Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why is it that you see large retics, burms, and even the occasional rock in captivity but never anacondas? Is it that they seldom reach these gargantuan lengths, or that the ones that do are freaks of nature? I can only recall one giant anaconda that was in a private collection and that was nearly 25 years ago. I’m not trying to start a war here only throwing out the question. Maybe it takes them longer to reach these lengths then it does with pythons. A retic can easily reach 10’ in a year; somehow I do not believe an anaconda can. My largest retic is 6 years old and is 19’. What would a well-fed female anaconda be at 6 years of age? There is no question that there are thousands of retics and burms in captivity. I’d venture to say the ratio is less then 1:40 (1 anaconda for every retic or burm), which could also be the reason.

Anacondas have always fascinated me. Around 20 years ago I tried to keep one that was hardly pleasant. That experience still burns in my memory, which is why I probably do not own one today. I own 11 retics and only one of these cannot be trusted. Have anacondas improved over the years? I’ve read that Kelly Hallers anacondas most likely have the best temperament. Are they really as trustworthy as some of the best retics around? I sure would like to hear what you have to say.

Thanks,
Jim

The answer to your question may lie in a few things. One of which is probably that anacondas are often found in areas accessible by air boats and hip waders as opposed to pythons that are found in cities such as Bangkok. Pythons due to their more terrstrial nature adapt well to human habitation and the pets and vermin that come with them.....the more likely their capture. Anacondas are a boa and they all seem to mature slowly than pythons hence slower reproduction and availability. Hope these ideas ring true.

I was directing the question more towards captive kept anacondas. You really don’t see huge ones in captivity whereas you do with burms and retics. Retics mature rather slowly too, as females must be at least 3 years of age before they will breed. Sometimes it will take 4 or 5 years for them to breed. How long does it take an anaconda to mature?

Jim

Jim,

You have probably seen some of my posts where I praise Kelly's green anacondas. Can't say enough about Kelly, his partner Jud, and their exceptional snakes. You are a very experienced snake keeper and understand snake behavior and when a snake is really tame. I have kept snakes all my life and currently have 34 various boas and pythons including retics. The green anaconda I got from Kelly is not only the tamest snake in my collection by far, he is the tamest and most trustworthy snake I have ever encountered. I do believe Kelly's line of anacondas are genetically docile. From day one when I took him out of the shipping box he has NEVER showed any sign of aggression what so ever. Never a hiss, bump or posture. He loves to be handled. Not cage aggressive and no feeding response. I simply reach into the cage and pick him up bare handed with no hook use at all. When a person comes over to learn about snakes it is ironic that the first snake I let them hold with complete trust is a green anaconda. I highly recommend that you try one of Kelly's. I am getting a female this year. Bill.
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...three years ago it was just another snake cult...
The Retic is King.
Anacondas-the other Dark Side.
Afrocks-the dark side of the Dark Side.

After studying this dilemma (That of large burms and retics being basically discard snakes once they get to a certain size and no longer are a)Easily caged, or b)easily handled by ONE person) and reading the post concerning why not many anacondas are seen as full grown adults in collections, MY opinion, for what its woth is this:

a) People have a negative general sterotype of all anacondas because of the reputation wrought by wild caught individuals. I.E. not feeding, aggresion, parasitization etc etc

b) There are FEW quality breeders of anacondas, and little to no p.r. and articles to spark the interest of the snake buying people out there who might be interested.

c) ***COMMERCIALLY**** Both burms and retics have had HUGE glossy ad campaigns and websites devoted exclusively to them, and there has been a LOT of interest in different **COLOR MORPHS*** and ***SIZE/LOCALE MORPHS** Without these morphs these snakes would not be nearly as popular, nor as marketable as they currently are. Anacondas,on the other hand, come in the rare anery phase, an albino(What ever happened to that thing anyway?) and a few hypo yellows. All these are rare as hens teeth. Personally...I like natural occuring snakes more than morphs...for the most part. But the public has an insantiable appetite for anything **NEW***

d) I surmise that burms and retics may be easier to breed. I am not sure about this and leave that to those more knowledgeable here

Thoughts?

Fred Albury
Aztec Reptiles