Gonna get a retic?.........

snake momma · 04-20-14, 06:03 PM

So.....I have been talking with my dad and he has agreed that getting a retic would be impressive. However, the big problem is that my mom is terrified of snake. I currently have two garter snakes and she refers to my bigger one as an "anaconda". So I'll probably have ro eait, but I wanted to see if I could really take care of this massive snake. I want to familiarize myself with other species so I was gonna slowly gonna increase the size of the snakes I get. But i was wondering anyone who has owned these can tell me about how much money it is to support a retic and what im really gonna get myself into. If u have pics to be afraid to show them off.

MDT · 04-20-14, 06:57 PM

Retics are amazing snakes. They seem to be very curious and intelligent. Captive born retics typically are pretty calm unless they are in feeding mode, then, you need to watch out. I have 3 dwarf mixes, and even though they are 50% dwarfs (SD and Jampea), the Jamps are showing they will be pretty good sized.

You will need some resources to care for one. Space for an appropriate sized enclosure, the ability to increase a food budget as the snake gets bigger. Can you (eventually) obtain (at least) an 6-8ft enclosure? Can you afford to go from rat pups to small rats to medium rats to large, then XL rats and eventually rabbits, etc? BTW, the poo from a retic is a volumetric problem.. Amazing would be an understatement. And, the biggie (that few people take into consideration), potential vet bills from a qualified reptile vet. No one plans on having to go to the vet, but it will happen eventually.

Retics are cool. I really enjoy mine. But, each month I find myself thinking ahead 4 or 5 months and having my plan ready to go regarding feeding, enclosure space, etc. Prob a very important question I've overlooked is, can you handle a seriously powerful snake? do you have a "buddy" (maybe your dad) to help when this thing gets past 5-6 ft? They are pretty active and mostly on the move when you get them out of their enclosure. You will eventually need help. All of us do with large constrictors. A very important consideration.

Idk if this helps, it's just my take on the species. Very cool snake, deserve a lot of respect and planning for sure.

jpsteele80 · 04-20-14, 07:10 PM

As stated you need to think about enclosure size and if you have a room for a tank that big, also as stated above once it reaches adult size do you think you will be able to handle it, I don't think 2 people can handle an 18 to 20 foot snake that may potentially reach 180 pounds or more that's solid muscle. There awesome snakes and very rewarding to own but command a lot of respect. They can reach 10 foot in one year, are you prepared for that?

natsirtremraf · 04-20-14, 08:45 PM

So retics, burms, and other larger snakes intrigue me. However, before I would ever make the leap of getting something that gets to that size. I would first want to find someone who owns a full grown one and interact with it, maybe take care of it, get to know what its like to be around something of their nature.

Pirarucu · 04-20-14, 09:48 PM

Couple quick observations: Going from a few Garter snakes to a retic is not what I would call a "slow" increase in the size of your snakes. That's like going from owning a Bearded Dragon to a Crocodile Monitor.
Also, in previous posts you have said that you were ten years old. Unless that is a typo (and maybe it is, your control of language and grammar is a whole lot better than a lot of twenty year olds..), I would not advise getting a retic. Get a Redtail Boa or perhaps a Carpet Python... It will get to a decent size but it won't go from two to ten feet in no time flat, and it would be a much better stepping stone. Retics are large, fast, and extremely food aggressive. None of those makes a good step up for someone currently keeping Garter snakes.

Sublimeballs · 04-20-14, 10:08 PM

Everyone has said a lot of what I was gonna say. But I'd like to add some and a future option for you. If you are infact 10 then a retic isn't something you should be thinking about yet. They are to dangerous of an animal if you arnt prepared to deal with them. They're a different level of intelligence from any other snake I've interacted with. Their feed mode can be downright scary to some. And their husbandry requirements are well above that of garter snakes.

But in the future I'd suggest a pure kalatoa super dwarf retic. Males typically stay at or under 6.5 feet and females under 8. They are still a handful dont kid yourself there but are a more realistic way of getting the complete retic package with out having to call 5 friends over just to be able to clean a poo pile that could come from a hippo.

A carpet python would be a good choice for a good step up in size. Easy to care for and usually really calm.

**Tsubaki** · 04-21-14, 04:07 AM

Sorry going to need to pop your bubble.

I would never ever advise someone still living at home to buy a mainland retic! Not unless you already have planned out where you are going to live or think of something else. I agreed with my parents to house them at their place until i found something suitable(multiple dwarfs), cost me a lot of time and money back-n-forth going and looking for a bigger place.

