Jampeas - how big do they really get and what are they like?

[Auriga]

I've seen people claim that they're the largest of the 'dwarf' species, as they can reach lengths of up to 15ft. But I've also seen pictures of much smaller specimenes, and comments from other people swearing that such a size is exaggerated, and that a male won't get more than 7 or 8ft. So, which is true? And furthermore, what are they like? I'd love a male, but not if it'll get 13ft and be flighty or defensive.

I apologise for posting this question, when I know full well that it (and similar versions) have been posted before, but I've read so much conflicting information and would really appreciate hearing for myself what experienced people - who know what they're talking about - have to say about them.

[cchardwick]

I have a 50% Jampea 50% mainland, it will be interesting to see how big she gets. She is already getting big, over five pounds now, still about a year old. I'm guessing she will get 12-14 feet and probably at least 70 pounds. She is very sweet, never was defensive at all, but almost got me from a wild feeding response when I opened up her tub one time! I feed her well now, she never really flies out like she used to when she was younger. I'm attached to this snake more than all my others.

[reptileexperts]

Jampea is the largest and is under a grey area as to whether or not it is a dwarf. Some stay small some grow large. They are strictly dependent on food intake amount IMO. I have talked about it a lot in previous threads a lot and it's worth mentioning again. On the island on Jampea it is a bird breeding colony. This is their food for the year and is only in abundance for a few months out of the year. They are adapted to handle less food intake than other retics. When people slam them with food at a young age they get big. They are essentially mainland. But they don't grow as hefty. So still a dwarf in a way.

I have a 2 almost 3 year old 75% Jampea Tiger het anery poss het snow female that has been fed slowly and I mean slowly. Never to the point she was thin. But to the point she was never sitting on heat for days trying to digest. She's only 6-7 ft right now. My 50% f2 Jampea purple albino who I fed to raise as a breeder who turns 5 in march, she's every bit of 14' and 75-100lb.

My male golden child 50% Jampea from a 14' mom pure Jampea, only reached 10' and about as thick as 4" across. The perfect size snake IMO.

The key take home is. With Jampea. There are no guarantees.


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[Gio]

Jampea is the largest and is under a grey area as to whether or not it is a dwarf. Some stay small some grow large. They are strictly dependent on food intake amount IMO. I have talked about it a lot in previous threads a lot and it's worth mentioning again. On the island on Jampea it is a bird breeding colony. This is their food for the year and is only in abundance for a few months out of the year. They are adapted to handle less food intake than other retics. When people slam them with food at a young age they get big. They are essentially mainland. But they don't grow as hefty. So still a dwarf in a way.

I have a 2 almost 3 year old 75% Jampea Tiger het anery poss het snow female that has been fed slowly and I mean slowly. Never to the point she was thin. But to the point she was never sitting on heat for days trying to digest. She's only 6-7 ft right now. My 50% f2 Jampea purple albino who I fed to raise as a breeder who turns 5 in march, she's every bit of 14' and 75-100lb.

My male golden child 50% Jampea from a 14' mom pure Jampea, only reached 10' and about as thick as 4" across. The perfect size snake IMO.

The key take home is. With Jampea. There are no guarantees.


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Excellent response Cody. Your biology background shows here.

I've mentioned seasonality when discussing the feeding of boa constrictors. Gus Rentfro and Vincent Russo have always stated boas were not designed to eat year round as they follow a seasonal pattern, often of feast and famine. Your point about migration in this thread echoes the same. While it is true retics are very large or can be, they don't have to be total monsters all of the time. There are obvious variables involved but your advice here is perfect IMO.

Every one of your retics, even your big ones are beautifully lean and healthy looking.

Captivity and human feeding schedules play a big role in total size of these animals.

I'd like to see some video updates when you have time.

[reptileexperts]

Excellent response Cody. Your biology background shows here.

I've mentioned seasonality when discussing the feeding of boa constrictors. Gus Rentfro and Vincent Russo have always stated boas were not designed to eat year round as they follow a seasonal pattern, often of feast and famine. Your point about migration in this thread echoes the same. While it is true retics are very large or can be, they don't have to be total monsters all of the time. There are obvious variables involved but your advice here is perfect IMO.

Every one of your retics, even your big ones are beautifully lean and healthy looking.

Captivity and human feeding schedules play a big role in total size of these animals.

I'd like to see some video updates when you have time.

time is against me as of late. Lots of home projects. The married life has done many good things, but making videos has been put to the back burner. Now that the new reptile room is nearing completion, it may be easier to pull the retics out and get some updates.

Keep in mind - mainland retics do NOT do good on a maintenance food style schedule. Their body is evolved to metabolize faster and as a result, youll starve your animal. I have seen folks talk about keeping mainland retics small by doing this, and its just not the case. Genetics in dwarf populations were selected due to their ability to survive long periods of famine. The only selection you'll do in captivity with a mainland is the end result of death. Survival of only the fittest.

