don’t see me keeping any more giant snakes. I would definitely concur that giant snakes, while challenging, just aren’t worth the headache. Carpet pythons and boas are far more rewarding to keep imho.

[Bogertophis]

...
He was not like this as a baby or even during puberty, the behavior popped up when he turned four(ish) years old...

This is the "thing" that happens with other non-domestic animals too- as adults, their personality can change. And by then, you've sunk a lot of money into a giant snake- not just for the snake itself, but for several years of feeding & growth, & his housing- and all the time committed to their care. It "hurts the heart" when you come to regret your decision, & even worse when no one else wants to bail you out of your commitment, much less pay you for "what $ you've invested". It's hard enough to find a responsible & capable adopter, much less a buyer.

I'm not saying that "no one" should ever keep these or other challenging & dangerous animals. Not that at all. But maybe that it shouldn't be a quick decision or such an easy purchase though.

Another thing to consider- when we're younger, we feel like nothing will ever change. But trust me, it does. It's so easy to find yourself feeling "ready" to get a bigger challenging snake, and it's very hard to envision what's going to change in your life in the next 20+ years while you're keeping up with whatever you bought. Your financial situation can change- your living arrangement may need to change- you might have family that could be at risk from what you're keeping, or neighbors that complain, & your own body may have some issues that weren't there before. Large/giant snakes can take a lot out of you in more ways than one- they're a big commitment, no pun intended.

All that PLUS the laws & regulations that keep changing in response to irresponsible owners or concerns about diseases, etc. While there are irresponsible owners of every kind of animal, remember that snakes are the most hated & feared, so they start off with a "target" on them.

[Albert Clark]

I don’t keep retics but I do keep an olive python and a scrub python which are both just as big as an SD retic if not larger. The olive is a really mellow fellow. They’re often called gentle giants even though there are some fiesty ones out there. I’d highly recommend them if you’re looking for a more manageable large constrictor. I can reach in and pull my olive out of his enclosure anytime without worry. The only time he’s ever bitten me was when he missed his rat during a feeding attempt. I quickly invested in some larger tongs and haven’t had any problems since. The scrub reminds me a lot of a retic. They’re often very commanding and demanding animals that deserve the utmost respect and a bit of caution. I’ve had my scrub for almost 4 years now and even though he’s gotten a lot better and doesn’t bite or musk me every time I touch him, he’s still very unpredictable and always keeps me on my guard. I’ve thought about rehoming him several times but haven’t brought myself to part with him just yet. I accept that he’s most likely always going to be a hands off/display only animal. He gets handled only when necessary and never just for fun because handling him isn’t fun. It’s intense and sometimes even scary but I still love him. I did my research beforehand and kinda knew what I was getting into and took the leap to the dark side anyway. I learned some valuable lessons but in hindsight I’d probably pass on the scrub if I had to do it over again. I don’t see me keeping any more giant snakes. I would definitely concur that giant snakes, while challenging, just aren’t worth the headache. Carpet pythons and boas are far more rewarding to keep imho.

Thanks EL for the testimony and the edification. I always wanted a granite Burmese python but always wondered how I could contain and keep one. Deep in my mind I knew it would be a massive undertaking raising a “giant” and slowly gave up on the idea.

[BillyBloodPython]

By the way, there's other snakes that are more "alert" yet way more manageable. That's why I like rat snakes- they're more active & curious, but very manageable pets. There's many kinds of rat snakes, & the larger ones are from 6'-9' long. You might enjoy a Taiwan Beauty rat snake. There's other good-sized snakes that can challenge you too- like cribos & indigo snakes (-they can be pretty high maintenance though- they wouldn't be my choice, personally, for that reason), & also bull snakes & others. I hope you do LOTS more research because there are plenty of great options with far better temperaments. Believe me, I understand the excitement of getting a new snake- but if you choose in haste, you might regret for a long time.

Excellent advice on this thread. I enjoyed reading through people's experiences and following the progress threads to learn from owners how much of a nightmare they can be.

- - - Updated - - -

I read all of them. Yeesh. These are the experiences that bring true wisdom, but at such a cost I think I'll choose to remain ignorant.

I did too!. excellent first hand details on how much of a hassle retics can be. I'm persuaded.

