How to keep retics on the smaller side? (Mainlands)

[reptileexperts]

As for "reptile expert"- a degree in herpetology means nothing to me, unless you did specific field studies on the ground with retics, and retics alone, you can have a herpetology degree and still know nothing real about a retic, just like most vets are idiots who know nothing about reptile veterinary procedure.

I'm sorry, let me go see if I can get a refund on my degree . . . oh wait no seems its been past the thirty day return policy. shucks. . .

Do you know why we have super dwarf retics? Do you understand the evolution involved and the natural selection that took place / is taking place to produce these? That's fine and dandy you have a 13' mainland female that's breeding for you. Congrats. So do other people. But to drive this point home. If you have a retic that was fed very little in the first few years, you are indeed stunting its potential. Then starting it breeding based on age, that's fine you further stunt it. To say this is the normal realm in the wild, you are so far from the truth you make my head hurt.

Jampea retics are found on an island where food is not abundant. They have a breeding bird colony that comes in during the season and breeds in heavy numbers. During this time the retics are exposed to large amounts of food, then long periods of little food, followed by large periods of great food. Their breeding season is played off of the breeding season of the birds when food is abundant and resources can go into producing young. This is a selective process over time.

On the mainland, such retics phase out, because the larger continue to survive and continue passing on genes. Big females pumping out more eggs, giving rise to more stronger offspring giving them an advantage. Taking a mainland and stunting its food, while it may appear is healthy, is just enforcing a trait these snakes are not evolved for.

Again, I don't care 2 seconds about your mindset and what you think you're trying to prove here. I'm looking at this from natural history, evolution, and the selective pressures in the wild vs unnecessary selective pressures your using in captivity. Just because this works for some females, in no way promises that it will work in all. Just like not all the retics on Jampea survive to reproduce. Let this fall onto deaf ears, that's up to you. . . call me ignorant because I studied the mechanism for which this occurs in the wild and earned my degree in it, go for it. Listen to google and captive keepers who have no idea what happens in the wild.