New Little Retic Question

[Sauzo]

OP, I am just curious so please bear with me. If you want a docile snake, why did you buy a retic? I have heard of and seen relatively calm ones but in the same vein I have seen and heard of just as many nasty ones. While I can understand wanting an animal to be as manageable as possible and amusing myself by attempting to "tame" it, I would not in a million years ever trust a retic especially since a full grown one can do serious damage. I don't understand your expectations for the animal. I have no problem with people keeping them as long as they can manage them, but I would never have one if my expectation was that it would become mellow.

Well to play devil's advocate, most of those 'old' stories you heard about retics were wild caught ones which for obvious reasons didn't take to captivity well. Most of the retics you buy nowadays are a few generations into captivity and are much more used to people.

Also what some people might interpret as aggression are just a very food driven retic. Retics are not shy about food nor are they shy to show they like food. Caesar was VERY food driven as a baby and the minute you opened the cage, he was front and center ready to eat. Now that he is older, he still loves food but as long as he doesnt smell it, he is really laid back and most of the time during the day, he doesnt even poke his head out of his hide. I literally have to lift the hide off him and then if he doesnt want social time, he will just bury his head like a BP and ball up lol. Come evening though and he is ready for fun and will sit at the front of the cage pushing until a door is opened. Then he comes over to check me out and usually put his head on my arm. Then when he thinks I've let down my guard, he tries to slide down the cage stack and play on the floor haha.

Now i will say, there are some retics that are nasty. But they seem to have the most personality of any of my snakes although that also comes with the most activity of any of my snakes. He is a workout to take out of the cage and tote around. He also isnt that keen on being dragged around. He likes to say hi to me but doesnt like me picking him up that much and uses my whole body like a race track when i do pick him up haha.