Dwarf Retics

[Calihusker]

I'm planning on purchasing one. I've always loved Retics, they just seem to be a more curious and thoughtful snake. Plus, their eyes and pattern are breathtaking. There is, of course, the size factor in normal retics, in-which I cannot accommodate at the moment. So a male dwarf would work perfectly for my current situation. Does anybody have any recommended sites or breeders?

Thanks, Roman. :cool:

[nick654377]

vitalexotics.com. here is on here and on fb. awsome guy to talk to and produces outstanding retics from what i see in pictures. i would love to pick up one of his because that is what he focuses on is the dwarfs.

[iBaman]

vital exotics is good. I'll PM you a place where you can talk to all of the breeders and get all the info you'll ever need. Remember, dwarfs and super dwarfs don't always stay small. one of the guys has a 15ft super dwarf.....

[Hillsberry]

Please do watch that male reticulated pythons can becoming very nasty during breeding season. A lot of people will recommend females over males as pets. Best of luck with your search! Keep us updated on what you get! :)

[iBaman]

Please do watch that male reticulated pythons can becoming very nasty during breeding season. A lot of people will recommend females over males as pets. Best of luck with your search! Keep us updated on what you get! :)

amen to that. people would rather take a bite from a 10+ ft female over a 5ft male....angry little...uh...censoredness...

[Calihusker]

Ah I wasn't aware of an attitude difference in the sex. :p Thanks for the tip.

[Calihusker]

My collection so far is for the most part, boas. So I want to acquire a python for some diversity. But retics may still be a bit out of my league, and dwarfs are a bit hard to get your hands on at this moment I noticed. Maybe when I settle down in a couple years I'll purchase one. But for now I'm going to look into a Blood. Thanks for all the help though!

[iBaman]

bloods are pretty angry too. retics are easy, they just need to be respected. =]

[Calihusker]

Bloods aren't too commonly aggressive, you can find ones that are great to work with and have good attitudes. :p

[iBaman]

I'd still rather have a retic =] best snake there is, and there's no substitute =]

[Calihusker]

Too big for current conditions :[

[iBaman]

a 6 ft cage is big enough...some smaller males can do with a 4ft! =]

[Calihusker]

I'm guessing you're referring to normal retics and not dwarfs.

Yeah but having a snake that can reach sizes too big for one person to handle alone.. :hmm:

[iBaman]

dwarfs can be handled alone. =P

[Calihusker]

Yeah, but I can't seem to really find any normals anywhere. Mostly just insanely priced morphs.

[iBaman]

what's your price range? you can get a gorgeous platinum for 250...

[Calihusker]

250 is definitely manageable. Where would I find some Dwarf Plats?

[iBaman]

kingsnake, faunaclassifieds, vital exotics, numerous places! go to the nation, all the breeders in one place!

[Calihusker]

I'll look into it after I construct my rack. :p

[iBaman]

kingsnake.com Classifieds: 2012 Dwarf 100% Het Genetic Stripe PH Albino Male (http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=94&de=969257)

those are normals het GS for 150!

[Calihusker]

Yeah I looked into that specific snake for a bit, even called up vital exotics. I might wait for their next round of clutches to hatch so I can pick up a dwarf het. breeding pair, but for now their females are out of the stock.

Also you said that males are iffy during the breeding season, so I might as well be taking one along for the ride only if I plan on breeding. (Which I plan on in the near future.)

[iBaman]

they're a little snippy, but not totally horrible. you just gotta respect them when they don't want to do anything xD

[dapozer]

I have a dwarf tiger and a blonde het GS, both are male and no issues. I do not have a female in the house so breeding hasn't been a issue. My Dwarf is 2.5 years and over 6 foot and is one of the snakes I take to school presentations. He has never attempted any bites or aggression. However I always have control of the biting side. :D (never trust a snake around children who are not familiar with snakes). The Blonde is also mellow to handle but is a explorer when he is out, Like a boa on crack. They move 5x more than any Boa I know. Both are hook trained (tapped) when I go to get them out, once out they are great. They do like to protect their homes though. I got the Dwarf from Travis Kubes and the Blonde from Bob Clark. Respect them and they are excellent animals, don't respect them and they will let ya know. I hold mine by myself with no issues. PM me if you want more info.

