This is an old but very interesting study.
https://www.researchgate.net/publica...mbat_in_snakes
It is worth reading and may clear up some misconceptions surrounding male and female sizes in certain species of snakes.
Often, it is automatically assumed that female snakes are always larger than males. While it is true in many situations (even in some combative species) there are certain species where males are equal to or larger than females.
This study is worth a read.
I have had the pleasure and privilege to speak with Nick Mutton on several occasions about his field observations.
Carpet python groups that engage in male combat prior to mating can and do produce large males in the wild. Nick also mentioned the same often occurs in reticulated pythons.
Captivity can change things, however it is often based on a keeper not wanting to have large males to feed and deal with.
The main point is that it is wrong to assume just because somebody buys a male animal it will stay small or always be the smaller of the two sexes.
Genetics, feeding, environmental, or in the case of captive animals, husbandry all play a role.
Snakes are difficult to study in the wild and funding does not always exist but I thought this was an informative link.
I hope it generates some discussion.
I have a male Bredli that is getting pretty large, and my male boa which is not a combative species is getting larger with age. The largest snake outside of a male retic I owned was my late female, coastal carpet.
Unfortunately I don't have two animals that are both the exact same species so I can't share my captive experiences regarding size.
If anybody does have two or more of the same species that are the same age or close, share your experiences and post some pictures.
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