Gerald Super Dwarf Ultra Ivory Retic Progression

[Gio]

I agree Gio but your retic also doesn't push or turn into a terror when hungry. As I stated, every animal is going to be different. Also the statement of feeding should mimic nature is correct but that would only apply to a pure SD. Mainlands do eat more than a SD by nature to an extent. I mean there will be lean times and there will be plentiful times. There is no hard and fast etched in stone rule for feeding any animal. Every animal carries its weight different and has different needs.

Our retics are not pure SD so the you need to take that into acct. I mean Caesar is more mainland than yours which might affect his feeding wants and also how Caesar is much more laid back than Wallace. I mean if I went by the natural feeding schedule for a SD in nature, I would be taking Caesar to the vet every few weeks because his face would probably be hamburger from pushing and destroying when hungry. He already got those 2 little nicks I posted from when he was feed medium rats every 7-10 days. Heck he was hungry enough to strike at my shadow in his cage and struck the door once.

I was told by a few mainland guys that retics will and need to eat. They aren't a boa that goes a month or two between feedings or ball pythons who go months. They are retics who are more active and require more food. I take in their knowledge as well as those with SD knowledge as Caesar is a cross so what applies to a mainland wont apply to him 100% and what applies to a SD wont apply to him 100%. I try and find the happy median.

And yes, find what your individual snake needs and go with that. Take the rest of what is said by everyone as a grain of salt as the animal is in your care and you are really the only one who is reading it and knows what it needs. What I said at the first post about underfeeding and buying a male hognose if you want small etc was meant more as a joke but it seems it was taken serious lol.

Your original post was taken as a "come on guys, you're starving your snakes feed them" comment. I guess I thought you were being serious when you made that comment. Typical of internet posting and misunderstanding. I should have known that as we discussed this before.

When there is mainland blood in them, it can be nullified a great deal due to the amount of SD and Dwarf especially in JM's case. However pushing the food may or may not turn it the other way and then you ruined the purpose of the SD or dwarf.

If feeding Caesar solves your pushing problems, by all means feed him, but there are MANY reasons snakes will push. My carpet does it often and it has zero relation to food. I too mentioned "individualism" as every snake will be different so we obviously agree on that.

I have a good friend that has kept loads of retics, mostly high end, mainland species and he has had most of his males stay in the 12'-14' and lean because of his feeding.

Just like with boas and other snakes, YouTube shows a ton of out of shape, fat retics that should have beed fed less over the years.

Caesar may grow fast initially and slow down a lot after two years. It is fairly common so you may end up leveling him out and large rats maybe his final weekly sized meal. Or you may have the snake that takes on full mainland attributes and you wind up with a giant. Hopefully not.

For people maybe looking to get into retics, especially the SDs or SD x dwarf combos, they should understand its not all about food. Just because they will eat, doesn't mean they need to eat. For folks looking at owning a smaller sized retic, a good, healthy approach to the diet is part of it. If you push it, the end result may not be what they want.

There are many factors, and I don't have all the answers or the experience to claim expert status. I'd venture there are few true experts.

I misunderstood your post and thought you were inferring I was underfeeding which isn't the case.

Its all good.