Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im getting the retic soon but I need to know what the minimum size cage an adult male can be kept in and also where a cheap p[lace on the net is thjere to buy 1....Also any good places to buy my baby cb reticulated at? thansk alot
Mike

'cheap' and 'minimum' are not desirable adjectives to be using when thinking about getting a reticulated python. these are not disposable pets. i think that you might be more qualified for a leopard gecko or corn snake. but, please remember to ask for your parents' permission first.

Hi Hefner,

Go to the Classified section of this website and look through the python ads. There are often normal retic babies for low low prices. If that should fail look in the Breeders section and contact a few breeders and simply ask them where to get one.

The cheapest way to get a cage is to build your own. Make sure it is strong and secure and escape proof and invest an extra 50 in a thermostat for your heat source. A dome light mounted on the top of your cage shining down through a hole covered by wire meash should suffice. If y'all run into any problems just email me directly at David_Beauchemin@HighEndHerps.com and I will help you in any way I can to make a safe and happy environment for your new male retic.

Best of luck with everything.
Our Website

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David Beauchemin
High End Herps.Inc
http://HighEndHerps.com

thanks alot for all your help......to the first reply were not here to critizise were heal to help grow up

He wasn't really 'criticizing' man, he was offering fairly good advice.

I agree man, it honestly sounds like you might be the one who needs to "grow up". We're not flaming you or trying to insult you or be unhelpful, we are just seriously suggesting you consider what your motives are before you buy into a snake that will get big enough to kill you, one of your neighbors, family members, or other pets if it escapes. An unhappy retic is not a pet, it is a monster, and using "cheap" or "Minimum" enclosures is a good way to ensure that it will be unhappy and able to escape. An escaped retic not only poses considerable danger to those around it, but gives reptile keepers a bad reputation. We already have it difficult enough due to misplaced fears of the misinformed public, waving a real and dangerous threat in front of their faces ensures more restrictive keeping legislation for all of us responsible keepers.

Have you seen a full grown retic? I'm not talking about a photograph, I'm talking about in real life. If you have to ask about where to buy the minimum cage, you havent done your research. No commercial retail cages exist that will appropriately house a properly fed and raised healthy adult male retic at an affordable price. You'd do best to build your own, and make sure that it is freaking STURDY. I'm not convinced that a wooden cage would hold a retic unless it was built by an engineer or some sort, so you might want to take up welding. Or better yet, designate a windowless basement or small windowless room that has been retic-proofed.

Who is going to help you care for this thing once it becomes unmanageable? (and it will, don't kid yourself) The reccomended ratio is one experienced person for every 5 to six feet of snake. Anything less is dangerous and working alone is potentially suicide. These people will need to be on hand every time you need to move the snake for veterinary care, clean the enclosure, or otherwise put yourself in striking range of the snake. If you don't have this kind of help to rely on, you dont have the proper resources to care for this animal. Period.

If it sounds like I'm trying to dissuade you from your decision, I am. Just because you can have something doesnt mean its the best idea. Rights come with responsibilities and from the very nature of your inquiry it seems like you are not prepared to take the appropriate precautions to maintain such a massive creature, and thats fine, it's not a judgement of your character; it's extremely unfeasible for any private owner to properly care for these beasts. If you want a large constrictor, I would reccomend a red tailed boa, they are much easier to care for, and still get large enough to be quite impressive.

Maybe you're the type of person who's thinking "well screw you guys, I'm going to do what I want and you can't tell me what I can and cant have", in which case, best of luck and send me an address that I can send flowers to. Hopefully though, you will take this information to heart and consider very carefully why it is that you want to share your living space with a monster.

