Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have lots of expirience with boas and i want to get a larger snake even thogh my biggest redtail is 14'.

do male retics stay smaller than females?

all in all how do the 2 snakes compare?

like i said i have lots of expirience, so which snake should i go with?

You have a 14 foot boa constrictor!?! Please do post pics, I'd love to see them

14' Boa....hhmmm. OH well. Burm would be the best choice in my opinion.

14' boa.....believe it when i see it. if you have so much experience then why are you asking this question? you should already know the way these two snakes grow, feed, temperments, etc.

If you are a minor, and it sounds like you are, then you shouldn't own either....a 14' boa? I really would have to see it to believe it. Stick with the smaller species of boas/pythons until you are older, have your own place, etc. A retic, whether male or females, is FAR different in behaviors than a burm. Both can get quite large and are much more active when out of their cage. Burms are much more placid. But, as I said, if you are a younger person, I would hold off for a while.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>i have lots of expirience with boas and i want to get a larger snake even thogh my biggest redtail is 14'.
>>
>>do male retics stay smaller than females?
>>
>>all in all how do the 2 snakes compare?
>>
>>like i said i have lots of expirience, so which snake should i go with?
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

i will be 21 in september. as for the boa i will look for some of her pics i have she is much biger than alot of burms, although i dont think she will live much longer she is 20 she belonged to my uncle before i got her.

as for the rectic can you guys tell me more of the differences between the 2 snakes. iv always wanted a retic.
i can provide the best care for either one and money is not an issue.

Did you ever see Scott Michaels large boa? I can fully believe there are boas as large as he said in captivity but it certainly isn't common.

yeah she is huge

The largest boa I ever saw was a shade over 14'; she was massive but other than that, it is a true rarity to see anything over 12'...that's why I tend to be skeptical when I hear reports; but I'd love to see a pic of this boa.

>>yeah she is huge
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

With only one exception, I've never seen a boa larger than 10 feet in person, although I've definately looked

My female just shed today and her skin is 1 1/2 feet longer than her last shed! I know skin stretches during ecdysis but I assumed it was the same everytime. I'm looking forward to taking her out and getting a new measurement !

i think im going to go ahead and get the retic, a yellow head or tiger.

I really wanted to refrain from making this post. If you will be 21 in September then I am not much older than you and I do have members in my herpetological society about your age who do keep and have kept retics. As rare as it is to find a 14' boa constrictor it is rare you find someone of this age who is actually ready and knowledgebable enough to keep retics and burms. There is actually only one member of my group who does this and I do agree he knows what he is doing. However, while all his snakes are locked up and in a separate room, his life is very unstable and it makes it very difficult. Please remember this will be the case for you. I noticed you mentioned "cost is not a problem" and I don't mean to pry but why is this? It is not common to find someone of your age who is in such an excellent financial situation. Anyway, I would be a hypocrit if I were to say you are certainly not ready for this snake as I got into anacondas when I was only a bit younger than you actually. I can also say from experience you need to be different than the rest of your peers. I am willing to bet I know more about anacondas than nearly anyone in my state. There was actually a high school biology teacher nearby where I live who published a book on anacondas and I would love to speak with him. I can tell you I used to spend spring breaks in Cancun right up until I began working with anacondas (it never happened since). It changes your life and you cannot live like a normal person your age. Getting to the point, if you feel you fit this category I can tell you reticulated pythons do seem to be highly more alert. They are very active and you should not be fooled by misconceptions about them being slimmer bodied snakes. While slightly slimmer than burmese pythons they carry equal or more strength since many burmese pythons you see are thick from obesity more than anything. They are also not as slim as people might lead you to believe. They move a lot and they will keep you on your toes. A friend of similar or greater experience is a must when dealing with one. I have kept retics but if you would like to e-mail me I can give you contact information to a kid in my organization who has kept many more. I would trust what he knows about retics more than 90% of the people on these forums. If Rob Carmichael has contacted you, I would also treat his words as gold. Dealing with these animals is not something to take lightly.

thanks for your time.
the money is not an issue because im a very well established artist and have designed characters for a very well known video game, you would know who i was if i told you, so money is no problem at all.
as for someone there to help my roomate is into snakes just ass much as i am hes a boa guy as well, he dosnt know as much as i do but he is as knowlageable enogh to help.
i wont be getting the snke for another month or two but i would apristiate(sp?) it if i could get that contact info from you.

thanks

i would also like to add i have know plans on breeding my retic, it will just be a "pet".

which is why im going to get an albino or tiger