Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ive been thinking about getting a big snake but i dont know which is better? what differences on size? attitude? handle?
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Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

Retics are way better. In my opinion, of course. I like labyrinths, but burms in gereral are bulky and slow. Retics are agile and very alert. When it comes to color and pattern, I've always been hypnotized by that net pattern and the white diamonds. A great looking normal is more amazing than any morph. But albino retics are basically the only truly attractive albino. There's no snake that looks like a lavender or purple albino retic. Retics are way more satisfying all around.

I would have to agree retics are better My opinion of coarse. as long as a retic is raised and handled properly they can be just as gentle as any burm . they are just not as relaxed as burms and are just more active. owning both can be very rewarding as long as you keep them properly. having a 14 ft burm and 13 retics myself I do know the rewards of owning a big beautiful contrictor. but no matter what safety is the key in proper handling .here are a couple of pics. the first pic is buttercup and she is in full blue. all my snakes have benn handled when in blue since they were hatchlings, except buttercup she was 9ft when she arrived , but with handling her the way I have she has done great.Hope this helps. just remember they are not for everyone and if it is possible to get some experience before you purchase it is always a good idea

Thanks for the info. Those are nice snakes u got there
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Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

Those are two good looking kids you have there. You talk about proper handling then show both boys with the head of a retic near their faces. Their hands are no where near close enought to the snakes head to prevent a facial strike. I hope it never happens. I agree that proper handling at all times is important, no matter how tame we think these medium or large constrictors are. Any snake is similar to any dog is the sense that if it has teeth it may bite. Please exercise caution. Rusty

Good point BUT ...as any dog has the ability to bite , i put my face next to my dogs all the time , i have never been bitten.. there is a difference though between a snake and a dog...snakes can be unpredictable however you "get to know" a snakes behavior and you can tell when a snake is irritated or may lash out... i feel if he knows his snakes as well as i know mine his child is in no danger... snakes dont just bite for no reason... they bite to eat or out of agression or protection ...
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Safari Tom
See'em Touch'em Save'em
www.SafariTom.com

Both species become very large over time. Both can be easy going if handled frequently as they grow and mature. But generally speaking, retics tend to be much more of a handful at any age. They are very energetic and always on the move. They can be very strong willed and forceful when they have it in their mind that they want to do something or go somewhere. When they are small, say under 10-12 feet, this is not much of a hardship. But when they reach huge sizes and weights and have greater strength this can pose quite a difficulty. When you try to stop a 200 pound 20 foot female from roaming where she wants to roam she can toss you around and you definitely may need help. Retics become frustrated when they are hampered or hindered in their roamings. And they show it.

Burms on the other hand tend to be much more laid back and can be very gentle. They tend to be more sedentary, slow and deliberate in their movements. They can usually also be guided and dissuaded in their slow roamings and direction by simply placing a hand in front of their face and guiding them back the way you want them to go. Burms take most physical restriction in stride and don't seem to ever become overly frustrated. This of course pertaining to already "tame" burmese".

In my opinion retics are for the more experienced, much more dedicated herper that already has a few years of burm experience and who can tolerate oodles of 'terrible 2's' python attitude and behavior.

I know that a lot of well respected members in the forum consider burmese to be a difficult species to keep that require a great deal of prior python experience simply due to their eventual size alone. But I think that burmese can be very easy going and easy for almost anyone with virtually any snake experience to keep safely. Just so long as you don't mind a snake that has to be guided rather than carried in 8 to 10 years.

In either case I highly recommend novice keepers to only begin with a newly hatched specimen so as to be able to "grow with it" as it grows and matures. By this I mean that your knowledge and experience grows as the snake grows and thus your daily hands-on experience and knowledge paces any challenges a larger snake would pose as your snake reaches these larger sizes.

I hope this helps anyone reading this that is considering either species as a pet. In any case it is essential that one learns all proper husbandry prior to obtaining ANY species. I also recommend that all snakes over 8 feet should not be handled if a second, experienced person is not present. Simply as a common everyday failsafe mechanism.
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David Beauchemin
High End Herps.Inc
http://HighEndHerps.com

Thanks. This is very helpful
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Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

David good responce but the one thing we should also mention is just because burms are more layed back, more people are bitten by letting their gaurd down with them . Thinking that it is a gentle giant . Here we hook train every animal , so feed responce bite and such dont happen. Seems to me that people are just more aware of the dangers from retics and not burms , why I dont know. they are both very stronge animals when they get big...
sorry for the ramble

You're absolutely correct. I forgot to mention that very important "Golden Rule" of keeping large, potentially dangerous python species.

Never become complacent!

Thanks for bringing this up as it is in fact very important to never forget. The moment ANY of us become complacent, no matter how experienced we may think we are, WHAM! we take one on the chin. And in the case of the big guys we may not ever get a second chance to get it right. So it's very important to never become complacent.

Always watch for any and all potential feeding responses.

Always watch for any potential defensive body language, etc, that could result in a strike.

Always be on guard.

Always expect the worst.
Our Website

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

I like retics better because they are more active and and just sitting there wait to be fed.

It mainly depends on the indiviual animal. Get what ever it is burm or retic from a good source and you won't be disappointed.

IMO, like most. They are both great snakes. First thing you have to think about is Male or Female. I had a female Burm that was 4 years old and 13ft over 100 lbs and still growing. I loved this snake. It was my first big snake I had and I grew with it and learned a lot. I was always worried about so called stero types of the retic to get one. I then went with a Super Tiger and got a He. I have to say he is always active but when I hold him he sometimes moves and sometimes just likes to sit there. The Burm just the oppisite, just sat there. But once when I took her out side at that current size she got on the move, and I saw the power and speed they have. I got stupid and put the guard down for a second. Both snakes are awesome looking, a normal Burm is also one of the best looking ones. I have also been told that retics are stronger health wise then burms. They recover faster and don't get sick as easy. Again this is what I am told. I love big snakes. My first snake was a boa and a couple months later I got a burm and then have not looked back. I would not be suprised if you liked what you got you got the other kind. Its addicting.

Good Luck
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0.2 Rotts
1.0 Super Tiger
1.0 Amel Retic
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Red Tail
0.1 Blood Python
1.0 Green Ananconda
1.0 Emerald Tree Boa

The drawback to your question(s) is that there is really only one way to know which of the two snakes is right for you is to own one. Regardless of the excellent advice you're being given your mind can still change. There are pros and cons to each species. Burms are shorter but heavier, blah blah blah blah

So here is what I suggest to any adult buying a reptiles off of me. Write out a pros & cons list for each species and carefully read their care sheets. Then make your decision. Keep in mind that they get huge, eat a lot, & require a lot of space. Not to mention time and effort and they live a long time. Are you prepared to do all this for 15-25 years?

Just trying to give some food for though.
Best of luck in your decision.
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Christine
Tails With Scales Reptiles
Looks, brains, and venom . . . . how do I stay single?

Thank you for your input.
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Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles