Experienced reticulated python owners ONLY

[jclaiborne]

Didn't you post about a green anaconda a little while back too? Same question I posted on that thread... At 16 years old are you able to financially provide for this animal. Not trying to be a jerk, but it is a legitimate question especially if you have any plans for college, etc. Trying to offload a large animal is no easy task.

[frostysBP]

Sorry to tell you but you still believe that your snakes loved to be together and then the breed to young and you still believe that they liked to be together....a retic at 16 is a bad idea...do you plan to go to college...your not going to be able to have any snake much less a retic...can you afford 10$-20 $ for rabbits to feed afford a cage thats 8foot. Not to mention vet care lots of substrate because a rabbit is not pretty coming out and they piss by the gallon. Do you have someone who is going to be available everyday if need to assist with cages cleanings or if you want to take them out...even with the tamest tic you should have some there.... I dont pull out my big snakes unless someone is around and there only 9ish foot right now..these are not snakes to toy with they can put a hurting on you quick.I would wait until you can easily support yourself by yourself when you figure out what you are doing in life....not omg I want a retic look how cool they are then in two years when you decide you want to move to another state or something for school or whatever now your re-homeing a 12 foot retic because you cant take it with you...

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[tbowman]

Despite not being a keeper of retics but as somebody who got their first large constrictor when they were 14 years old, and still has that snake 9 years later, I'll throw in my two cents.



A lot of people are very adamant when they say that getting into the bigger snakes at that age is a bad idea, but a good number of experienced keepers did exactly that.

Truth is, people are going to try to scare you away from the big snakes, mostly because nobody wants to see another news headline that may potentially damage the reptile hobby. But nobody can truly tell you whether or not you are ready. Only you will know.

The idea that you are going to need an 8 foot cage is a little bit funny. I think (not sure) that just about any male retic will thrive in a vision 632. Still not a cheap cage.

Also amusing is the assumption that you won't be able to attend college if you own a large constrictor at a young age.





Things that I would recommend before purchasing a large constrictor:


Experience with keeping other large constrictors is great, but it is not 100% required. If you love retics, you don't have to spend time and money to raise another species when it's not what you truly want to work with.

Handle a large snake. If you can, make friends with an experienced keeper, help them clean cages sometime. That alone may make you rethink whether or not you want to get into them.

If you decide you want to get into it. Make sure your parents are fully aware of their potential size and their strength.

You don't necessarily need someone in the same room with you every time you are working with your big snakes, but you should make sure there is at least somebody in earshot.

If things go south, a bottle of listerine to pour into the snakes mouth should be available at all times. I've never had to do this, but nearly everybody agrees that that is the trick.

A snake hook is a must.

100% agree that starting out with a hatchling is the best practice.

Understand that any animal like this that can live in excess of 30 years, even BPs, are effectively a life long commitment. And there are certain freedoms that you will have to give up should you decide that you want to keep animals, same as you would with a child.

Bottom line is we have a very temporary existence on this earth, and nobody on the internet has the right dictate what age is and isn't okay for someone to become involved in something that they love.

[DVirginiana]

The fact is that having a 16 ft. constrictor that may or may not be chill and easy to work with WILL put constraints on college plans. You can't keep one in a dorm, so you either have to live where you are and go to a local college, have someone at home you know will care for it until you're out of college, or plan on going to college in state and paying for off-campus housing that will allow a giant constrictor-- and that's not something a lot of teenagers starting college can afford (or convince their parents to afford).

Besides, after reading this person's past posts, they're barely able to keep BPs and seem to have no understanding of snake behavior. They recently had an accidental breeding that came from housing snakes they couldn't or didn't bother to sex properly together because they thought the snakes liked companionship and that cohabitation was perfectly fine. They also said they think handling is necessary to keep snakes "happy".
Not trying to bash someone for what's already been done, but those things indicate this person is nowhere NEAR being able to handle a giant constrictor. Mistaking signs of stress and thinking your BPs want to cuddle and go for walks in the park is just stressful for the snakes, but mistaking signs of stress and thinking a retic has an emotional attachment to you can land you in the hospital.

