Advanced species.

[NewmanLovesSnakes]

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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[Gio]

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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Hi there,

I just want to let you know that a 6 foot boa constrictor or carpet python are not very difficult to handle.

There are very few snakes, even at 8 to 10 feet that present the issues a reticulated python can give you.

A 7 foot retic VS a 9 foot boa is a mismatch for the keeper in most cases. The longer boa wins out in the ease of care department. That's why I titled this thread "Advanced Species".

It isn't so much the size, but rather the instincts and natural behaviors of the species.


Retics, maybe Olives, Papuans and Scrubs are on another level. In cases where they are beyond 10 feet, they can be as dangerous as some of the venomous animals.

I didn't want to ruffle too many feathers with this post.

Any snake can be an excellent pet.

All of this is a learning experience. Snakes are primitive and not overly intelligent when compared to some other animals, yet they still keep us guessing.

With the right snake and species 6-7 feet is a breeze.

[Bogertophis]

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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You're just getting started, & you're wise to start small, with a snake you feel comfortable with. But I'm willing to bet that as you really get to KNOW more snakes
you'll see that arbitrary limits for the length of pet you're comfortable with are not needed. It really depends on species, as Gio explained, & many snakes that top
out around 5-7' make great pets for most of us. Typically bull/pine/gopher snakes and many rat snakes fall into that range, & they're fantastic pets; on the other
hand, when our fellow members in good standing tell you that something is an advanced species, believe them! It comes down to doing your homework for what-
ever you take on, & being realistic about your own abilities, motives & goals...we're all different. That goes for "hots" & other herps too, not just large snakes. In
5 years from now you may have a somewhat different answer.

[NewmanLovesSnakes]

I still would love a fully grown ball python my wife not so much.


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[Reinz]

Great thread. Glad you and your snakes are ok Gio.

Gotta agree with the whole weather angle since fall/winter have effects feeding as well. Besides breeding desire/season, I believe the weather pressure systems trigger fasting and finicky eating even though our snakes are in a climate controlled environment. Now I know Gio and some other do seasonal temperature adjustments, so that may be different.

These last 9 months have given rise to some firsts for my animals. This winter was the first time 4 of my Carpets and one Boa became finicky about eating. Maybe being fully mature and all males/females kept in the same room and some just being one cage away from the opposite sex had something to do with it, I don’t know.

Now it this is the first summer that every single snake is staying in a state of constant food mode. Even after eating a large meal; it doesn’t matter, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, they want to eat again. I even caved on a few and Fed again. It didn’t matter, they wanted more the next day and days after.



This is making cage maintenance difficult. When I try to tap them with a hook they fly out of the cage as soon as the door opens. Or, as soon as I approach the doors they slam into the door. So let’s suffice to say that the cages are not as clean as they usually are.



Again, maybe because all but the Olive are fully mature. But the Olive has always been extremely cage aggressive, so I have the same issues with her.



These pics were taken within a day or three after feeding. And if I took pics of the others, they would look the same.


One crazy year for sure.

[Skyrivers]

Happy no one was hurt Gio. All my snakes are super hungry this time of year. My king snake seams to always be looking for food. Max my redtail boa often will strike at anything that walks by when it smells rats in the room. Even my ball pythons are super hungry and hunting. Everyone is also having a growth spurt as well.

Retics hold a special place in my heart but they are powerful creatures that deserve respect and a healthy dose of fear when caring for them. They hit hard, are difficult to discourage, intelligent, and bold creatures. With that being said, they are also majestic, beautiful, and amazing species to work with. You cant always count on avoiding a bite or getting one to release unless they want to once they bite you. I am happy I have not received a bite from Rainbow or Aurora. Having help on feeding and cleaning days is a must. You have to keep in mind that retics think with their stomach first and their head second. When food is involved, these guys are no joke.

I handle my retics often and always respect them if they want to be left alone. If I notice they are hungry, I will delay a cleaning for 24 hours and feed them.

The caging requirement are expensive and take up a lot of room if you want to provide them room to move around some and I feel is healthy for them to do so. They are active animals and should have a large swimming area.

I love retics and enjoy working with them. Not for everyone.

[Craiga 01453]

Juice (Borneo STP) continues to be a maniac...

The other day while doing enclosure checks I lifted his hide just a little to take a peek and he LAUNCHED himself at me. I thought sure I was getting tagged. He shot himself straight out of the enclosure! I thought he was gonna hit the ground. Luckily he caught the litter dam with his tail and held himself up, about 2/3 of his body hanging out of his enclosure all fired up. (I didn't even think his tail was capable of holding that much of his body weight).

If I go into the snake room and he's poking out of a hide he'll thrash himself like crazy back into his hide, shooting his hide up in the air in the meantime. Typically, he'll just slowly retreat.
If he's in his hide but "peeking" outward he'll thrash himself into a different position, his hide being tossed around on top of him. Usually in this case he'll poke his face out a bit more and curiously look around.

He's still my only snake that I've observed any behavioral change in, but man is it a drastic change!!!
He's usually pretty chill, just sometimes a little hissy when I lift his hide. But I've never seen any behavior like this before out of him.

If somebody was on the fence about snakes or not too sure about them, seeing Juice behave this way would probably scare them straight into a hatred for snakes. Good thing I love the crazy little jerk, hahahhahaha!!

[Reinz]

Juice (Borneo STP) continues to be a maniac...

The other day while doing enclosure checks I lifted his hide just a little to take a peek and he LAUNCHED himself at me. I thought sure I was getting tagged. He shot himself straight out of the enclosure! I thought he was gonna hit the ground. Luckily he caught the litter dam with his tail and held himself up, about 2/3 of his body hanging out of his enclosure all fired up. (I didn't even think his tail was capable of holding that much of his body weight).

If I go into the snake room and he's poking out of a hide he'll thrash himself like crazy back into his hide, shooting his hide up in the air in the meantime. Typically, he'll just slowly retreat.
If he's in his hide but "peeking" outward he'll thrash himself into a different position, his hide being tossed around on top of him. Usually in this case he'll poke his face out a bit more and curiously look around.

He's still my only snake that I've observed any behavioral change in, but man is it a drastic change!!!
He's usually pretty chill, just sometimes a little hissy when I lift his hide. But I've never seen any behavior like this before out of him.

If somebody was on the fence about snakes or not too sure about them, seeing Juice behave this way would probably scare them straight into a hatred for snakes. Good thing I love the crazy little jerk, hahahhahaha!!

Sounds like you spelled his name wrong. You need to add the letter d. Juiced

[Craiga 01453]

Sounds like you spelled his name wrong. You need to add the letter d. Juiced

Hahhahaha.... I've been calling home Juice-ifer. His new alter-ego is evil!!!! Haahahahaa

[Reinz]

Hahhahaha.... I've been calling home Juice-ifer. His new alter-ego is evil!!!! Haahahahaa

ooh, I like that much better!