Reticulated Python or Burmese Python?

[AndyG.]

Um, who is going to be killed by an 8 foot snake, whether its a burm or retic? A 20 footer poses at least 10x the danger.

You've obviously never kept large constrictors.

What I said was that an 8' snake can kill you just easily as a 20' snake and that's a fact. Anyone with long term large constrictor experiance will no doubt agree, to that fact.

 

[A. gigas]

I'm with Andy on this one. My four foot Burm continues to amaze me with just how strong he is. I imagine him at 8 feet, and I think it's safe to say that he could very easily kill someone. As it is, one time I had him resting on my shoulders, and I stumbled a little. He instantly held tight onto my neck to prevent himself from falling, and until I got him off, it was actually quite difficult to breathe. NEVER underestimate these animals, you're a dead man the moment you do so. If anything, it will never be the huge, mean one that gets you. (Whether it be python, crocodile, monitor lizard, whatever.) It will be the one that you underestimate. Guaranteed.

 

[Wiggles92]

I voted for Burms.. in general my experiance with these snakes have been the most positive... I've owned one. and worked with many. but upon reading further. I would have to agree with Andy. doesn't matter how big or small you are. I'm actually proof of this being a fairly petite female, and never being majorly harmed by large snakes. big or small NEVER take for granted the animal.

The best thing I can compare them to which you'll prolly have a real good understanding to relate it to is an alligator gar. You are looking at getting a large predetory animal that doesn't understand our language. I'm def not trying to talk you out of it. But as rewarding as large snakes can be the same can be said for their potential danger. and the other big thing is a large snake gets out verse a fish.. lol it won't be flopping on the floor.

I miss my burm very much, she was an amazing pet. and enjoy visiting my snake buddies who still have scaley pets. My husband and I talked about me getting a new one eventually, but ultimately decided against it. We also have a cat, and will soon be parents. an escaped large snake is not something to take lightly. They are a potential danger not just to the humans in the house but other pets.

all things to really think about before takeing the leap.

I also would offer prolly my 1 bit of "wisdom" in dealing with large snakes. Always feed them in a special "cage" giant rubber totes with holes drilled in them are particularly useful. I've also used large livestock troughs with custom screens. Never associate food in any way with the tank itself opening. I've used this trick alone in calming down otherwise "Crazy" snakes. And it's a good habit for you and the snake to get into. Everytime the snake goes into the set space it's food is already dead waiting there for it. no associating with handlers scent and the food, 'nore it's general enclosure. Just that designated area.

Yes, that's why I was going to build a feeding chute of sorts (with double doors) on the enclosure. I figured that way it would associate the opening of the second door to the chute with feeding time rather than when I open the main door on the front of the enclosure.

As for the burm part, I would love a full-size one or a dwarf/half-dwarf, but I can't seem to find any decently priced dwarfs or half-dwarf plus a full-size one is best left for a few years down the road.

She's 15' - 16'...my female is 14' and acts the exact same way.

I'm not going to try and talk you out of a Retic...I haven't from the start. They're amazing snakes and they're rewarding to work with but the risks are there.

I think you'll be very happy with a Super Dwarf. They can be a bit flighty and more nervous than most Retics but they're great little snakes, with alot of personality. My 2003 100% pure female is only 5' long.

Garrick has amazing stock and at $300, for a 66% poss het, you can't go wrong.

Sounds good to me. I figure that a dwarf or super dwarf is the best way to go, and those $300 ones that fall somewhere in between the two are the best deal I can find from a great breeder. I figure that this will act as a stepping stone for moving on to maybe a dwarf retic/burm or a Jampea or half-dwarf burm which will then prepare me for a full-size snake of one of the two species (yes, I'm up for having at least three medium to extra-large constrictors).

I will point out that they are half SD, not pure SD.

So they should top out around 10' or so?

Um, who is going to be killed by an 8 foot snake, whether its a burm or retic? A 20 footer poses at least 10x the danger.

You've obviously never kept large constrictors.

What I said was that an 8' snake can kill you just easily as a 20' snake and that's a fact. Anyone with long term large constrictor experiance will no doubt agree, to that fact.

I definitely agree with you on this one even though I lack large constrictor experience: All it takes is the snake wrapping a few coils around your neck and squeezing then it's the end for you if you can't get it off. And that's why it's a bad idea to let a snake be around your neck.

