Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I was just looking for a little info on Dwarf retics. Info such as their max size, disposition, and cost would be great. Also, how are they bred to be "dwarf"

thanks
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-Ball Python
-Tangerine Corn Snake
-Het for Snow Corn
-Ghost Corn

I will try to take a stab at this one. The dwarf retics are not bred to be dwarfs. Purebred dwarfs which some feel are a subspecies of Python reticulatus. They call this subspecies Python reticulatus jampeanus ssp., or better known as a Jampea dwarf. They are from a small island chain located in the Flores Sea. One of the islands that they are found on is called Tanahjampea. These retics are smaller then there mainland cousins. Some claim them to stay in the 5' - 7' range. I believe this to be incorrect. Mine are 3 1/2 yrs old now and my females are somewhere in the neighborhood of 12' - 13'. The male is just less than 10'. Mine are purebreds that the Baldogos produced in 2001.

As for the disposition I would say great, but don’t get confused and think they will not strike. If I open the glass quickly I am greeted buy a flying set of teeth looking for food. Once they realize its me they are fine. I would say they are a little more active then my tigers or super tiger.

I cannot help you with cost. I have not kept up with the latest prices. I will tell you this though. Be very careful thinking that just because someone claims a retic to be a dwarf does not mean that it is. Take for instance a tiger bred to a Jampea. They then are sold as dwarf tigers. I feel this is a shame because they are no longer dwarfs. What they become is a retic that has a washed out pattern that will get big but not as large as the norm. Their adult size should surely be larger then a true dwarf. Also the claims of the Bali retics being dwarfs are utter nonsense. There have been Bali retics found that have been over 16’. Is that a dwarf? I think not.

Jim

What was said in post is very correct. Cost of True dwarfs supers,jamps and the like are 250 for a cheap WC and usually more than 400.00 for a CB. Now with the dwarf tiger I will state this that in 5 years you will be amazed at the size of one of these. I think 15ft. I think "Dwarf" and retic when used together is not really going go be that small of a snake I mean they are the longest snake in the world.

Nerd has a female Jampea Approaching or may have already reached 15ft in length. Bali's are not dwarfs at all! Bali is a heavily populated city and all larger specimens are killed and or skinned. Remember these small w.c. "dwarfs" seem to double and sometimes tripple in size once they have been c.b.b. Just some things to think about,

John

I personaly have only one Jampea over 10' and she is huge for a Jampea, near 13'. I am positive that raising a jampea to anywhere near 15' is somthing that you would realy need to work to do. It would be like raising a normal over 25'. Somthing we are positive is possible but due to the size of food and feeding frequency not likly to happen. Keep in mind we have several adults wich we have owned for 5 years, both cb and wc... Also it is true that CB animals are more likly to reach larger sizes. At the moment there has not been a single report of a wild jampea over 8-9ft to my knowledge and animals have been found gravid at 6'. I think that there is a understanding now that most Jampea animals will avrage around 10' in captivity, some will be larger and some smaller. Shaun D