Owning a reticulated python comes with a lot of responsibility. They are a pet that needs to be cared for constantly with feedings and a safe place to live.

In this post I want to go over a few main tips for how you can make the enclosure that your python lives in as comfortable as possible.

First, you what size if your python?

Smaller sized pythons usually prefer a smaller sized enclosure. You would think that they would appreciate as much space as possible, but this is not often true. Believe it or not, they appreciate the feeling of being enclosed, so the smaller the snake, the smaller the enclosure should be.

For a large python, the cage should be large. But how large? Your aim in terms of width should be a little more than half of the length of the snake. Many enclosures will advertise that they have additional height, but this usually takes away a bit of width. You should always be more concerned with the width, after all, your snake is very close to the ground.

Your enclosure should have a very warm area, as well as a cooler area, preferably as far apart from one another as possible.

It seems obvious, but it’s worth warning that the enclosure you choose should be very durable and have a lock on it that is of great strength. Reticulated pythons are extremely strong and need to be enclosed with that fact in mind.

So, you’ve done your research. You’ve looked at all the different kinds of animals to own as pets, and for whatever reason, you’ve settled on a snake. That’s cool. Not only have you chosen to own a snake, but you’ve selected one of the coolest types of exotic creatures in the world, the reticulated python.

So, where do you buy reticulated pythons? Fortunately, there are many breeders you can find online, both regional and international. Reticulated pythons tend to be expensive, so it’s important to do as much research and due diligence as you can before making the purchase. Aside from a number of different breeds, each snake can have its own personality and each breeder might have better specimens.

It’s important to ask the right questions. A good reticulated python breeder will be highly educated about the breed, health and temperament of his or her snakes. Also, a responsible breeder will vet you just as much as you’ll be vetting him or her. Be prepared to be put through a screening process, as reticulated pythons are high-valued specimens of nature and only deserve the very best owners.

Finally, a responsible reticulated python breeder should offer some kind of post-sale support to answer any questions as you adjust to your new life with your snake. Should circumstances prevent you from fulfilling your responsibility as a breeder, the reticulated python breeder should be willing to assist you in finding your snake a new home. Make sure to ask about this.

In late December 2003, a handful of news agencies picked up on a story about Indonesian villagers that had reportedly captured the world’s largest and heaviest reticulated python. “Officially” measured at 48+ feet and weighing almost 1,000 pounds, the reticulated python was said to eat three or four dogs per month. The original source of the story, Indonesian newspaper Republika, described how the snake was caught in Sumatra by members of the Kubu tribe.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the longest snake ever found at 32.75 feet (10 meters), a reticulated python found in Celebes, Indonesia in 1912. The British newspaper, The Guardian, sent a reporter to Indonesia to measure the snake and to verify its reported measurements. Unsurprisingly, the reporter found the numbers to be exaggerated. The snake, known as Fragrant Flower, measured between 21 and 23 feet in length and had an estimated weight of a little over 200 pounds.

Snake handler Imam Darmanto offered a handful of reasons for the discrepancies in measurement. Things like weather, how recently the snake had eaten and when it has last shed its skin. Regardless of whether or not these variables affect a snake’s length, they certainly wouldn’t have accounted for such a large discrepancy.

Would have been cool, but not real!

This article will outline a few tips for owning a reticulated python.

1. If you are a beginner snake owner and have not owned a large snake before, the reticulated python may not be for you. They are for more advanced owners with a higher level of experience and knowledge.

2. They should always be caged and not allowed to roam free throughout the owner’s residence or property. Reticulated pythons have an appetite that is so large because of their rapid growth rate, and that makes them dangerous when they are hungry at times.

3. When feeding a reticulated python, make sure to use some sort of tongs or similar tool and not your bare hands. Also, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before feeding.

4. Reticulated pythons need a dark, enclosed hiding area in their cage. This is where they will do most of their feeding and it helps them to get a sense of security when they need it.

5. The enclosure that is holding the snake needs to remain at a temperature between 80 degrees and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Reticulated pythons require a warm environment and there are many ways to ensure that you can keep their enclosure warm enough through all seasons.