Very Sincerely,
TimeDivided

I Understand what you are saying but when I say cheap I just mean a good deal....meaning like in the 300-400 dollar range And when i say minimum I am just wondering so I have an estimate for the size of the cage..... Yes my best friend has a 13 ft Burm . 5 years old and is huuuugggeee! A male retic is about that size at adult but weighs less so im sure the burm is even bigger than a retic. Ive had pythons before But just never had a retic so im just making sure im doing everytihn gfrioght before I buy my first one.
thanks
Mike

"i've had pythons before"

what exactly does that mean? it peeves me to no end when someone thinks that owning a ball python for 4 months will prepare them for a giant python.

where are those pythons now? why did you give up on them? you do know how long retics live, right?

and, seriously, do your parents know how big this snake will get?

Ive had a burmese python for 2 years......before that when i was 12 i had my first snake a ball python kept it until age 15 when i wanted a big snake. the burm grew to 10 ft. The I gave him up for personal family reasons. Now I have the experience and want a retic which I will keep for the entire lifetime of the animal. The other 2 where just to get a feel for big snakes and general husbandry. both snakes now are homed to very good owners.

Mike

so, tell me about the two snakes that you had before....

when you purchased them, did you plan to keep them for the duration of their lives? were they to expensive for you? afterall, a ball python must cost you a whole 4 bucks of upkeep per month. do you even have a job?

i really think that you need to reconsider your priorities. you are not ready for a giant python. i can help you find a 'cheap' (your words) colubrid if you want.

please try to think like an adult. a retic is not a novelty item.

Mike,

I need to reiterate that we are not trying to insult you, we're just genuinely concerned that you're getting in over your head. I'm not sure where you're getting your facts when you say an adult retic is about 13 feet long and smaller than a Burm. A well fed Retic could potentially grow up to more than 30 feet in length, with specimens in the mid to high 20's not going unheard of. Even with males being smaller on average, you could easily end up with a 18 to 20 foot snake if you are taking proper care of the animal. Temperment is also highly variable in these snakes, and while tigers and thai-yellows reportedly are tamer on average than other species, theres no way to know how a giant python is going to behave.

I would like to ask you a few serious questions. Until you have answers to these questions, you are probably not ready for a retic, and should hold off on purchasing one until you do have answers.

1.) How old are you now? Where are you living? Who are you living with? Have the owners of the house you are living in given you INFORMED conesnt to keep a reticulated python? That is to say, are they aware of ALL the details involved with keeping these animals? Are you an only child? Do you have younger brothers and sisters who might accidently or intentionally open up the snakes cage to show it to friends?

2.) Do you plan on attending college? What will you do with your python for 4 or more years?

3.) Who is your veterinarian and what are his credentials in concerns to large pythons? How far is the drive from your house to the veterinarian? What estimates has he given you for the cost of routine check ups and emergency care situations for a large snake? How far is the nearest human hospital? Would the paramedics get there in time if you or someone you know has been crushed and requires immediate medical attention?

4.) Who are the two other experienced snake handlers that you plan to have on hand at all times who you can rely on to be there when you need to clean the tank. Three people is the LEAST number I would trust around a fully grown retic. Where will these people be for the next thirty or so years?

5.) What would you do if you got an snake that turned out to be a violent animal that you could not interact with? Would you still be willing to care for your snake now that it is not a pet but only a display animal?

6.) Do you plan on having kids some day? What will you do if your wife/girlfriend is not comfortable around large constrictors?

7.) What is your source of income? Where will you get your food for this animal from once it outgrows the rats and rabbits that are available at the local store? Have you made a budget plan to accomodate food, housing, lighting, and veterinary care?

8.)What do you know about Inclusion Body Disease? About Salmonella? What about respiratory infections and mouth-rot?

9.) Do you go on vacations often? This isnt exactly the kind of pet you can ask the neighborhood kid to watch while you're away. And you're not likely to find a boarding agency that will care for a large python.

Lastly, I'd like you to take a look at the Want Ads. Notice the large number of free giant snakes being given away. Those were all snakes from owners who were "in it for the long haul" when they purchased their pet, and 1 or 2 years in discovered their choice wasnt so glorious.

