CHARACTERISTICS:
A snake with a huge size potential, and an undeserved bad reputation. Some specimensmay behave more aggressively than othert boids. Retics have an a strong feeding response and wild caughts are terrified which has given them a reputation as being nasty . Wild caught and unhandled snakes may be difficult to handle and will bite to escape.Captive born retics are often friendly and grow to be wonderful beast. More alert than many other boids. If raised properly in captivity and handled frequently they can be excellent animals. Avoid large wild caught snakes, they are typically aggressive and may never establish themselves as suitable pets. Initially an animal may be apt to bite(use gloves) due to fear but with handling, trust must be established and biting should cease. Typically, as an animal grows larger (12'+) in captivity it will slow down and become more personable.
REQUIREMENTS:
Tropical temperatures of 80 - 92F. Enclosure length should allow the animal to stretch out half itsÕ length and width a third to half of the animalÕs length. Purchase captive born babies whenever possible, they are surprisingly tame but rare. Ensure an animal is feeding.
DIET:
Mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits.
SIZE & LIFE SPAN:
Lengths of 16'+ are common, sizes of 25' occur. May live 25+ years in captivity.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Keeper should have previous experience with larger boids and be comfortable with their care and handling. Not a suitable beginners snake. Reticulated pythons are usually what their keeper has made them. If properly kept by a knowledgeable owner they behave well and are a spectacular sight as a large tame python.
BREEDING:
Sexual maturity reached in the first 2 - 4 years. Refer to the Sexing care card if sex is unknown. Males breed at 7 - 9' and females 11'+. Breeding season in captivity: September - March. Stop all feeding at this time. Animals should have excellent weight and be established before any breeding is attempted. Breeding may be induced by reducing daytime photo periods to 8 - 10 hours and dropping nighttime temperatures into the mid 70Õs. Introduce the female into the males cage, never house two adult males together the injuries can be horrific.Careful when handling males in breeding season. Misting the animals with water may be beneficial. Lays 25 - 80+ eggs, maternally incubates. Incubation temperature 88 - 90F(optimal), 80-90 days to hatch. Infrequently bred in captivity.
MUTATIONS:
Normal, Yellow Head, Calico, Albino, Tiger, Super Tiger, Jaguar and island forms.
STATUS IN THE WILD:
Wide spread throughout its range but diminishing. Used extensively for the skin and meat trade. Animals also fall victim to the Asian ritual of blood drinking and gall bladder removal. When encountered in its natural state by humans it is killed.
DISTRIBUTION:
Ranges throughout Thailand, Indonesia to the Philippine Islands.
FEEDING:
A baby retic should begin feeding on weanling mice(21 days old) or rat crawlers. A snake may be induced to feed by placing it in a locking plastic shoe box style container(with air holes) with crumpled newspaper and leaving it for an hour, then introducing a food item. At 3', the snake is large enough for weanling rats. At 5', it is capable of consuming adult rats. Frequent feedings of 1 - 2 times weekly will result in quick growth and a healthy animal. It may be wise to consider how large you wish the snake to get, feed less often to slow the growth rate. Feed at least once every 10 days, when the snake begins feeding on large meals such as rabbits feeding can occur less frequently. Many animals may be conditioned to accept pre-killed or thawed warmed rodents at feed time. This technique is safer, than feeding live rodents since this prevents the snake from being bitten by a rodent. Shedding is dependent on the animalÕs growth rate and condition and may occur every 3-6. African rock pythons may refuse feeding attempts while shedding. Avoid handling after a sizable meal; it is stressful and may cause regurgitation. Never leave a rodent in the snakeÕs cage for lengthy periods; a rodent can cause serious damage to your pet! Provide food and water for any rodent left in the snakeÕs cage longer than 30 minutes. Never handle rodents and then handle a snake; you may be mistaken as food. Develop proper feeding habits. As the snake grows to lengths exceeding 6' it may be wise to feed the snake only dead rodents and move it to a feeding container prior to food offering. If moved to a feeding container for all feedings it may become conditioned not to expect food while in itsÕ cage. This may reduce the possibility of being mistaken as a food item by an over zealous feeder. Best method is to place dead rodent in container and let snake discover it, encourages gentle food acquisition.Maintain feeding and health records.
RELUCTANT FEEDERS:
May be more apt to eat at night or with lights off, and may prefer to ambush prey from a hide box. Try a variety of rodents and sizes. Is the animal sick? Reduce handling to a minimum. If an animal refuses all feeding attempts and appears to be wasting, consult a veterinarian or experienced herper.
HANDLING:
Always support a snakeÕs body; avoid fast movements. Do not treat the snake as a toy. Avoid techniques which restricts a snakeÕs movement. Avoid public situations which draw attention to the animal since this is stressful to the animal and possibly your audience. A nervous snake may occasionally bite; if biting occurs and is a problem, wear gloves. The handler must convince the snake that it is safe, trust must be learned. Snakes bite for two reasons: they have mistaken you as food or they are in fear for their safety. Snakes do not bite because they are mean.