My new dwarf retics

[Harrod]

Wow great color! I've heard of the "Madu" or "Honey Island" dwarfs being really nice and vibrant like that. Never heard of "Buton" local.

I hadn't heard of them either. They very docile and look great. I'll have to see how they turn out when they get older.

 

[ballpython2]

A large female dwarf Jampea can get to 14 feet. Some stay smaller. The super dwarf retics stay even smaller than that.[/QURebb. Vvvvgvvgggvb

Few questions: how is this species disposition? Do they get as heavy and thick bodied as the regular ones do? Are they nippy as babies? What snake knowledge species wise should I know before I dive into retics?

 

[Jmugleston]

A large female dwarf Jampea can get to 14 feet. Some stay smaller. The super dwarf retics stay even smaller than that.[/QURebb. Vvvvgvvgggvb

Few questions: how is this species disposition? Do they get as heavy and thick bodied as the regular ones do? Are they nippy as babies? What snake knowledge species wise should I know before I dive into retics?

I think some experience with burms would be best. Burms don't act the same, but at least it gets you used to the large size of some of these snakes. Retics can be fairly good captives, but there are always exceptions. Most babies will be "nippy" which is expected. Until the snake realizes that the giant hairless ape reaching for it is not a threat, it will defend itself. I have some adults that are very tolerant (I hate the word tame) and they don't try to strike at all. I also have one that no matter what I do, it wants to bite me. (She's only 6-7 feet now so it isn't too big an issue yet). Another thing to consider is male sometimes get more difficult during the breeding season. My male dwarf gets very defensive for a few months in the fall. My male alb. tiger doesn't have any change in behavior. The overall bulk is similar between retics of similar length. In other words, my 8 foot dwarf and my 8 foot non-dwarf are of similar build. If you are thinking about a retic, make sure you are not going to be moving around much, have plenty of space, and plenty of skill/confidence with keeping snakes. They get big, they can sometimes be more than "a handful" to care for, and they come with more responsibility than most other captive snakes. Most neighbors won't trip if they know you have a cornsnake, but tell them you have a 17 foot snake next door and you can have an issue.