If you don't have an answer to any one of these questions, and think you'll work out the details as you go along, you've already made the first mistake. No one is telling you you can't have a reticulated python. That's ultimately your decision. But those of us with years of keeping experience under out belts are suggesting you do a bit of long hard thinking about this. because its a choice that once you make it, it's no easy to turn back from. My honest opinion is that the most responsible decision a private owner canmake in regards to reticulated pythons is simply not buying one. They're beautiful snakes, no doubt. But theres nothing cool, macho, or unique about owning one. I love large snakes. They're amazing animals. I however, own a Ball Python, and a Blue Tongued Skink, and I couldn't be happier with my animals.

Best Regards,
TimeDivided

Hey TimeDivided,

Just curious... how many adult retics do you own presently? I am just wondering where exactly you are getting your data. From conjecture or from personal current experience? Because my data differs from yours. I have 8 large adult male retics and many many huge adult females. Just wondering why your data differs so greatly from my own.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can lend the situation.
Our Website

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David Beauchemin
High End Herps.Inc
http://HighEndHerps.com

To High End Herps Inc:

Monday, December 29, 2003
World's Largest Snake Caught
Local6: World's Largest Snake Caught

Indonesian villagers claim to have captured a python that is almost 49.21 feet long and weighs nearly 992.07 pounds, an official said Monday. If confirmed, it would be the largest snake ever kept in captivity.
Hundreds of people have flocked to see the snake at a primitive zoo in Curugsewu village on the country's main island of Java, Republika reported. It splashed two large pictures of the reptile across its back page.

Local government official Rachmat said the reticulated python measured 49 feet and weighed in at 985 pounds.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the longest ever captured snake to be 32 feet. The heaviest -- a Burmese Python kept in Gurnee, Illinois -- weighs 403 pounds, the book said on its Web site.

Rebublika said the snake, which was caught last year but only recently put on public display, eats three or four dogs a month.

Reticulated pythons are the world's longest snakes. They are capable of eating animals as large as sheep, and have been known to attack and consume humans. The species is native to the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia.

Also from the Bronx Zoo Web Page:
Wild Giants

The largest reticulated python ever found in the wild was reported in 1912 from the island of Celebes (now known as Sulawesi) in Indonesia. This snake measured thirty-three feet.

Captive Giants

Very large reticulated pythons have often been kept in zoological parks around the world. Many of them refused food for long periods of time and it was common practice for zookeepers to assist or force-feed them. One specimen at the Frankfurt Zoo refused food for 679 days. Another specimen at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany measuring 24 feet ate a pig that weighed 120 pounds.

The largest snake that ever lived in a zoo was a reticulated python named Colossus. She lived at the Pittsburgh Zoo in Pennsylvania. You can find her photograph in a book entitled “The Giant Snakes” by Clifford H. Pope. The author of this classic reptile book reported that she was 22 feet long when captured in Siam (now Thailand) in 1949. Eight years later she reached the length of 28 ½ feet long. Her girth measured 37 ½ inches and her weight was estimated to be more than 320 pounds.

From Melissa Kaplan's Website

In closing...
If I sound negative at times, it is because I am. Experts estimate that between 50-90% of reptiles die their first year in captivity, on top of the 10-50% that died during the importation process. The reasons for their dying once they reach the importing country are primarily due to people not knowing what they are getting into, relying on inaccurate care information (including that provided by most pet stores), and not being able to afford the necessary equipment, upkeep and veterinary care (assuming that the basic equipment required is actually available in the country in which the reptile is sold).

Of all the animals kept in captivity, reptiles are the only ones who do not typically reach their normal lifespan. In captivity, most animals should live to-or exceed-their expected natural life span due to the improved conditions (regular feeding, veterinary care, etc.) and lack of predators. That this doesn't happen with reptiles is a tragic commentary on how poorly we understand and provide for these animals. If the pet trade were itself fully knowledgeable, if the people selling reptiles were honest about what it takes to properly house and maintain reptiles they sell and about the reptiles' eventual size and temperament, the reptile trade would not be the multi-million dollar business it currently is...