I'm with Andy on this one. My four foot Burm continues to amaze me with just how strong he is. I imagine him at 8 feet, and I think it's safe to say that he could very easily kill someone. As it is, one time I had him resting on my shoulders, and I stumbled a little. He instantly held tight onto my neck to prevent himself from falling, and until I got him off, it was actually quite difficult to breathe. NEVER underestimate these animals, you're a dead man the moment you do so. If anything, it will never be the huge, mean one that gets you. (Whether it be python, crocodile, monitor lizard, whatever.) It will be the one that you underestimate. Guaranteed.

Agreed.

That reminds me of when I had a small common snapping turtle (12" shell) and a spiny softshell hatchling (2" shell). Here I was pretty cautious with the snapper, but I wasn't terribly worried about getting bitten by the softshell because of its size. The darn softshell ended up reaching its head clear to the back of its shell one time and then proceed to bite me! That thing was way meaner than any snapper that I have ever dealt with, and I've handled some big ones (18" shell) with no trouble at all beyond a few scratches from the hind claws!

 

[Joe M]

You've obviously never kept large constrictors.

What I said was that an 8' snake can kill you just easily as a 20' snake and that's a fact. Anyone with long term large constrictor experiance will no doubt agree, to that fact.

You obviously don't know me. I've had several retics and at least 5 burms in the past and some massive red tails, as has my uncle. I stated that earlier in the thread. I have never considered having help with any snake that was 8 feet long, especially retics. The things are not thick at all at that point. You could easily kill the thing if you were in any real danger. And I am not opposed to breaking one's neck if it means me not being injured.

I've had extensive expirience with large constrictors, and I've never had an issue with anything under 12 feet. I appreciate your vast knowledge of my expiriences with snakes, but I don't agree with you. That must make me wrong, right?

And I am sorry, but it is a whole different game when you have a 20 foot snake than an 8 footer. Don't pretend it's the same. I would never consider touching a 20 foot constrictor without several other people with me. I'm far from stupid or arrogant, but I just don't feel threatened by a snake that is the thickness of my arm and is only eight feet long.

 

[Joe M]

I'm with Andy on this one. My four foot Burm continues to amaze me with just how strong he is. I imagine him at 8 feet, and I think it's safe to say that he could very easily kill someone. As it is, one time I had him resting on my shoulders, and I stumbled a little. He instantly held tight onto my neck to prevent himself from falling, and until I got him off, it was actually quite difficult to breathe. NEVER underestimate these animals, you're a dead man the moment you do so. If anything, it will never be the huge, mean one that gets you. (Whether it be python, crocodile, monitor lizard, whatever.) It will be the one that you underestimate. Guaranteed.

It's hard to make that assumption until you have held an eight footer. I know some people don't agree, but to me an 8 foot snake is nothing special. I've dealt with them many times before, and I have been bitten and had them constrict on me before. I have NEVER felt any danger, and if your prepared and you stay calm its generally no problem at all. An eight foot snake has power, but it doesn't have hands and it doesn't really understand leverage. And I have never put a constrictor around my neck. That is, no offence, but it's kinda stupid. The thing I worry most about is infection after a bite, and getting bit by a large snake is no fun.

I'm not suggesting anyone do this, but it just doesn't bother me. I've never had an issue before.

 

[A. gigas]

You obviously don't know me. I've had several retics and at least 5 burms in the past and some massive red tails, as has my uncle. I stated that earlier in the thread. I have never considered having help with any snake that was 8 feet long, especially retics. The things are not thick at all at that point. You could easily kill the thing if you were in any real danger. And I am not opposed to breaking one's neck if it means me not being injured.

I've had extensive expirience with large constrictors, and I've never had an issue with anything under 12 feet. I appreciate your vast knowledge of my expiriences with snakes, but I don't agree with you. That must make me wrong, right?

An 8 foot retic is still plenty thick to kill you.. You might be surprised how hard it will be when the moment actually comes, to even locate the head. And that's under the best of circumstances. In a situation like that, it's not unlikely to lose your motor controls in your fingers and such. And if it's around your neck, suffocation isn't the issue, it's that the snake will cut off the blood flow through the arteries to the brain. No matter how thick it is, you would have more or less 30 seconds until you pass out from lack of blood flow to the brain, and you'd be dead within a minute. Bottom line. To me, that's just not a risk I'm willing to take. One big mistake, one slip up, and you don't get a second try.

