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
). 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.
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
.