If reptiles were as cool and easy to care for as too many people think they are, then reptile rescue groups, herpetological and humane societies wouldn't be getting literally dozens of calls a week from people trying to give away their reptiles. Yes, give away. Besides the 20-40 calls every month from iguana owners who no longer want their lizards, I take calls from people trying to get rid many different types of reptiles (most common: Burmese pythons, red-tailed boas, large monitor lizards, aquatic turtles, box turtles). They generally call me after they have found that no one has beat down their doors trying to buy their reptile, and that the pet stores or breeders from whom they originally bought their animal, and zoos and wildlife educators and refuges don't have any more room for cast-off pets. Others are shocked by not being able to find a vet who will treat their severely ill reptile for free, or that there isn't anyone else out there who will pay for the necessary care for them. Besides the 20-30 iguanas a year I take in and try to find homes for (something that has become increasingly difficult as there are more people buying them than are actually capable of and willing to care for them properly), I have taken in or otherwise rescued: gopher snakes, ball pythons, Burmese pythons, red-tail boas and corn snakes; savannah monitors, gold tegus; bearded dragons, leopard geckos, tokay geckos, water dragons, and sailfin lizards; box turtles, tortoises, and aquatic turtles; and assorted amphibians. Most are suffering from some form of neglect and many are moderately to severely ill. Most come from people who never thought beyond merely buying the animal and sticking it in a (generally too small) enclosure.

There are countless other references to retics easily growing into the 20 feet range, and I'm not convinced that your isolated sample is a representative estimate of the genuine population. I also respectfully question your motives in urging the sale of large reptiles, considering that your screen name may suggest that you have a vested interest in keeping sales or large pythons up. As an animal rescue volunteer, we obviously have different perspectives and philosophies on the rights and responsibilities of keepers, but I don't see how urging a young kid to own a giant python can be considered a wise action from any perspective.

You asked about my experience with reticulated pythons. As you might imagine I do not own any. I cannot accomodate them into my lifestyle, and the only time I interact with them is during rescue efforts that require me to do so (with the assistance of other expert handlers). The retics I have come across have largely been abused, stressed, and dangerous animals. Granted, that makes my experience with the species somewhat biased, but it does not change the fact that these animals more often than not ultimately end up in shelters, dumped roadside, or die within their first year or two of captivity, and as such, will ultimately become the next generation of unwanted snakes that me and others will be dealing with, trying to place in homes, etc. To be biased towards the way of caution is wiser than to be biased towards the side of indulgence when concerning animals that can kill.

Respectfully,
TimeDivided

Just as I assumed. You have an opinion based upon lots of uninformed assumptions and quite frankly outdated information largely based on imported animals, not captive produced animals. The 49 foot retic turned out to be 21 or 22 feet. The fact of the matter is that most retics do NOT grow to those immense proportions, though I admit that they do still get very large. The vast majority of captive produced reticulated pythons are not aggressive. The vast majority do NOT die in their first year with their new owners. In this day and age there is a great deal more information at hand for the serious and dedicated herpers that was not available in decades past from which the majority of the "information" you dug up and pasted here came from.

I really do not wish to get into a debate about large pythons with someone that does not keep them and obviously knows very little about them. You can't just believe everything that you read and apply it to every situation involving the animal in question.
Our Website

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David Beauchemin
High End Herps.Inc
http://HighEndHerps.com

Highendherps i completely agree with you.....also heffner if you have any ? about retics you can email me at halfpastdead@cox.net ..