[bcr229]

I did too!. excellent first hand details on how much of a hassle retics can be. I'm persuaded.

They can be extremely rewarding BUT if I were not married to someone willing to help me when they're wound up (like at feeding time) then I would never keep them. It's just too high of a risk.

[Krj2501]

Well - anyone who think SD retics have a bad temperament really should try Dwarf Burms. I have both in the past - and can tell you from my personal experience I had much rather have a SD Retic be it pure or a good SD/D cross any day. The Dwarf Burms seem to have nasty, horrible temperaments - always highly defensive (bitey). While my SD retics were always fairly mellow curious snakes, while loved to explore. They were rarely defensive or "flighty" unless I didn't handle them for months. Even then I could usually calm them down in less than 5 minutes.

Still SD Retics are fairly large(8-10 feet for females), very active snakes which should be kept in good sized cages. So unless you have space for a 6+ foot cage you might want to look else where.

[YungRasputin]

i think this comes down to how do you view your animals and the situations you find yourself in within them and ultimately, what sort of relationship do you want with them, which i feel falls into 2 categories:

- you want something to own and possess which is like dog or cat or cow, something you can just pick up, play with and put down, then ja maybe big snakes wouldn’t be something you ought to pursue (pet ownership)

- you want to forge a deep companionship with wild animals through struggle and bonding, to achieve something which few humans in history have achieved, to master nature and animals and turn it into art, to share your living space with wild animals as if they were your children and accept all the responsibilities and hardships that come with that, then perhaps big snakes are something for you (animal companionship)

me personally, I’ve spent a lifetime keeping animals which will never in a million years be tame, they will forever be wild, they can never be handled, they will never show affection, interactions between us will most often if not exclusively be hostile, etc (arachnids) and i have loved every second of it and feel v lucky to have stumbled upon this art way back when my oma showed me how to catch and keep my first spider - i do overtime when working with these animals feel a genuine and weird sort companionship despite the actual experiences being, on paper, negative

back to big snakes, just the fact that i can hold and physically interact with these animals is amazing to me - my scrub python has been challenging but through that struggle has come one of the most rewarding companionships of my life and I genuinely look forward to forging the same sort of companionship with my future dwarf - it sucks to be bitten, and have them be all feisty feisty but ultimately the whole picture is worth it i feel

and i think it’s totally ok for other people to not be down with that, perhaps something that’s generally more docile and low energy is more their speed and those animals are equally wonderful companions

[Homebody]

i think this comes down to how do you view your animals and the situations you find yourself in within them and ultimately, what sort of relationship do you want with them, which i feel falls into 2 categories:

- you want something to own and possess which is like dog or cat or cow, something you can just pick up, play with and put down, then ja maybe big snakes wouldn’t be something you ought to pursue (pet ownership)

- you want to forge a deep companionship with wild animals through struggle and bonding, to achieve something which few humans in history have achieved, to master nature and animals and turn it into art, to share your living space with wild animals as if they were your children and accept all the responsibilities and hardships that come with that, then perhaps big snakes are something for you (animal companionship)

me personally, I’ve spent a lifetime keeping animals which will never in a million years be tame, they will forever be wild, they can never be handled, they will never show affection, interactions between us will most often if not exclusively be hostile, etc (arachnids) and i have loved every second of it and feel v lucky to have stumbled upon this art way back when my oma showed me how to catch and keep my first spider - i do overtime when working with these animals feel a genuine and weird sort companionship despite the actual experiences being, on paper, negative

back to big snakes, just the fact that i can hold and physically interact with these animals is amazing to me - my scrub python has been challenging but through that struggle has come one of the most rewarding companionships of my life and I genuinely look forward to forging the same sort of companionship with my future dwarf - it sucks to be bitten, and have them be all feisty feisty but ultimately the whole picture is worth it i feel

and i think it’s totally ok for other people to not be down with that, perhaps something that’s generally more docile and low energy is more their speed and those animals are equally wonderful companions

I'm sure you didn't mean to but the post above comes across as a skosh condescending. I appreciate your enthusiasm and I wish you every success in your goals, but the posts in this thread come from keepers with years of experience caring for large difficult animals. The problems they faced were not a result of their naivete.