If Bindi Irwin came on here to talk about giant snakes, I wouldn't say 'no kid that age can handle big constrictors', but when someone who clearly isn't ready asks about it, yeah, people are going to try and scare them away from it for their own good and for the snake's too.

EDIT: I don't personally keep giants. I've been keeping snakes for over 15 years now and I'm not ready, and don't have the means to afford one right now. My next step is going to be one of the constrictors in the 7-10 ft. range. Keeping snakes isn't a race; you don't have to keep the biggest-baddest animal on the market to be good at snake-keeping and respected within the community.

[tbowman]

The fact is that having a 16 ft. constrictor that may or may not be chill and easy to work with WILL put constraints on college plans.

I live in a College town where there are 3 or 4 colleges within a 20 minute drive from my house, so I don't typically associate going to college with living in a dorm.

The fact is that having a baby also will put constraints on college plans. I never once said that owning large constrictors wouldn't put constraints on college plans. And the post above mine seemed to imply that it would be impossible to go to college if you owned a large constrictor. I understand that is because the person did not clearly explain himself but I'm just making a point.

Besides, after reading this person's past posts, they're barely able to keep BPs and seem to have no understanding of snake behavior. They recently had an accidental breeding that came from housing snakes they couldn't or didn't bother to sex properly together because they thought the snakes liked companionship and that cohabitation was perfectly fine. They also said they think handling is necessary to keep snakes "happy".
Not trying to bash someone for what's already been done, but those things indicate this person is nowhere NEAR being able to handle a giant constrictor. Mistaking signs of stress and thinking your BPs want to cuddle and go for walks in the park is just stressful for the snakes, but mistaking signs of stress and thinking a retic has an emotional attachment to you can land you in the hospital.

Cohabitation is completely acceptable with an experienced keeper. I posted what I think are some important points for a young person looking to get into large snakes to think about before jumping into it. I have no former knowledge of this person's prior experience and I am not trying to sway them in one way or the other.

Keeping snakes isn't a race; you don't have to keep the biggest-baddest animal on the market to be good at snake-keeping and respected within the community.

You're 100% right. But for some people, the big snakes are the only ones that they're passionate about and that's what really sparks their interest in proper animal care and husbandry.

Someone can own other species for 20 years, but if they ignore sound advice consistently, and keep their animals in less than stellar conditions, then they are no more qualified than a 16 year old who understands how big of a commitment this is and has a willingness to take good advice and put it to good use.

[Lady mkrj58]

If this we're me I would tell myself no not at this time if it's your Dream Snake What's a few years to prepare for everthing including your career get well established first everything cost money alot of money. I hope that someday your Dream will come true ..

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[tbowman]

Cohabitation is completely acceptable with an experienced keeper.

I feel I should clarify what I mean here before someone jumps on it.

***Cohabitation of certain species is completely acceptable with an experienced keeper. I'm not saying that Ball Pythons are or are not one of those species. Some people just make the blanket statement that keeping any two snakes in the same enclosure is automatically a bad thing. And if they ever went to a zoo they'd clearly see that it isn't the death sentence they make it out to be.

[Lady mkrj58]

I remember college and the last thing I needed at that time in my life was pets lol

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[frostysBP]

Yes my statement is very blunt tbowman...but if you read this kids other post you would know why...I know that 90% of 16 years dont truly know what they want outa life and a retic is a huge commitment...going to college isnt impossible but look how many snakes are getting rehomed every day because of this situation. When I was 16 I wanted a tic to...but I also wanted Lot of other things...went to college right after highschool and am paying thousands of dollars in school loans and I dont want anything to do whit what I went to school for. Finding a place to rent at a young age is hard enough much less one that will let you have 15+ foot snakes or snakes in general....there is alot more to think about than just the care of the animal. DVirginiana hit the nail on the head with your statement.

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[tbowman]

Like I said, my post was not directed at the OPs specific situation. In no way did I downplay what a serious commitment it is when you decide to get involved with large constrictors.

Some of these posts are predicated on the assumption that if you buy a retic it is going to be a gigantic animal. Maybe reptile experts can elaborate on this but aren't there some SDs that can be kept in cb70s or maybe the ve 175? I may be wrong there.