Blood, SD retic, or GTP

[DeesBalls]

So i have been researching alot of about these 3 species. other than ball pythons i want a new addition to my collection, a pet, you could say.

I am thinking of either a blood (black blood), an SD retic (probably not yet though) or a GTP- i like all three of them, and i would love an SD retic, i love their feeding response, their colors, and their eyes..

GTP obviously have their coloring as well

and black bloods, not sure why, but i just love their facial features.

This is going to be my "giant" if you will. It will be my big guy of the reptile room and just wanted some input on your guys' outlook.

Since i have the rep room all set up and everything fitting nicely i will have some extra room for cage.

thanks for your help.

[stephanbakir]

I'm mildly biased towards retics...

Best thing I can tell you is, if you ever want to handle it, dont get a GTP.

Bloods have a strike like a shot gun, generally are pretty mild temperament wise but the potential is there.

SD retics are awesome... if you get them from a REPUTABLE breeder, ask for the SD locale and they should know. Kalatoas are under 6 feet as adults.

[Corey209]

I'm mildly biased towards retics...

Best thing I can tell you is, if you ever want to handle it, dont get a GTP.

Bloods have a strike like a shot gun, generally are pretty mild temperament wise but the potential is there.

SD retics are awesome... if you get them from a REPUTABLE breeder, ask for the SD locale and they should know. Kalatoas are under 6 feet as adults.

You can handle plenty of GTP's, Biaks gave them terrible reputations.

[DeesBalls]

I will more than likey want to handle him/her, and all that... I'm really leaning towards an SD retic.. ive been watching retic videos lately and they are aewsome!, but no way i can handle a full grown Retic, so an SD is the next best thing :)

however, i may eventually get all 3, obviously not all at one time, but through out the years i will be.

can any one point me out to a good SD breeder in the states?

EDIT- i dont mind getting bit, or anything either, so that is not a problem.

[Corey209]

I would contact Bob Clark
https://www.facebook.com/bobclarkreptiles?fref=ts

He has male and females that are "Super dwarf reticulated pythons het purple phase albino"

$650 for either male or female.

[KORBIN5895]

I would go with the retic myself.

[Lankyrob]

You can handle plenty of GTP's, Biaks gave them terrible reputations.

Have said this before but you obviously chose to ignore it. The problem with handling GTPs isnt getting bitten, it is the risk of damage to their fragile spine and prehensile tail, especially as hatchlings.


Personally i would go with the SD if you want to handle it

[Corey209]

I didn't ignore it, I never saw your post.

Plenty of people handle them safely without any damage and aren't they far less susceptible to that after they finish their change of color?

[stephanbakir]

You can handle plenty of GTP's, Biaks gave them terrible reputations.
Rob is right, handling them is REALLY risky... why chance it.
Their spines are fragile and once you damage it, they simply won't likely eat on the ground.

I would contact Bob Clark
https://www.facebook.com/bobclarkreptiles?fref=ts

He has male and females that are "Super dwarf reticulated pythons het purple phase albino"

$650 for either male or female.

Bob Clark is one of the last people I'd buy "low end" retics from... He maintenance feeds, and they generally have a bit of rub. Do a BOI on him... all the reviews from high end tics are generally great, but the lower end stuff...

Ask Kyle (millertime) who he got his SD from, its a stunner, and was likely much cheaper then 650... I believe it was Travis Kubes but don't quote me on that.

[DeesBalls]

Okay thanks everyone for the responses. I will start looking out for an SD and go from there. I just don't want to get screwed over and it be a normal retic and not an SD ��

[stephanbakir]

Okay thanks everyone for the responses. I will start looking out for an SD and go from there. I just don't want to get screwed over and it be a normal retic and not an SD ��
Send Millertime a message. He REALLY knows the retic breeders in the states and I'm sure he would be glad to point you in the right direction.

[millertime89]

PM me, or come to Tinley Park this weekend.

[DeesBalls]

Okay will do. Ibjust tried to fond a website for Travis kubes, but all I could find was his Facebook page.

I would go, but not sure where the Tinley show is at:( or how closebot is to Ohio.

I'll pm you later on millertime.

[millertime89]

Just south of Chicago, right off of I80.
Travis took down his site, wasn't getting enough traffic to justify keeping it open. I don't think he's got any baby SDs yet. He didn't make any pure ones last year.

[DeesBalls]

Ok not looking for one right now. I still need to get a new rack built and some other things finished first before. So I'm looking at maybe August or September.

[DeesBalls]

Am i missing something? im looking at Kingsnake classified and they are like 1000$? what do i need to be searching for... "normal SD retic?" or are they that much? im really confused. lol. like i said, ive been researching them alot, but not the "morph" or anything to look for.

[millertime89]

I dunno what you're looking at but they're not that expensive, should be 600 tops. Nobody at Tinley brought any pure SD stuff this time, although I think Jason Reed said he had some eggs incubating.

[millertime89]

The only thing I saw on KS is some high % sd tigers from Prehistoric Pets for 550 which is a decent price depending on what %.

[DeesBalls]

I don tthink i would buy from prehistoric pets... just dont like their videos on youtube.. i was looking at like snows i believe and some other morph :( im willing to spend like 300-400 but would like to stay a little low, to have some extra for vet,cage, ect if needed.

[millertime89]

Makes sense, all retics are fine in sweater boxes for their first few months so even if you get something that will get a bit bigger you have some time before you need something big. His videos are a little off putting but it works for him.

[Aaron_S]

You can handle plenty of GTP's, Biaks gave them terrible reputations.

You can handle plenty of boomslangs, venom gave them terrible reputations.

[stephanbakir]

You can handle plenty of boomslangs, venom gave them terrible reputations.
LOL, I wasn't around for that, but I read some of the flamewars from that time... lol.

