Kingsnake.com - Herpforum - RE: Question for Retic Keepers. . . .

Posted by: fuscusking at Wed May 31 22:14:44 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by fuscusking ]

I think that all of the bigger snakes command a certain level of knowledge and respect in order to keep them. Burms are known for being tame, and im not saying this isnt true but there should be a star next to this. They are extremely motivated by food, and will not hesitate to bite and constrict a person if they think its food. When I walk into my snake room and some of my friends all of the burms immediately come forward in the strike position thinking food is involved. On the other hand all the retics could care less, or might come forward and wait in a begging position, but clearly know you are the "bringer" of food, and not a food item yourself. This to me seems more tame then any burm. The other day while feeding my retic she missed her food and got near my hand and you could clearly see it bothered her. She would not take the food until I put it in there and walked away. A burm doesnt care, it will strike 100 times until it gets something it can grab and constrict. Retics are very thought out and deliberate, so if they are being respected and cared for properly there is not nearly as much risk as with a burm, in my opinion. As has been mentioned before retics know there owners before they even enter the room, and a burm doesnt care who is who. One of my friends retics absolutely hates me, and he knows as soon as I am there. He hisses and starts to move around alot, wont eat in front of me and will not under any condition let me pick him up. Find me a burm like that. I also think the rocks are another under appreciated snake. Higher inteligence than a burm all day, and also very deliberate. I have yet to see a rock strike ever without warning of some kind, be it posture, hissing or some type of movement. I ve only been around about half a dozen rocks, but havent found one I didnt like. These snakes are not right for everyone however as they can be quite moody, and if you dont take the warnings seriously your in trouble. In the end I think burms get taken for granted to often and thats where the problems begin, whereas retics and rocks come with a sometimes nasty reputation that allows for more caution. In the end for the right owner any of these big snakes can be gentle giants, its all about respect and alot of common sense.

Here what I have:
2.1 Brown Water Pythons
1.0 Everglades Rat snake
1.0 Ball 66% Het Albino
1.0 Normal Burm
0.1 Albino Burm
1.1 Borneo Short tails
1.0 African Rock Python
0.1 Reticulated Python
1.0 Albino Granite Burm (Just Visiting)
I have pics of all if anyone wants to see them email me @ fuscusking@yahoo.com