Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 30, Number 10;   October, 2003

The Reticulated Python, Revisited

by Ed Ferrer

Why would a person consider the reticulated python as a pet choice? There are several reasons that make the "retic" attractive to a hobbyist considering a large snake. First of all, it is one of the most attractive snakes on the market! "Retics" have one of the most intricate and beautiful patterns of all snakes! They have a striking pattern of diamond-shaped blotches along the sides bordered with shades of black and yellow against a background color of gray, beige or brown. This pattern somewhat resembles that of a net. (The word "reticulated" means net-like.). There is a white spot associated with each blotch along the sides of the snake. The scales of this snake often reflect light to produce a wonderful iridescence that adds to its appeal. This pattern, although very striking in a captive setting, is very functional in its natural habitat because these same designs coupled with the leaves, sunlight and shadows of the jungle serve as an effective camouflage as it waits to ambush its prey. "Retics" have also proven to be hardy, undemanding captives with good feeding habits. Its large size plus its beautiful colors make it a truly impressive specimen.

After reading extensively about this creature it seems that the earlier reticulated pythons offered in the pet trade were normally wild caught individuals that were often nervous and aggressive when people tried to handle them. They were defensive and often reacted to handling by striking. This habit, together with its size and strength, added to its bad reputation among the herp world. It has been only in the past 10 years or so that reticulated pythons have been bred regularly in captivity. About that time also was the appearance of a mutation called the tiger retic. This snake's pattern featured more elongated ovals replacing the white spots and the net-like pattern was not continued on the top of the body. Instead the dorsal side featured a plain ground color with one broken stripe down the center. These attractive new animals caught the attention of many "herpers". These snakes seemed to be normally docile in nature and this added to their appeal. With the increased interest generated by this new mutation more people began to reconsider the reticulated python. Now there are different albino shades, super tiger patterns and dwarf reticulated pythons to add to the variety of this snake species..Encouraged by my research and conversations with noted python experts Bob Clark and Al Badago at regional reptile shows, I decided to add a "retic" to my collection. I first purchased a normal patterned specimen. Over the next few months it proved to be no more "nippy" than the rest of my collection. (That nippy distinction would go to Virdi, my green tree python.) I then traded my snake for a larger, yellow-headed "retic". This snake was an instant favorite with my students and proved to be one of the most docile snakes in my collection. It unfortunately died after about a year. I then bought another young yellow-headed specimen and after about 6 months I traded it for my first tiger "retic". My experience with all of them has shown me that their reputation for being always too aggressive is misleading. I consider their temperament to be very similar to my Burmese pythons. However, I am quick to point out that all these snakes should be treated with caution and respect. Whenever I reach into their cage to get them, I am careful to move slowly so I don't alarm them. Often I will slowly put a pillowcase over their head until I pick them up. I have never had a problem or been bitten while handling my snakes by following these simple procedures.

Reticulated pythons are becoming more popular with the herp community. With the different patterns and sizes now available, this popularity will surely increase. However, that doesn't mean that a reticulated python is for everyone. After all, this species holds the record as the world's longest snake. The official record length is 32 feet and 9½ inches of an individual specimen caught in 1912 in Celebes, Indonesia. Since then there has been a standing (uncollected) reward of $50,000 for anyone who can find any snake today that exceeds 30 feet. Although due to habitat destruction and hunting for its skin and meat, there will probably never be another snake approaching that length, they do often reach lengths of over 20 feet. The longest snake in captivity was a 26 foot reticulated python named Samantha of the Bronx Zoo. (She recently died.) Anyone considering a large python should remember these common sense precautions:

1. Never handle a large snake (over 8 feet long) alone.
2. Never allow the scent of a prey animal to get on or near you when handling a large snake.
3. Never allow a large snake to roam freely in a room also occupied by people.
4. Always keep your large snake in a securely locked, escape-proof cage.
5. Never handle a large snake after drinking alcoholic beverages. (DUH!)

If, after considering all the responsibilities of keeping a large constricting snake, you still want one, I think that a reticulated python would be an impressive addition to any collection.