Another thing.. You are 10 years old!! All the above does not even apply to you yet. You can not lift an adult retic of the floor, your dad is not going to be able to lift it alone either, they can weigh more than he does! That's just talking about their size, not even their potential danger. You are way to inexperienced to deal with a hungry retic, by your garter-experience alone. They can be very unpredictable and do tons of damage. Even adult dwarfs are long, heavy and very active. If you manage to get it off the ground, its not safe handling a snake if you need all your strength just to get it up. Young Adult Dwarf, not fully grown

Also... You don't have an income to care for the snake yet, retics are expensive to care for. Ill pick one snake as an example, an adult female dwarf retic.. Cost me 15,- a month in food, 45,- a month in heating, 10,- in bedding. This totals up to: 50,- a month. That is with a perfectly healthy snake with no issues.. I had a 250,- Vet bill, because retics are buttholes, she tried to kill me and busted her mouth. I had a 75,- vet bill, hookworm treatment. I never had mites but that stuff aint free either, and a big enclosure means big supplies needed.-> this is all for a dwarf, double it for a 'normal' mainland retic. (Also, i think the minimum enclosure size for an adult mainland retic is 5*10 foot)

It's nice to dream, but please do not get a retic. You are not ready, and you can not care for it at the moment. It is a nice goal to work up to, and i would support you to build towards eventually owning a retic if thats your dream. However looking back at the questions you asked about a ball python and your garters, you have much to learn.

MDT · 04-21-14, 05:34 AM

Wait....you're 10?!? Take everything I said above and completely disregard. Stick to colubrids for now.

jpsteele80 · 04-21-14, 06:57 AM

Ok I had no idea you were 10 year's old, I would never recommend a retic for anyone that age no matter what your experience is, you shouldn't even be thinking about something like that for at least another 7 to 8 years

snake momma · 04-21-14, 08:54 AM

Yes, I am indeed 10 years old. I have experience with large snakes, my dad owns 2 full grown anacondas that I handle and feed occasionally. I meant I was gonna increase the size of snakes I get over the years. To tsubaki; I do have a steady income. I run a oet sitting business that brings in 500$ a month. I also am an Ebay trader (add another 200 a month) and I habe won many writing contests wich can pay up to 1500. As for caging, my dad custom builds them so caging a full grown retic. I currently run a small rescue and I have a dog, 2 snakes, and 3 birds. I pay for food, vet and other needs. So...yep, kinda got it all figured out. I wasn't gonna get this snake until I was 18 but was considering getting one now, letting my dad have it and then inheriting it when I move out.

Pirarucu · 04-21-14, 09:38 AM

I meant to add, if your father is a competent keeper as well and is himself prepared for a retic, I have no problem with that. My point was that you should not be the one who is most prepared to take care of the animal, relying on the help of a parent who may not know what he or she is doing. If it will simply be your father's animal that you help him with, I see nothing wrong with that.
In short, the parent should be in charge, not the child.

jpsteele80 · 04-21-14, 09:51 AM

Anacondas are not retics, I like to classify anacondas kind of like lazy fat people that lay around all day and don't really do much, a 12-14 foot retic is lightning fast and wicked smart, I would start working with smarter more alert species before I started working with a retic, only saying that because of experience, even getting them from a baby and working with them from the baby stage they don't stay small long, I had a female that grew to 9.5 feet in her first year. I would seriously reconsider

Pirarucu · 04-21-14, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

Anacondas are not retics, I like to classify anacondas kind of like lazy fat people that lay around all day and don't really do much, a 12-14 foot retic is lightning fast and wicked smart, I would start working with smarter more alert species before I started working with a retic, only saying that because of experience, even getting them from a baby and working with them from the baby stage they don't stay small long, I had a female that grew to 9.5 feet in her first year. I would seriously reconsider

Maybe we've been working with some different anacondas... My experience has been that if an anaconda feels like biting, it will do so with little or no warning, and it is not restricted to a feed response. Captive bred Retics, while they are more active than anacondas, are usually the more predictable of the two once they are out of feed mode, and it is easier to tell when a bite may be coming.
This is from my experience, this may very well not always be the case. Regardless, if you do decide to go with a retic, I would advise a Jampea instead of a mainland. They get decent sized, but they don't do it nearly as quick, and you will have more time to get to know your animal before it gets to a potentially dangerous size.

jpsteele80 · 04-21-14, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

Maybe we've been working with some different anacondas... My experience has been that if an anaconda feels like biting, it will do so with little or no warning, and it is not restricted to a feed response. Captive bred Retics, while they are more active than anacondas, are usually the more predictable of the two once they are out of feed mode, and it is easier to tell when a bite may be coming.
This is from my experience, this may very well not always be the case.

I personally have never had one (nor do I really care to) but have had several friends that have and all said they were really not all that active, maybe I'll get one and try it in the future who knows

Pirarucu · 04-21-14, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

I personally have never had one (nor do I really care to) but have had several friends that have and all said they were really not all that active, maybe I'll get one and try it in the future who knows

Oh I agree, they're not active at all. Neither are Gaboon Vipers. That tendency towards inactivity means that it's harder to tell if they're alright or if they're getting fed up.