I keep MANY of both species and yes, there are many subtle differences, as well as many similarities.



I agree to a point with what Carmichael said about retics being quite a handful when having them out of the cage. They are *generally* more high strung, very determined and deliberate in their movements and impulses and are usually a much more rapidly moving snake. However, like everything these are "general" consistancies and it also comes down to the individual. I have some really laid back retics that will move about in a leasurely and calm manner, and many that will simply "run amock" and get into trouble (knocking over stuff, climbing, burrowing, trying to hide). Most will be very energetic like this, but some aren't. So I can't state with certainty that your new retic will be this way or any certain way.



The other poster is dead wrong when it comes to modern day captive produced retics. Most of them are very content with being caged or confined. Out of the 30 plus adult retics that I own only one 2 year old male actually noses and searches for a way to get out of his cage. But he noses gently and never so much as dents a scale. He's simply searching for a mate. He's one of only two males that I didn't use this year for breeding and I feel that there is a direct connection with this in his desire to get out. All of the other retics are completely content and never nose or push at their enclosures. If anything my burms do this much more than my retics on average, lol.



Now,.. one thing that I can post with certainty is about the retic's characteristicly explosive feeding response. Wake up a sleeping retic with movement or touch, or just open the cage suddely without looking and you suddenly have a face full of hungry retic. They tend to strike first and identify later. Burms, on the other hand will *usually* smell first (identify first) and strike second. Burms are a lot easier to work with in terms of predictability and management. Retics almost always must be "defused" from their automatic feeding mode that they go into the moment they detect movement. Carmichael touched on this in his post too, but didn't go into a lot of detail about it.



What it comes down to is that once you know how to work with a retic and their idiosyncrasies they are really not any harder to work with. It's just knowing their differences.



Email me any time if you want to talk tic BrianSmithReptiles@hotmail.com









>>I have been keeping snakes for about 15 years, started with a cornsnake when I was 14. I have had Kings, Gophers, Milks, Corns, Ball Pythons, and Columbian Boas in my time. My cornsnakes produced several offspring over a 6 year period. I now own One snake, Helga, a 19 month old , 11 foot albino Burmese Python. My pride and joy. I am seriously tempted to buy a male silver retic, as a hatchling. I have been reading these forums for some time, but I wonder if any of you can really point out some differences between burm and retic behavior, care, etc. Or perhaps suggest a good web site. Am I getting in over my head?
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