Reticulated Python Question

[artgecko]

I had the four different snakes picked out and I asked a few friends what they thought and most were saying "The retic looks awesome!" So I figured I'd see what it was like and ask some people with more experience. I was already leaning toward a red tail boa since they are beautiful but I do know someone who has 3 retics and I love how active they can be so I figured I'd give it a chance. Probably definitely going for some sort of Boa now though. I'll work my way up to a retic when I get there


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Boas are a great choice..More active than BPs (and IMO, better to handle) but not hyper. If you want something that will be even more active, similar to a retic, you could look into carpet pythons. They are much more active when handled, climb and perch...Make good display snakes, but also leaner / thinner than boas. Some localities can get 7-9' most stay a little smaller. I have a jungle jag and he is a great snake too, but was a lot more defensive / nippy as a baby... Also, if interested in them, I'd avoid a jag, as they have neuro issues similar to spider BPs which can make handling more tricky (he is prone to falling). Jungles are smaller carpets, have great colors, and are very active. They are not heavier-bodied like a boa though, so if you want weight, a boa may be a better option. My male carpet is about the size of an adult corn snake in terms of width right now, but with about 6' of length.

If you want more info on boas, check out the websites of legacy reptiles (good for pics) and Cutting Edge Herp (good for pics and information on size, etc.). Vin Russo also wrote an excellent book, the complete boa constrictor, which I highly recommend.

[OneEyedFox]

Boas are a great choice..More active than BPs (and IMO, better to handle) but not hyper. If you want something that will be even more active, similar to a retic, you could look into carpet pythons. They are much more active when handled, climb and perch...Make good display snakes, but also leaner / thinner than boas. Some localities can get 7-9' most stay a little smaller. I have a jungle jag and he is a great snake too, but was a lot more defensive / nippy as a baby... Also, if interested in them, I'd avoid a jag, as they have neuro issues similar to spider BPs which can make handling more tricky (he is prone to falling). Jungles are smaller carpets, have great colors, and are very active. They are not heavier-bodied like a boa though, so if you want weight, a boa may be a better option. My male carpet is about the size of an adult corn snake in terms of width right now, but with about 6' of length.

If you want more info on boas, check out the websites of legacy reptiles (good for pics) and Cutting Edge Herp (good for pics and information on size, etc.). Vin Russo also wrote an excellent book, the complete boa constrictor, which I highly recommend.

Perfect! I think I might be dead set on a BCI at this point, but I will look at carpet pythons too and I'll check out the places you mentioned for info


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[Addiction]

Honestly, you could easily throw a Super Dwarf Retic in there as a good potential next animal as well. There are plenty of 50%+ SD crosses that have males staying at or below 8' long (with some pure SD males staying around 5', but admittedly more spastic in general when they are pure), and they grow much slower than a mainland (albeit still faster than a boa). Retics (including SD's) still, to me at least, have a personality and intelligence level that cannot be matched in the realm of non venomous snakes. Talk to Sauzo, Jmcrook, Gio or Stearns84 (or even myself) about SD's if you'd like. Between us, even though none of us are "experts", there is a wealth of first hand, real world knowledge of keeping SD's. They can be a great option in my opinion, even as a direct stepping stone from a Ball Python if you do your due diligence and research ahead of time.

[EL-Ziggy]

Coastal Carpets, Bredli, and Olive Pythons are other great large but not gigantic snakes. Olives are considered baby giants though averaging 10-12 ft. My Olive Python is quickly becoming one of my favorite snakes. They're active, beautiful display snakes, fun to handle, and they eat like there's no tomorrow. Just a thought.

[OneEyedFox]

Coastal Carpets, Bredli, and Olive Pythons are other great large but not gigantic snakes. Olives are considered baby giants though averaging 10-12 ft. My Olive Python is quickly becoming one of my favorite snakes. They're active, beautiful display snakes, fun to handle, and they eat like there's no tomorrow. Just a thought.

Oh jeez es, now I'm back to trying to decide between four different snakes again lol! I'll probably look up the husbandry and temperament for each and make a pros and cons list and I'll see what I decide. I have some time, so no rush but I'm excited


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[jmcrook]

Honestly, you could easily throw a Super Dwarf Retic in there as a good potential next animal as well. There are plenty of 50%+ SD crosses that have males staying at or below 8' long (with some pure SD males staying around 5', but admittedly more spastic in general when they are pure), and they grow much slower than a mainland (albeit still faster than a boa). Retics (including SD's) still, to me at least, have a personality and intelligence level that cannot be matched in the realm of non venomous snakes. Talk to Sauzo, Jmcrook, Gio or Stearns84 (or even myself) about SD's if you'd like. Between us, even though none of us are "experts", there is a wealth of first hand, real world knowledge of keeping SD's. They can be a great option in my opinion, even as a direct stepping stone from a Ball Python if you do your due diligence and research ahead of time.

I honestly went right to SD retics from ball pythons. Granted I researched and weighed my pros and cons and such for about two years before pulling the trigger. Don't know that I'd say they grow slower than mainlands though... Phyllis went from ~56grams and 20" to 8.5" and 10+ pounds in 20 months. She's an absolute beast of a super dwarf and she's 100% SD. She is super interactive, inquisitive, never misses a meal, and is an absolute joy to work with. I'd be happy to talk about my experience with her or Gerald, my 50% SD male Ultra Ivory if you're interested in knowing more. Both have their own progression threads on here. I've had Phyllis since she was three weeks old and Gerald was about a year old when I got him. They're significantly more work in maintenance and upkeep (read: daily piss cleanings) than a ball python but I love 'em and wouldn't trade them for anything.

[OneEyedFox]

I honestly went right to SD retics from ball pythons. Granted I researched and weighed my pros and cons and such for about two years before pulling the trigger. Don't know that I'd say they grow slower than mainlands though... Phyllis went from ~56grams and 20" to 8.5" and 10+ pounds in 20 months. She's an absolute beast of a super dwarf and she's 100% SD. She is super interactive, inquisitive, never misses a meal, and is an absolute joy to work with. I'd be happy to talk about my experience with her or Gerald, my 50% SD male Ultra Ivory if you're interested in knowing more. Both have their own progression threads on here. I've had Phyllis since she was three weeks old and Gerald was about a year old when I got him. They're significantly more work in maintenance and upkeep (read: daily piss cleanings) than a ball python but I love 'em and wouldn't trade them for anything.

Thank you so much, but I think I'm gonna go with a BCI, my next one after that will either be a carpet or an SD Retic though if not another BP cause I still wanna get a banana Pastel eventually. I have seen the mess involved with retics lol, so much crap!!!


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[bcr229]

There are certainly plenty of python and boa species that you could consider that are moderately-sized, including olive or Papuan pythons, white-lipped pythons, Dominican red mountain boas, Angolan pythons...

[OneEyedFox]

There are certainly plenty of python and boa species that you could consider that are moderately-sized, including olive or Papuan pythons, white-lipped pythons, Dominican red mountain boas, Angolan pythons...

That red mountain boa sure is beautiful. My favorite color is red.


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[artgecko]

Dumerillis boas are also an option... About the size of a BCI but more terrestrial with a different shape and pattern. There are just so many options out there that it can really be hard to choose. With common boas, take time to investigate all the morphs out there too... All the morphs have pretty much the same care as a "normal" and cost varies on morph. You will have the boa a long time, so might as well get one you like the looks of. Hypos, motleys, albinos, jungles, and pastels are all pretty common base morphs.