 

[A. gigas]

It's hard to make that assumption until you have held an eight footer. I know some people don't agree, but to me an 8 foot snake is nothing special. I've dealt with them many times before, and I have been bitten and had them constrict on me before. I have NEVER felt any danger, and if your prepared and you stay calm its generally no problem at all. An eight foot snake has power, but it doesn't have hands and it doesn't really understand leverage. And I have never put a constrictor around my neck. That is, no offence, but it's kinda stupid. The thing I worry most about is infection after a bite, and getting bit by a large snake is no fun.

I'm not suggesting anyone do this, but it just doesn't bother me. I've never had an issue before.

Which I have, multiple times..

 

[Joe M]

An 8 foot retic is still plenty thick to kill you.. You might be surprised how hard it will be when the moment actually comes, to even locate the head. And that's under the best of circumstances. In a situation like that, it's not unlikely to lose your motor controls in your fingers and such. And if it's around your neck, suffocation isn't the issue, it's that the snake will cut off the blood flow through the arteries to the brain. No matter how thick it is, you would have more or less 30 seconds until you pass out from lack of blood flow to the brain, and you'd be dead within a minute. Bottom line. To me, that's just not a risk I'm willing to take. One big mistake, one slip up, and you don't get a second try.

Look, there is no point to me arguing. Apparently I am just making crap up for fun. I never mentioned suffocation, and like I said, a snake has never been close to my neck. They are always held away from my body. Its all about the preperation. I have had a retic constrict on me ONE time. I made an error trying to reach fro a cage door. The snake grabbed my upper leg, fourtunately I was wearing thick jeans and the teeth did minimal damage. The snake wrapped on my leg and lower body, and that was a non issue, the snake was just over 7 feet. I have done it hundreds of times. I have gotten to know the animals, and I have a pretty good idea of when something is wrong. I'm far from careless, and I never will be. It's not worth it. Its a risk you take dealing with big snakes. I accept it, some others don't. That is fine with me.


I'm done with this, as apparently I'm wrong in whatever I say. I have the first hand expirience from several years of working with them, but your opinion is obviously superior because you've held one a few times. I apologize for not realizing that earlier.

 

[Wiggles92]

Look, there is no point to me arguing. Apparently I am just making crap up for fun. I never mentioned suffocation, and like I said, a snake has never been close to my neck. They are always held away from my body. Its all about the preperation. I have had a retic constrict on me ONE time. I made an error trying to reach fro a cage door. The snake grabbed my upper leg, fourtunately I was wearing thick jeans and the teeth did minimal damage. The snake wrapped on my leg and lower body, and that was a non issue, the snake was just over 7 feet. I have done it hundreds of times. I have gotten to know the animals, and I have a pretty good idea of when something is wrong. I'm far from careless, and I never will be. It's not worth it. Its a risk you take dealing with big snakes. I accept it, some others don't. That is fine with me.


I'm done with this, as apparently I'm wrong in whatever I say. I have the first hand expirience from several years of working with them, but your opinion is obviously superior because you've held one a few times. I apologize for not realizing that earlier.

I think his point is that such a snake has the capacity to kill you and should be respected as you very well realize and do based on your posts. Now the likelihood of this happening is much smaller than with a larger snake especially if you follow safe handling techniques including the ones that you and others have mentioned.

 

[Joe M]

I think his point is that such a snake has the capacity to kill you and should be respected as you very well realize and do based on your posts. Now the likelihood of this happening is much smaller than with a larger snake especially if you follow safe handling techniques including the ones that you and others have mentioned.

I totally agree. The fact also remains that as far as I know, no adult human has ever been killed by a constrictor under 18-20 feet. I am not 100% on that, but I am fairly certain. That doesn't mean it wont happen, but it is very unlikely. I have seen people handle them with no respect whatsoever, and you never hear of people being killed by them. I think there have been 12 deaths by pythons since 1980. 6 of them were very small children and the rest were taken down by huge snakes that those individuals had no business handling or even being in the same room with.

People shouldn't take this as a reason for them to get one, thinking that they are easy to handle, because they aren't. But the facts are there and they show that someone like me, a 6 foot 3 inch tall, 18 year old healthy guy who is accustomed to dealing with large snakes, being taken out by an 8 foot python is rediculous.

And to Andy and A. Gigas, if I offended any of you I apologize. I was just trying to make a point and I'm a little passionate about reptiles, if you can't tell.