[Gio]

time is against me as of late. Lots of home projects. The married life has done many good things, but making videos has been put to the back burner. Now that the new reptile room is nearing completion, it may be easier to pull the retics out and get some updates.

Keep in mind - mainland retics do NOT do good on a maintenance food style schedule. Their body is evolved to metabolize faster and as a result, youll starve your animal. I have seen folks talk about keeping mainland retics small by doing this, and its just not the case. Genetics in dwarf populations were selected due to their ability to survive long periods of famine. The only selection you'll do in captivity with a mainland is the end result of death. Survival of only the fittest.

Good note, I would assume that.

I was more or less stating a great many snakes, including mainland retics are often over fed. Some are clearly too fat and "pushed".

My fella has Dwarf and SD percentages that seem to go along with your male, maintenance schedule for food. I have not seen any signs of hunger between feedings.

I've seen some very attractive, lean and healthy mainlands. I've also seen some grossly over fed animals.

I'll keep an eye out for the videos down the road. From what I understand they are a lot of work to upload. Even still, I feel your 3 on the retic dwarfs probably had more influence on people coming to the species than you get credit for.

[Auriga]

Thanks everyone, those are some great answers. Was humouring the idea of a Jampea but now that I know their growth is can go one way or the other, I'm slightly less keen. Still, I'd be interested in keeping one some time in the future, perhaps when I'm more experienced.

[Sauzo]

Can you actually overfeed a mainland lol? I know my SD boy is a pig. Last night was the 4th day for him and he was out and pacing the front of the cage and staring at me lol. he spent all night out windshield wiping the glass and sitting on the rim of the AP cage looking out lol. I'm really not sure he can go 7 days without food.

Question for Cody here, think I should feed my SD/D male every 4-5 days until he is 1 year old. Then drop him down to once a week? He's just over 6 months old right now.

This is a the boy I got from Kris at Vital Exotics. He's 37.5% SD 31.5% dwarf and the rest being mainland if that matters.

[bcr229]

Can you actually overfeed a mainland lol? I know my SD boy is a pig. Last night was the 4th day for him and he was out and pacing the front of the cage and staring at me lol. he spent all night out windshield wiping the glass and sitting on the rim of the AP cage looking out lol. I'm really not sure he can go 7 days without food.

Question for Cody here, think I should feed my SD/D male every 4-5 days until he is 1 year old. Then drop him down to once a week? He's just over 6 months old right now.

This is a the boy I got from Kris at Vital Exotics. He's 37.5% SD 31.5% dwarf and the rest being mainland if that matters.

Yes, it's possible to have a fat retic, even a mainland. Up to a year old I feed weekly, after that every 10-14 days.

[Gio]

Can you actually overfeed a mainland lol? I know my SD boy is a pig. Last night was the 4th day for him and he was out and pacing the front of the cage and staring at me lol. he spent all night out windshield wiping the glass and sitting on the rim of the AP cage looking out lol. I'm really not sure he can go 7 days without food.

Question for Cody here, think I should feed my SD/D male every 4-5 days until he is 1 year old. Then drop him down to once a week? He's just over 6 months old right now.

This is a the boy I got from Kris at Vital Exotics. He's 37.5% SD 31.5% dwarf and the rest being mainland if that matters.

You certainly can overfeed a mainland.

You can overfeed any snake. Even the mainland species with their fast metabolism is a reptile that was designed by nature to survive long periods without food if needed. Captivity VS. nature and evolution effect the animal much differently. Each has pluses and minuses.

Take into account girth as well as length here also.

I won't name names, but there are plenty of FAT, PIG retics for viewing on YouTube and in web pictures that have been done a disservice by their keepers because they are being or have been slammed with food. Some of them are already dead.

Sauzo, I think Kris has a fantastic care sheet on his website. He goes with 4-6 days for hatchlings.

Cody also has some great info in his videos to look at.

Personally, knowing the background of your animal, I would not get overly excited to feed too much unless you want something rather large.

My guy has the same SD percentage as your's, but larger dwarf percentage by 16% or so which isn't a lot.

I'm doing fine with 1 small rat per week.

Of course higher temps will speed things up, mine are not cold by any means but they are toward the lower end of the acceptable spectrum.

Just plan on something larger if you are set on 4 day intervals. I would think at the 6 month mark you could use the longer of the intervals but again, that's up to you.

Maybe your guy will hit a spurt and then slow, who knows. I am taking the advice I was given by Cody and Kris and things seem to be going well.

10' is what I'm expecting on the large side of things.

I saw the most beautiful, adult, mainland, female retic on youtube the other day. Yes, she was big as far as length, but she was so lean and muscular she looked like spring, steel.

I don't like slugs. I like my snakes to look like athletes and since they are not working hard like they would in the wild, I tend to feed them a tad more conservatively, but certainly they are fed.


Bcr229 has my vote here. I like that schedule as well.