Ha,Originally Posted by bcr229
It goes to show these guys are different in many ways.
I hear a lot of folks say a Timor python is a lot like a colubrid as they musk frequently and can be very flighty. I see retics, scrubs, Savus, Timors and possibly Papuan olives as having some similar traits. They seem active and faster moving than other boas and pythons. They seem to be semi arboreal, highly agile and require some experience before getting into them.
I know that baby retics like my little fellow are quite nervous in the wild. Studies and good video footage show their early self protection methods.
They tend to climb high into the canopy and out on limbs over deeper water. When threatened they will drop out of the trees and into the water and swim away. When my little guy is perched I'm sure his instinct is to get away from me, at least when I reach in totally cold like last night. When he found he was not able to get away, he musked twice, and as a last resort bit me.
To be fair to him, I really should have used the hook before going in.
jmcrook,
I agree getting this out of the way early on is not a bad thing. I still have much to learn about the species and have realized Wallace is very much a baby at 6 months old. With that in mind I really think he is VERY well behaved. Once he becomes more mature, he won't perceive every little thing as a threat.
bcr229,
Are all of your retics mainland? I think the SD and Dwarf percentages in my guy make him a tad more nervous though I have nothing to compare him to.
Having said that he is Tiger and I've read on several occasions that the tiger gene mellows them.
I don't want to blow any of this out of proportion either as Wallace has only musked on two separate occasions and only bitten me once. He is only 1 or so weeks into his newer, larger cage as well so this behavior may relate to adjusting.
By no means is he unmanageable.
I don't mind taking a bite now and then. It is a good reminder to learn your animal's behavior, and read their signals.
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