Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi i have a retic a little over 5 feet...i also have a super tiger and a tiger..my question is i have had the reg. retic for 6 months and i have only had the tigers 3 they are only a little over 3 feet long. is this ok, did i over feed mine or did the other owner not feed them enough? ..also they look healthy and eat regularly..thanks Gerald

I breed retics. I try not to push the babies before sale. If I fed them to grow up to thier fullest potential they will be uneconomical to keep. Most clutches have dozens of babies per clutch to if i were to feed as large a meal as each could eat 3 x a week which is what they are able to consume for maximal growth, I would not be able to keep them in smaller more efficient to clean cages and at a reasonable expense. I still try to feed weekly but only feed enough to keep their weight up and keep them healthy. That would be a meal about as big around as their body once a week- leaving a small bulge after consuming the meal. At this rate, they grow slowly but are healthy and vigorous and alert.

This is also how i maintained my breeding colony of green tree pythons- which if overfed were more prone to complications and which fed in this manner grew more slowly but still made excellent breeders.

Winslow