[Vital Exotics]

Thanks for all the compliments guys! I appreciate that!

Calihusker, shoot me a call again if you would like and we can talk more about Retics and Dwarf/SD bloodline sized animals.

Retics are really making a strong presence in the pet market now, crazy colors and patterns, very easy feeding response, intriguing personalities and activity levels and the fact that you can now get them in much smaller and more manageable sizes (anywhere from 5' and 6' full grown SD's to 12' or 13' Dwarfs), and it shows why so many enthusiasts are looking into Retics.

As for males getting "aggressive" during the "breeding season", it can happen, and a lot of it depends on the male and how it was raised and cared for, but you can have males that can get "iffy" during those times. It is important to show them respect and caution and usually you do not have any problems. The case of males getting aggressive during this time is amplified some, when you have multiple males in close proximity to each other, as they can smell and sense each other and can be more aggressive towards the scent of the other males, as with most reptile species. If you have one single male, your male may not get aggressive at all. And as I said before, show them the caution and respect that they deserve during this time, and most of the time there will be no problem with them. Out of all of my breeder males (which is over 10 males) I only have one wild caught male that I need to use "high level" caution with. The rest of my males I am still cautious with and show the respect to them during this time, but do not have any major issues with them.

In my opinion all snakes demand a certain level of "respect" and Retics are no different, but in reality a Retic raised right in proper care and conditions will make a very good pet. I use respect and experience when handling the larger ones, especially if it is one that I have not raised (to allow me to know the animals habits and actions), but for the most part Retics do not live up to the "old" pretenses and opinions that they are "mean" or "hard to manage". I have many friends that come check out my collection and leave with a new found appreciation for this amazing species.

Let me know if you guys have any more questions and Thanks again for the support!

[reptileexperts]

Sounds like most people have you geared in the right direction - I don't think you need to PM who to talk to so I'll put some names out there.

Travis Kubes - this guy is THE MAN if you want an SD reticulated python. He has been in the business a while and is making tiny but gorgeous snakes and he can get you set up with a normal SD for under 200-300 or a morph Tiger SD for under 500.

Stephanie Laumeyer (Home - The Snake Pusher (http://www.thesnakepusher.com)) she specializes in Dwarf Retics. She does NOT have a huge inventory - but what she has is pure excellent. I have two retics from her, and both are the best attitudes / feeding snakes in my collection hands down.

Jason Reed - Another guy who dabbles in it all, but has a reputation that is up there with the best.

Vital Exotics is a growing reputation, I have not dealt with them directly, but I have seen a lot of their stuff over at retic nation and they seem to have it going on - love how they pay close attention to % SD vs % Dwarf vs % Mainland.

If size is a concern, a pure SD Kalatoa or Honey Island can live its entire life in a Vision 400 with plenty of room. SOME suggest you can even keep them in a CB70 tub their entire life, and that's fine for Kalatoa Males, but still needs to be monitored closely, because they will push hard especially during breeding season. Some prefer to be more aboreal, so tubs may work but may not be ideal - if you're not going to breed - get a Vision 400 or 422 and go with it from there so you can have a sweet snake on display.

Males during breeding season can be CRAZY. But it's generally later in the evening for my boys. During the day they are normal unless its a feeding day, then it's just be careful. . .

Retics grow pretty slow if you let them, don't expect if you buy a retic you have to be ready for a 10 ft beast by the time it's 1st birthday comes around. Many retics stay under 5-6 ft for the first year (males especially). Some people get them up there quick, but it's really a matter of how much food, how often, and how large. Here's a quick snippet of my Purple Dwarf (yearling) in a CB70 getting fed to give you an idea of how much fun they are :-)

http://youtu.be/MT3u3x9KFb4

make sure to view on youtube to get 1080p :-)