Thanks
Shayne
BurrsReptile & S n S Imperial Pitbull Kennels

This is an interesting thread. But I have yet to see his questions answered. Adult males are usually in the 12 to 14 foot range and weigh around 50 to 70 lbs. The average size is often exceeded however; as I have one male who is over 17 feet long and weighs 125 lbs. He was only 2 oz. as a hatchling and he is just 5 years old now, so know that they grow fast and can get very large. He is housed in an 8'x4'x2' (LxWxH) cage made out of polypropylene plastic with 1/4-inch high impact plexi-glass doors. He had busted out of normal 1/4-inch plexi-glass before and I now have these doors screwed down every few inches so that there is no flex. He is exercised outside his cage 2 to 3 days per week, as I actually have built a 650 square foot reptile house for my retics, rocks, anacondas, etc.. This house has locked doors and double paned locked windows. The cage itself was around $350.00 to build and he eats 16 to 25 lbs of rabbits every month when on feed (he cycles off feed for 5 to 6 months a year during the breeding season). You also have to heat the cage and I recommend Kane or Stanfield heat mats in the 4x2 or larger size (QC supply carries them at a very good cost of $108.00 before shipping) on a rheostat (another $50.00). So all told a "cheap" cage built by you and furnished with what you need will run around $500.00 to $600.00. Your average feeding bill for an adult will be around $50.00 or more per month and you can look forward to horse size fecals, quarts of urine, and a snake that for several months out of the year will be pacing it's cage frantically looking for a female during which time it's temperament may or may not change for the worse. This is not to say that retics are "monsters" as they are not. I have 7 of them and they are very well behaved, but very dangerous animals just the same. Retics are (as NERD says) what their keepers make of them. They require serious work from hatchling to adult and need to be respected at all times. They also require a deep understanding of how snakes function and react to differing situations. I waited for 25 years of prior reptile keeping before acquiring my first retic. I had studied every available piece of literature available before getting one and had talked to people who kept them regarding their care before purchasing one. I suggest you do the same as these are magnificent animals that require a long-term commitment (20 years).
There are many people who breed these animals. Bob Clark, Mike Wilbanks, NERD, and several part time breeders work with these animals. There are several on the classifieds right now. So buying one is generally not a problem. The problem really lies in the long-term care and cost of that care. If you are a teenager now you should ask yourself what will you do with your snake when you are away at college? Where will you house it when you move away from home? Most apartments are not going to let you keep a large retic in the living room? Can you afford the long term heating, feeding, vet care, and general husbandry of this snake? Bottom line seriously consider what you are getting into, as these snakes are far too amazing to deserve anything less.

thanks for tyhe help./...But where do you get 50 dollars a month in feeding? An adult male if Im correct should eat 10% its body weight.....every 2 weeks....so a 70 pound male will eat 7 pounds every 2 weeks.....I can get 7 pounder at my local pet sotre for 10 dollars.....that means for me its 20 a month....One thing that caught my attention of what you said is the urine lol....I know they go alot but what do you do when it spray that much all over the cage...how often do adults do this whats it like? thanks for your help
Mike

Have you considered a dwarf retic? They are realy expensive but might be worthit in the end.
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I have Balls!

I have planned to keepmy ball and burm just for lil while to gain experience...and with that experience now that I am almost 18 and have a good job and got mylisence I now choose to have a permanent snake thast I will keep for the long run And ive decided The burm was pretty big and a handful but I loved it but didnt like how girthy it was because it was so heavy so now ive decided a more slender male retic would work out and even if it did get too big Id still keep it./ I think its really iggnorant for people to be coming at me and snapping atme.....I have experioence with largew pythons Ive rasided them then even though I did get rid of them I put them to good homes....Now I am ready for a retic that I WILL keep.
Thanks fpor anyone who did helpme thou
Mike

No one is snapping at you. From the information you've provided you fit the profile of someone who is likely to have not thought this all the way through and we want to ensure that you do.

There are many kinds of support you can get from an online community, and it doesn't always come in the form of getting quick answers to the questions you seek. Providing knowledge to someone who hasn't put in the time to conduct their own responsible research is a surefire way to ensure that that knowledge will be abused. Making sure a new owner is genuinely prepared to handle an animal they are considering purchasing is as valuable of a service to you as would be answering your questions, and you should consider it as such.

If people on this board seem condescending, it's probably because they are frustrated with people who jump on here to get quick questions to responses that they could have gotten just as easily by taking some time to do thorough research.

You're a welcome member of this community, but keep in mind you don't always have to like what you hear for it to be considered wisdom.

Sincerely,
TimeDivided