These are just a few of the many tips that either current owners, or people thinking about owning a reticulated python should understand. Make sure to do more extensive research before you acquire such a large snake.

A common concern when it comes to owning, as well as being around a reticulated python is the level of danger that comes with such a thing. The good news is that although still a snake that is wild and could be dangerous, they are often pretty docile toward humans and fatal incidents are very rare.

With that being said, there have been a few scary instances. Usually they are caused when humans provoke the snakes, causing their protective instincts to kick in. This is when the situation gets dangerous.

While snakes to not typically eat, and opt to leave them after they are killed, there are some documented cases of humans actually being eaten. A reticulated python, as big as they are, would have a lot of trouble swallowing a full-size human, so typically these instances involved children or very small adult aged people.

For snakes in captivity, if they are treated right, they will behave right. Reticulated pythons often become part of the family for their owners, in the same way a more traditional pet such as a dog or cat would.

The point of this article wasn’t to be scary — it was to be realistic. While a human should always be aware around snakes, especially snakes as large as reticulated pythons, they should not be overly afraid. Attacks and fatalities are rare.

The idea behind the largest reticulated python has an interesting history. For decades the search has been on for a python longer than 28.5 feet, the length of a snake named Colossus, to be held in captivity. Longer snakes have been found, but never kept in a zoo.

Colossus resided in Pennsylvania at the Highland Park Zoo during the 1950s and 1960s. In a crazy turn of events, after her death, she was supposed to be on display as a skeleton, but was apparently lost or misplaced and still has never been found.

The longest snake ever found was a reticulated python, and measured in at 32.75 feet, but was never held in captivity. It was simply a specimen.

The heaviest snake ever recorded was a Burmese python, a type of “retic” as they are known, at a weight of 403 pounds and was on display in the American state of Illinois.

In 2003, a reticulated python with the reported length of 49 feet and weight of 983 pounds was supposedly captured in Indonesia. The world-wide media caught onto the news and word spread like wildfire. It was later discovered the the snake’s size was a great exaggeration and it wasn’t really close to the world record, let alone big enough to shatter it by those epic proportions.

Below are a few random, but interesting facts about reticulated pythons:

• Reticulated pythons are found in countries in Southeast Asia
• They are 10-20 feet long, on average
• The biggest reticulated python on record was 33 feet long and weighed over 300 pounds
• A female can lay over 100 eggs at once
• A reticulated python, either in captivity or in the wild can live well over 20 years
• They almost always live alone and lead a very solitary life
• They make great pets, are not venomous, and reticulated python owners regularly marvel at their intelligence and the attachment they seem to have with their owners and families
• Although there is much debate about this, reticulated pythons are officially known as the longest snakes in the world
• Their regular habitat ranges from open forests, to prairie-like grasslands, to rain forests and tropical jungles
• They are not known for being aggressive, and are usually quite passive unless provoked and threatened
• Reticulated python breeding season typically falls between September and March
• Only a few cases have ever been documented of a reticulated python eating a human being. These cases are usually children or small adults who unknowingly provoke the snakes

The White Calico reticulated python is a type of Calico. The word “calico” is used to describe snakes that are strangely colored, with white patches or nearly albino skin. This pigment condition is only acquired in maturity and varies greatly from snake to snake. Some Calicos are gray and yellow, while more dramatic varieties like White Calico reticulated python are white, lavender and yellow.

[image via NERD]

The Tiger reticulated python exhibits dorsal striping and a soft yellow color. The mutation was first proven in 1993, and Tiger reticulated pythons mark the first designer retics bred in captivity. They can be grown quite large, and striped and lace patterns sometimes show up. The animals are typically priced to appearance and are often bred with other strains like the Calico.

[image via Deviant Art]

The Super Tiger reticulated python has an incredible color and pattern mutation. Its butter yellow color is starkly contrasted by dark stripes that may run from half to the full length of the reticulated python’s body. This genetic variation is the result of breeding a Tiger with a Tiger, where 25% of the breed come out normal, 50% come out as Tiger and 25% come out as Super Tiger.

[image via Constrictors.com]