Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The retics being sold on the classifieds at inflated prices as Super Dwarf are not true Super Dwarfs. Most ads mention that they are of Kayuadi locale... Kayuadi dwarf retics do stay smaller than Jampea retics, but they are still larger than Super Dwarfs. I have 2 very mean Kayuadi retic females. Both are wild caught and were imported in 1999 as babies. Both are now over 10 feet and due to their aggressive nature are very difficult to handle.

The actual locale of Super Dwarf retics is supposed to be a small unnamed island in the Flores Sea, not Kayuadi, or Jampea, or any other known dwarf retic locale. Anyone buying into these "Super Dwarfs" is buying into a mislabeled animal.

As a fair warning to anyone interested in purchasing these snakes, dwarf retics are more difficult to acclimate than normal retics and will often develop very bad mouthrot. I know of many that have been lost because they never got over their mouthrot. Just know what you are getting yourself into before purè ing these snakes.

Some of these ads actually have pics included (most don't), and it is obvious to me that these animals are NOT TRUE SUPER DWARVES (as the dealers claim). Kayuadis have a very distinct look, and so do the super dwarves. I will soon post comparison pics of some of their distinguishing characteristics. I contacted one of these dealers and asked him if he had any evidence of them being "true" super dwarves (collection info, import/export documentation) and he couldn't provide me with squat.

I had also been contemplating posting a thread like this... thanks foxturtle. I hope these animals can survive long enough to breed (a difficult task in and of itself). It's not like they come from huge mainland populations... I just hope they were collected legitimately (not likely), and that the wild population can withstand the pressure. Oh, and acclimation is a constant process. Most of these animals NEVER settle down, and constantly rub their noses. Kayuadis are VERY active in comparison to normal retics.

From the information I have been able to obtain, these appear to be of the true super dwarf type. I have a pair from Kalatoa that I acquired as hatchlings earlier this year. They are now 6 months old, have been feeding extremely well on fuzzy and weanling rats since they were a month old, and are still just under 3 feet. They have a good solid build and are not hyper at all; rarely have I seen them moving around the enclosure. Not only does it appear that they are a smaller snake, they also have a slightly different color and pattern than the retics of Tanahjampea or Kayuadi origin.

Kelly

shoot me an e-mail... seerbee@msn.com

thanks!
cory