Care Sheet for Reticulated PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.24 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 08/08/2004 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Reticulated Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Xandra |
Years Experience: | 15 to 20 Years |
Species: | Giant Snake |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Females tend to grow larger than males. Both sexes are giant snakes...15-30+ feet. This is the largest (longest) snake in the world. Most are over 200 lbs. some are even in the high 300 lb range. Anacondas weigh up to 550lbs. |
Mostly Active During: | Both |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Coconut floor, aspen, newspaper (pellets or paper), reptile litter, carefresh (rodent kind), NO CEDAR OR PINE!!! The fumes will kill your animal...THIS GOES FOR ALL CRITTERS. Large enough water for the animal to soak his whole body. This is mainly for a grown retic because of shedding, it is not fun to dry shed a retic even if he enjoys it. |
Lighting and UVB: | Heat lamp is ok. but not needed. You do not need a UVB light but if you get one use flouresent bulbs. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | 80-90 durning the day on one side of the tank & 75-80 on the other. Night is 70-90 on one side & 65-70 on the other. Very high humidity, spray the tank with warm water at least two times a day or get a fogger or waterfall system. |
Heating and Equipment: | DO NOT USE HEAT ROCKS...snakes are not as smart as lizards when it comes to heat rocks, they can produce really bad burns. Heat pad under the tank is fine set on med. do not rest the tank on pad, the glass can heat up too much. Heat tape works well, black lights can also be helpful since they don’t stress out the snake and do not get to hot. Make sure what ever heat you use that your snake can not get burned. |
Caging Provided: | I measure how long my snake is and make his cage 1/2 his length and twice the size of his coil. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Hatchlings: fuzzy rats, small rats, med. rats, or large mice.
Adults over 5ft.: large rats, guinea pigs, degus, rabbits, pigs, chickens, Not day old chicks, and really anything large that moves they will eat. I inject my rats ect. with vitamins, and feed every 7-10 days. Make sure you can not see your snakes back bone and that his skin is not loose, if it becomes this way you are not feeding enough,( or he is dehydrated). |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Every month at least I inject the food for all my animals, I use this trick for worming and certain antibiotics for certain illnesses. Please contact a vet before worming or giving medicine to an animal. |
Maintenance: | I change the water at least every other day and clean the cage when they are in their seperate feeding tubs. Do not feed snakes on their substrate, this can cause serious or even fatal problems. |
Some Words on this Species: | Even though they have a nasty reputation the captive bred babies that are handled correctly are wonderful adults, all snakes bite for two reasons, either they are afraid or you look like a good lunch, to avoid looking like lunch don’t move to quick, don’t wear anything that may have the smell of mammal on it, and if you have handled a mammal wash your hands. DO NOT BUY WILD CAUGHT, WE HAVE ENOUGH HERPS OUT THERE BREEDING THESE SNAKES...always remeber if you get bit ask yourelf what you did wrong to get bit in the first place, and if this snake makes you nervous or if you have never had snakes before try a ball python, rosy boa,or some type of colubrid, if you have not had a burmese yet don’t buy this snake. (start small) |
How Members Rated
This Care Sheet | Rate This Care Sheet
Please keep all comments constructive to Giant Snake husbandry methods and care. Any degrading, sarcastic, or disrespectful comments will be removed. |
Total Members Rating: 21
| 1 |  ( 1 ) |
| 2 |  ( 1 ) |
| 3 | ( 3 ) |
| 4 | ( 3 ) |
| 5 | ( 13 ) |
|
|
