All you retic owners that raised the babies!

[Lankyrob]

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]

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]

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.

[Metalserpent]

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.