Dwarf Tiger Retic Questions

[JoshSloane]

Hey everyone,

I have some questions about a possible male dwarf tiger retic from Vital Exotics. This animal was bred from a 75% dwarf female to a 100% dwarf male. Vital Exotics says that their line of dwarfs, when over 50% dwarf, generally stay in the 6-9 foot range for males, and 8-12 for females. Does this seem realistic? I have had burms and large boas before, so definitely can handle a large animal. I just wanted to make sure I was getting a realistic assessment of an adult size for this purchase.

thanks!

[Gio]

I met Kris at a show in Minneapolis and he seemed like a knowledgable straight up guy.

Cody (Reptile Experts) will probably have more info as he is well versed in the genetics and size potential. I like the snake you are looking at and would consider one myself if the 6-9 FT range holds true.

Good luck with the purchase, it looks really nice.

[reptileexperts]

Kris is an EXCELLENT guy to work with, and an outstanding member in the retic community. He keeps detailed traces of his SD / D lines which help future keepers and breeders trace the amount of bloods in their own outcrosses later. Kris will answer your questions quick, and work with you whenever he can.

I responded to this question in PM - I'll post it here so others can see

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, I've housed a 10' male comfortably in a 4x2x2 without any issues. The larger space males have, the more aggressive they seem to become during the breeding season (territory related). The problem with Dwarf retics, is the locales which are most commonly used (Jampea) still may and can reach max lengths around 16' for females, and 12-14' for males (records). On average, the female pures get 12' and the males around 8-9'. Having said that . . . My Goldenchild male is about to turn 2 years old. Was fed very appropriately and large items. He is housed in a Vision 400 with plenty of room, and is around 8' ready to breed. He is only 50% Jampea. In theory, the more blood you get, the smaller they can become.

So while 6-9' is definitely not inconceivable, there is still a chance that the snake could get above 10' even at that dwarf level since the pures can max out much larger and you're simply adding in mainland blood during the crosses.

Feed heavy (every 4-7 days) for the first 6 months in my opinion, then back off to every 7-10 days, then back off to every 10-14 days an appropriate sized item when it starts adding to girth and not length (usually around 18 months). Where they are at this point, should stable out, and add no more than a foot in their lifetime, pending that you maintain this schedule.

Any more questions, just ask.

[JoshSloane]

Thanks for the responses. I have messaged with Kris on text and he responds amazingly fast! Seems like a good guy and I do trust what he says, glad to hear that he has a nice reputation.

[Mike41793]

I bought my retic from Kris. He was great to work with. Cannot recommend him enough!

[Gio]

I just e-mailed Kris today and had a response within 10 minutes. Spot on answers and very pleasant attitude.

No offense to royal python owners, but I'm thinking about placing my son's royal in favor of a dwarf male or SD female.

I'm not really a morph guy, but the tiger morph in the retic species is maybe my favorite of all patterns.

[Gemmy]

Wow. I was glad to find this post since I was getting ready to post something very similar. I'm also looking into a dwarf tiger from Kris. I've spoke to him before and he is a very nice guy and if he is producing some this year, I may finally go ahead and get one. I'm still a little worried on their size though, not so much length but thickness.

That's the main reason I refuse to get a mainland retic. I'm wondering since Kris has high percentage dwarves, do they still get as thick?

[reptileexperts]

Females will. Retics are slim by design compared to things like burmese. But dwarf retics can still pack some girth

[JoshSloane]

Update! Put a deposit on a 2015 dwarf tiger retic from Kris. Vital Exotics is extremely communicative and legit. Cant wait to get the baby in.

[reptileexperts]

Sweet deal! Get all your ducks in a row before it arrives