Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have been seeing alot of ads on these snakes and was curious as to how many are actually sold, being that this species gets so large. Is it a case of people buying babies and not realizing how big they will get, or do that many people really have the space for these snakes?

That's the question a lot of people are contemplating right now. No one really knows an accurate answer. I have three and yes I have the space for them. I have no kids, and all my pets save for one pug are outside. My wife wanted to try them and we have done our research on them. That's one drop in the bucket for the responsible keepers. It seems to me like a split decision on who keeps what and how responsible they are. Our society is and has been a now society. With little questions asked and information readily avaiable these days. People seem to not want to be responsible for much anymore these days unless they are truly passionate about something. I can't really speak for anyone else. All I can offer is that my wife and I are true herp lovers and do all that we can to be responsible for our herps because the eye is on everyone who keeps and or breeds these animals. You have bad eggs with any hobby. Weeding out the bad eggs is hard to do. As far as space for large constrictors goes...you either have it, you don't, or you make it. I'm hoping that most will agree with me on this.

I have 3...I have room for them, but it took some doing. If I do any breeding, it'll be dwarfs/superdwarfs though, due to the size issue. Cause I really have a hard time thinking I'd find 40 people able to keep a 20' long snake and willing to pay anything worth going to all that work for...

But I do loves my yellowhead

my 2 cents on this is, i see retic/burm/rock/anaconda keepers or want to be keepers as being broke down into 4 categories. first- you have the true keepers for the love of the snake and everything that goes with it. second- you have the people that see a little snake and think how "cute it is" and impulse buy, then when it hits 12 feet and beyond, they are ready to sell it or abandon it or god forbid, just let it loose. third- you have the people that buy it simply for the coolness factor. and last but not least- you have the flippers. they buy at wholesale prices, and just want to make whatever money they can off of them. cant prove any of this or show any hardcore evidence, but just my own opinion and what i have witnessed in my time with snakes, especially the giants
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retic is king of kings

1.0 Tiger Retic
1.0 Albino Tiger Retic
0.1 Striped Tiger Retic (het albino)
0.1 Salmon Boa
1.0 Albino Boa
0.1 False Water Cobra

That's a pretty good break down of it. Seems like it is the most logical.

What would you say are the percentages of each of those 4 catagories that you named, from your experience?

Thank God for those of you who are truly responsible keepers.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

in my experience (as well as a little educated guess), i would say that, if out of a 100 people that buy/sell/trade large snakes: 40% are true good keepers and do it because they love it. then i would say 30% are the ones that buy to be the cool one in the group to have a very large snake in the near future. then i would say 25% would be the flippers. and the rest fall in that last 5%. unfortunately its that 30% (in my opinion of course), that is a huge part of the reason the hr669 is around and will continue to linger, and probably end up being passed, at somepoint
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retic is king of kings

1.0 Tiger Retic
1.0 Albino Tiger Retic
0.1 Striped Tiger Retic (het albino)
0.1 Salmon Boa
1.0 Albino Boa
0.1 False Water Cobra