Haven't named him yet. I've been working on the name though. I have him, my kingsnake, and a planted fish tank in my office where I work. My personal office space at work is 8ft by 13ft so when he gets bigger I'll put him in a 6'x3' cage on one of the 8' walls. I have other guys here that could help me if I got in a bind. They're all terrified of snakes though, not sure how much help they would be but if it was an emergency they'd help me.
There's quite a few people in the US with "dwarf" morphs now, though it's mostly ~50% so they're still getting a decent size. Although even pure dwarf localities reach a decent size when fed the way they are in captivity.
Good idea with the feeding... Most of the retics are way over fed anyways.
Hehehe "last snake". Last time I was said that was 10 snakes ago
He is still going to strike (it IS a retic after all
). Feeding in another bin is an unneeded stressor and really doesn't prevent anything. It also becomes a safety hazard when it gets a decent size. Don't move him unless you absolutely have to.What do you consider underfeeding? These snakes may only eat a couple times a year in the wild. The problem is not underfeeding, as they will act hungry hours after a large meal. The main problem is allowing them to only associate you with food and nothing else.
Speaking from personal experience (so take the anecdote as you want), the paper towel roll approach can get dangerous fairly quickly. Their strike range is easily longer than the paper roll, and their reaction time is faster than you are. It works fairly well with burms as they are a bit more sedentary than retics, but still not overly safe.
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Thanks! Goldenchild morphs are my all time favorite. I got him from Prehistoric Pets. Check them out on Youtube! Yes, "last snake" won't last too long lol but it will be quite a while until I get another. The snake I have to have one day is a cow retic. I want to buy it from Kevin McCurley at NERD. Thank you for all of the helpful information. Can I just buy the big hook now. I've been looking at them lately. I've read a little about the alcohol thing but can you explain what you mean exactly?Beautiful snake! I've always been a fan of goldenchilds.
There's quite a few people in the US with "dwarf" morphs now, though it's mostly ~50% so they're still getting a decent size. Although even pure dwarf localities reach a decent size when fed the way they are in captivity.
Good idea with the feeding... Most of the retics are way over fed anyways.
Hehehe "last snake". Last time I was said that was 10 snakes ago
He is still going to strike (it IS a retic after all
What do you consider underfeeding? These snakes may only eat a couple times a year in the wild. The problem is not underfeeding, as they will act hungry hours after a large meal. The main problem is allowing them to only associate you with food and nothing else.
Speaking from personal experience (so take the anecdote as you want), the paper towel roll approach can get dangerous fairly quickly. Their strike range is easily longer than the paper roll, and their reaction time is faster than you are. It works fairly well with burms as they are a bit more sedentary than retics, but still not overly safe.
Instead, use the hook. Before touching him, tap/rub him on the head with the hook (get one with a decent length), then reach in and pick him up. This will teach him to associate the hook with handling, and not food. When feeding, don't use the hook, and just feed with tongs (an absolute necessity with the bigger retics).
As you've mentioned, retics have an insane feeding response, and it's this mixed with a complacent keeper that results in problems. I've had them miss their prey, grab me, and completely wrap my torso; arms and all. It was a nice hug, but not fun when co-workers are at the other side of the facility. Practice with the hook as much as you can, even with the kingsnake; it's going to be your new best friend by the time the retic gets bigger. You'll also need a bigger/stronger hook when it gets bigger. I've seen them snap the standard hooks like a twig.
Handling a 13ft snake isn't too bad once you get used to it (just need to watch where the head is!), but as others have mentioned, it's significantly safer with 2 people provided the other person is capable of handling it. When they reach closer to 20', it gets a bit more dodgy.
Oh, and keep a little alcohol nearby incase it latches on. They hate the smell/taste. You'll also need some after
Wow some really bad info on here: feed adults every week or two, this is actually more akin to actual wild food frequency.
Bad info? I think there was a misunderstanding.
It is an unneeded safety hazard with larger snakes and completely unnecessary. This may teach it that when you take it out, it's going to get fed. If you don't plan on feeding it everytime you take it out, this might lead to an unwanted bite. I've seen way too many bin-fed snakes bite people because of this.
I usually use it in a spray bottle; it doesn't take much for them to let go, especially if it's a particularly strong alcohol.
Like... a hook?
Never suggested this.
GC are definitely up there for me aswell. I also really like the white phase albino. I'm not a big morph guy, but a clean white phase albino at 15' is just amazing.
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Sorry I didn't mean that as an attack on you, just clearing up the water.Bad info? I think there was a misunderstanding.
1. I never said to only feed them a couple times a year in captivity, I used an extreme case, and asked you what you considered underfeeding. Obviously they (and especially neonates) usually eat more often, and should be fed far more often than that in captivity.
2. I never said to hold an adult retic with a hook. However, a hook can be incredibly valuable to help guide the snake. It's not like people would be able to hold a hook up with an adult retic on it anyways.
It is an unneeded safety hazard with larger snakes and completely unnecessary. This may teach it that when you take it out, it's going to get fed. If you don't plan on feeding it everytime you take it out, this might lead to an unwanted bite. I've seen way too many bin-fed snakes bite people because of this.
I usually use it in a spray bottle; it doesn't take much for them to let go, especially if it's a particularly strong alcohol.
Like... a hook?
Never suggested this.
GC are definitely up there for me aswell. I also really like the white phase albino. I'm not a big morph guy, but a clean white phase albino at 15' is just amazing.
You can buy the big hook now, but I'd still get the smaller one (like the standard sized hooks). While it will not be useful for the retic once it gets bigger, it'll help you get used to it while it's smaller. Then it'll make a good field herping hook
Name him Fluffy. Imagine if a friend comes over. You're like "Hey you wanna see Fluffy?" and he gets super excited but then you start leading him into the snake room and he gets all confused until you show him that "Fluffy" is a 20 foot long reticulated python.
Other funny names:
