All you retic owners that raised the babies!

Relentless · 11-06-12, 08:34 PM

I know, I know, I'm going crazy with the threads.

Burm owners feel free to chime in too since growth rates are quite similar. What did you guys house your baby giants in? How many times in the first year did you upgrade your enclosures? What setups did you use?

marvelfreak · 11-07-12, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relentless

I know, I know, I'm going crazy with the threads.

Burm owners feel free to chime in too since growth rates are quite similar. What did you guys house your baby giants in? How many times in the first year did you upgrade your enclosures? What setups did you use?

Not even close. Retic grow at a much fast rate. They go from 24"inches to 13 feet in just the first year. You would have to power feed a burm to get this kind of growth rate. And power feeding any animal is never good has it shorten their live span.

As to to question when i had Burmese i started babies out in a 3x1x2 cage. Then when they got big i moved them to a 6x4x4. the biggest Burm i ever own was a 13 footer and this size worked perfected.

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 02:04 PM

13 ft in one year? A female only. You don't need males that big. Males can get a little rough with their girls sometimes. Their teeth are longer as well. An 8-9 ft male is fine for breeding at the right age. I have seen males at 6 ft breed just fine if old enough. Feed your males at a similar schedule but smaller meals.

Lankyrob · 11-07-12, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metalserpent

13 ft in one year? A female only. You don't need males that big. Males can get a little rough with their girls sometimes. Their teeth are longer as well. An 8-9 ft male is fine for breeding at the right age. I have seen males at 6 ft breed just fine if old enough. Feed your males at a similar schedule but smaller meals.

Just to clarify, are you suggesting under feeding a male to keep it small?

Relentless · 11-07-12, 02:15 PM

Thanks! And really? I was under the impression a burm grew as quickly as the retic did, meaning anywhere between 8 to 13 or 14 ft. in the first year depending on the sex of the animal obviously and how much they are fed.

I am not and will not advocate power feeding, so no worries. I would never consider feeding a snake less just to regulate the size or "underfeed". Although is this a common practice for breeders due to what you are saying metalserpent?

Relentless · 11-07-12, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Just to clarify, are you suggesting under feeding a male to keep it small?

Yeah, I was wondering too. I have no intentions of underfeeding. The reason I want a retic is because of their explosive growth rate. It's amazing to watch.

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Just to clarify, are you suggesting under feeding a male to keep it small?

It is not a two position switch. Under or over. Please think about what I posted. Ask a breeder of your choice. Females need more food to produce young. Especially in the 3-4 months before breeding season. Producing young takes a lot out of her. So her meals need to be larger. Am I a breeder? Working on it. However my info comes from experienced breeders. A close friend has one of the largest breeding collections on the west coast. Also I have been advised by the retic guys at prehistoric pets. Ask them if you wish please. Along with a few other breeders as well.

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relentless

Yeah, I was wondering too. I have no intentions of underfeeding. The reason I want a retic is because of their explosive growth rate. It's amazing to watch.

Agreed a retic's growth is amazing to watch but once that growth rate slows and you have an 18 ft snake with another 25 years left to live. Then what? Think long term. Also an 18 ft retic is stronger than anything you have ever dealt with. The food needed gets expensive. Rabbits, guinea pigs, fetal pigs. Not cheap. Jumbo rats at 8-10 ea per meal. Think about it.

Rogue628 · 11-07-12, 03:01 PM

A burms growth rate is just as amazing to watch and is considered more laid back than a retic. They're more apt to forgive a newbs mistake whereas retics typically don't.

I started both my burm girls off in small tubs. I always but my babies in small tubs. It usually gives them a better sense of security. Every time their length was longer than the wide and length of their tub, I upgraded them to a larger tub. I went through 4 different sized tubs in the first year. They went for being about 24" long to about 7 feet in the first year.

I know it's not as an explosive growth as retics, but their still amazing animals to work with.

I do have plans on getting a retic this next season. Getting ready for one now

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 03:23 PM

With retics a baby does not need a large tub as they can stress easily. No all do but they can. I started mine out in a 28 qt sterrite tub or something of similar size. Once they out grew that in a few weeks, I moved them into a 4 ft vision. At around 8 ft I moved them into a 6 ft vision. My largest is around 14 ft now. She will be moving into a 8 ft cage soon.

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 03:41 PM

Those of you who plan on getting a retic, I hope in some way to have assisted you in making a more informed decision. I have seen and spoken to many who were not. I have been fortunate to have been coached by some truly inspiring keepers and breeders. Giant snakes are a lot of fun. However with their size comes giant responsibilities. The entertainment factor is but a small part of it.

Relentless · 11-07-12, 04:59 PM

Metalserpent and Rogue, thank you so much for your input. It makes me happy to see people being eager to educate others. Especially about giant snakes since I know they fall into the wrong hands far too often. That is why we are suffering from these ridiculous country-wide bans.

Metalserpent, I would not have a single intention of buying a hatchling giant just to watch it grow and then dump it. I want to make that very clear. The snake I purchase will have a lifetime home with me. I could not do that to an animal or our industry/hobby.

Rogue, the burm was actually my first choice but due to the ban, it would be next to impossible for me to get a hatchling. There aren't any burm breeders in my state that I know of. Burms are definitely the cutest hatchlings and I find their face (baby or adult) to be the most adorable and inviting of the large snakes.

Oh and metalserpent, try feeding a horse for a month in my state! Then we can talk about food bills, haha.

Metalserpent · 11-07-12, 05:05 PM

Hahahaha. We had a horse when I was a kid and I remember Dad griping about the food bill.

iBaman · 11-07-12, 05:06 PM

Retics are supposed to get to 14 feet in the first year? Man, and I thought pajamas was huge for being 6 1/2 ft at a year old... =/ For now, he's in a 120 gallon aquarium, i'm getting an artificial christmas tree tote asap, and eventually plan on building him an enclosure...Had i not lost my job, it would have already been built...but, ce la vie!!

Relentless · 11-07-12, 05:09 PM

iBaman, only 6 feet?! He's not a dwarf or superdwarf is he?! How much/often does he eat?