Am I ready for a retic?

[Matt94rocks]

I really want to get a retic I've been keeping snakes for over two years I have kept honduran milks, all kinds of kings, hog noses, 6 ball pythons,sand boas,gophers,corns,different kinds of rat snakes and a large dumerils boa.Currently I have 18 snakes, I have lots of space and time for a larger snake and am very comfortable handling large snakes.I have done lots of research on retics but wanted peoples opinions who have actually kept retics.So do you think I would be ready for a retic?

[AjBalls]

That varies greatly on the person.

The basic questions are
Do you have the space to keep a snake that can possibly reach lengths of 20'?
Have you ever dealt with larger snake species before?
Do you have a constant food supply of large food items such as rabbits, pigs etc?
Do you have the money to afford its food and caging?
Do you have multiple people that would be willing to assist in removing the snake from its cage whether it be to clean or to give antibiotics? Generally 1 person for every 5' of the snake.
Are you aware of "hook training"?
And some more questions I'm sure I am missing.

Now what I mean is by it varies by the person is a few things. I know a couple people who got a retic as their first snake and they have done absolutely fine with it. And I also know people who have had other snakes 10 years before getting one and it was too much work for them.

Where have you done your research? I've found a few sites to give awful information.

[Matt94rocks]

I have space,the largest snake I have worked with is a eight foot carpet.I can afford caging and food for the snake.I also have a couple people who can help me with handling trhe snake and yes I am aware of hook training.As far as research books and reading of forums and various breeders caresheets.

[Denial]

I moved out at the age of 16 because my fiance got pregnant and my parents would only let me stay if I talked her into an abortion. I refused and so I had to move out. I got a place and we moved in. I was very young and I have always been into animals always loved all of them and I have wanted a snake since I was a little kid but my parents refused so once our child was born my first fathers day my fiance bought me a ball python. And when I got home I had absoulty no idea what I was doing I didnt know how hot it needed to be I didnt know anything about them at all. So I stayed up all night reading and reading and reading but also at the same time I was seeing all these pictures of all these other snakes and I was just amazed at all the patterns and everything they had and I wanted so many of them. But when I found the giant snakes I really found my passion. I didnt have the ball long before I jumped into burmese pythons then I got green anacondas and then retics. I love my retics they are alot faster then the burmese pythons and anacondas and they seem to digest there food alot quicker also. I started very young but I worked my butt off I remember when I was going to school and then going to work at burger king and then coming home to care for a child and a room full of snakes lol. But It all payed off in the end. I dont think people should come to forums and ask if they are ready for a big snake or any snake for that matter. Because no one knows you better then yourself and you should be able to decide wheter you are ready or not to take care of a giant. I have a good number of snakes and it does get somewhat expensive. Its not to bad when you only have one or two but when you get into the 20's and 30's the food bill SKYROCKETS and when your retic goes from rats to rabbits it goes on up also lol. The food bill has gotten so bad with us we are actually in the process of breeding our own food. But you also have to include the electricity they use (our bill is insane every month. I actually shake when I open it lol) and make sure your really interested in the animal and you want this animal for its life. I will be the first to admit when I got my burms I couldnt wait for them to grow up I was going to show them off to everyone and I was going to be the cool kid with the big snakes. But now since I have the animals I will tell you from experience I hardly ever actually carry my animals anywhere. It becomes a struggle just to get them out of the cages to clean every week. We have to wrestle chloe into a rubbermaid to clean her cage and god forbid if she needs a bath or she has some stuck shed. We had to give zues antibiotics down his throat once and I hope I never have to do that again lol it was horrible. You have to have a partner because you cant concentrate on a syringe and a 12 foot angry snake at the same time lol. I spend alot of time with my animals just cleaning cages and disenfecting things and I spend even more money on them. But I wouldnt trade it for the world. I wouldnt know what to do if I didnt come home and not have someones cage to clean or water bowls to change. I consider this part of my life and its very rewarding to work with retics everyday. They are incredible animals and very smart. They have amazing feeding responses that can be very dangerous if you dont know what your doing. But I dont think you should take advice from people that have never met you to decide if you are ready for one of the worlds largest constrictors. Like I said the only person that can decide that is you. If you feel you are ready for that challenge then go for it. I wasnt ready when I jumped into them when I was 16 but I wouldnt change it for the world! Good luck with whatever you decide! Retics are great snakes and I think you would be pleased with it as long as you feel you are ready not people on the internet.

[Mitch21]

Denial,
You've GOT TO POST some pics of your snakes and the snake room or something!!!

[Denial]

im actually in the process of moving so everything is really messed up around here lol but I can throw up some older pics if you want. And once we get settle in our new home Ill throw some new ones up

[Matt94rocks]

Do you think a burms tempermeant is much calmer than a retics?

[Denial]

I think burms are alot less active then retics. They can both become very good pets. But I could pick one of my burms out of there cages and sit down and some of them will just lay there with me. That would NEVER happen with my retics when you get them out of the cages they are all over the place trying to go everywhere. But they both can very good tempers

[Matt94rocks]

So out of the bigger snakes what do you recomend as a first large snake.I dont like red tail boas.

[Denial]

It really depends on your preference. If I was you I would look around and try to find someone that would let you interact with there larger pythons and see if you like a burm or a retic better. I like all the big snakes and thats mainly what my collection consists off with the exception of a few balls and some other stuff. Burms are great they are usually relaxed and calm down nicely in captivity. Retics are also great snakes but a bit faster then the burms and afrocks. I will tell you out of all the snakes I have my messiest snakes are my green anaconda and my lavendar albino retic. They can do some foul things in there cages lol