[Aaron_S]

Makes sense, all retics are fine in sweater boxes for their first few months so even if you get something that will get a bit bigger you have some time before you need something big. His videos are a little off putting but it works for him.

Sweater boxes? I guess the semi-aboreal nature of retics isn't a good thing to ever see.

I figure I'll post pics to prove my point.

These aren't my pictures but I do have permission to post them. From a zoo in the Ottawa region of Ontario.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/godzilla99/retictree_zps407b507c.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/godzilla99/retictreecloseup_zps9285403d.jpg

Not just a one off thing apparently...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/godzilla99/retictree2_zps2a2b3400.jpg

[millertime89]

with a cage that size I would want to be up top too...

[Aaron_S]

Yeah, I guess sweaterboxes are more spacious than they look.

[millertime89]

again, how many retics have you owned? How many successful retic breeders do you converse with on a daily basis, picking their brains for any little tidbit that might make your collection better or you better as a keeper?

[millertime89]

Yeah, I guess sweaterboxes are more spacious than they look.

babies in a 41qt, subadults (5-9ft) in a 4x2, adults in whichever size is most appropriate. Its not complicated.

[Aaron_S]

Retics I owned? Ever? 7.

I don't converse with retic breeders on a daily basis as there's only one I know of and I no longer keep them.

It doesn't take much to understand their care.

I guess you have no real rebuttal to me though since you didn't even actually respond to it.

[Aaron_S]

with a cage that size I would want to be up top too...

But...you said this.

So how can a 4x2 be any more spacious than the pictures I posted? Clearly you don't know what you're own argument is.

[stephanbakir]

How are pauls cages heated? Could it be his thermal gradient is vertical and therefore they went up there for more heat?

I'm not saying they wont make use of space given... but just like you argue that bins are fine for ball pythons, and your collection THRIVES in them, the same can be said for retics.

Now, if I was working with an arboreal amethystine python, I'd give them more vertical space then horizontal.

[Aaron_S]

How are pauls cages heated? Could it be his thermal gradient is vertical and therefore they went up there for more heat?

Can..can you see? I'll post the picture again. Don't worry I'll wait for you to find it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/godzilla99/retictree_zps407b507c.jpg

I'm not saying they wont make use of space given... but just like you argue that bins are fine for ball pythons, and your collection THRIVES in them, the same can be said for retics.

Now, if I was working with an arboreal amethystine python, I'd give them more vertical space then horizontal.

The fact that retics are semi aboreal by nature doesn't allow them to have any space?

Ball pythons and retics may be pythons and have similar care (note similar) but doesn't mean their behaviour is anywhere near the same.

Ball pythons are lazy.
Retics are what I would consider an active python.

[stephanbakir]

I saw the lamp, but where does his gradient lie is my question, could the top of the cage be where the heat collects...
I agree, retics are super active... every other day I take my retics and my scrub out and they go ALL over the place... from the floor to my fan and halfway across the room onto the door without touching the ground. I agree they are active.

They can thrive in less.

Thriving is my goal, when I get more cash I'll work on making their enclosures visually appealing to the rest of the world.

[DeesBalls]

woah, im lost on all this jazz... lol, great info though guys, please keep it coming!

[mumps]

The point that Aaron is trying to make, is get your enclosures to match the habits of your chosen animal. Gators like water. Balls like security. Monitors like space. Retics like to climb.

Seems simple enough to me. I think most people give their GTP's places to perch; perhaps they should be called reticulated tree pythons; so as not to confuse the noobs...

But seriously, if a 9 foot retic is in a 4 x 2, where does it go to get away from its crap while waiting for you to get home from work? Same applies for a 15 foot adult in an 8 foot by 30" enclosure... I know, how about UP?

So, if you're thinking of an SD, please provide an enclosure which will provide the options for it to choose where it wants to be.

Chris

[DeesBalls]

The point that Aaron is trying to make, is get your enclosures to match the habits of your chosen animal. Gators like water. Balls like security. Monitors like space. Retics like to climb.

Seems simple enough to me. I think most people give their GTP's places to perch; perhaps they should be called reticulated tree pythons; so as not to confuse the noobs...

But seriously, if a 9 foot retic is in a 4 x 2, where does it go to get away from its crap while waiting for you to get home from work? Same applies for a 15 foot adult in an 8 foot by 30" enclosure... I know, how about UP?

So, if you're thinking of an SD, please provide an enclosure which will provide the options for it to choose where it wants to be.

Chris

great points, i have all my balls in sweater boxes, my RTB in a built cage... so tell me what a good cage size would be for an SD and i will build one. :)

[Lankyrob]

My SD isin a 4x2x2 ft viv, and he uses every inch of it. If money allowed i would put him in a 6x4x3 and am sure he would use all that space too

[Squirtle]

If I were to choose out of those 3, I would choose the SD retic. I say this because last year, after I acquired my normal Tiger Reticulated Python, they became my favorite type of snake :)

[DeesBalls]

I will probably be starting off in a tub. Then make him/her a nice cage. Probably 6x4x3 if space allows it.

[themeyers]

retic all the way

[marvelfreak]

I am going to say go for a Black Blood. They say they are the smallest of the Blood family but i have seen some 6 footer. (Chrome Heads). The Blacks do tend to be much more mellow than the Reds or Borneo's. Their feeding response is just as insane as a Retics. My two Blacks are puppy dog tame unless they smell food. As far as adult size cage i have mine in a two level 5x2x1.5.

On the having some to climb on topic i have branches in all my cages. Even in my Bloods and Rainbow cages. Even ground snake will use a branch when shedding. When both of my bloods shed the shed was over the branches. Plus i have seen the male climbing on it a few times.