Is my brother stupid for buying a reticulated python?

Answer 1

That depends a great deal on who your brother is.

If he's an experienced reptile keeper with plenty of space who knows what he's getting into, then no, he's not stupid.

If he's a 9-year-old kid who goes from hobby to hobby on a whim and expects the snake to stay small and cute, then yes, he's dumb as a box of rocks.

If neither of the above is true, which is probably the case, he's somewhere in between.

Retics are the world's longest snakes, among the heaviest, and all too often downright mean. Honestly, I can think of very few good reasons for keeping a retic, and I'm saying that as the owner of quite a number of snakes and other reptiles. Retics can be a royal pain in the behind, they take up time, space, and money that could be spent on more interesting (and portable) species, and who really needs twenty-some feet of bad attitude?

That said, there are of course people who want retics. I know some of them. If you have the space, if you know what you're doing (they are NOT a snake for beginners), if you have the money, and if you're willing to take the risk, they're snakes like any other, just more so. Some of the color and pattern morphs (the super tigers come to mind) are gorgeous. It's all a matter of what floats your boat.

So, you'll have to figure out for yourself whether your brother is stupid.

Answer 2

Not if he knows what he's doing. Reticulated pythons get absolutely huge in size, and therefore they can be extremely hard to handle and maintain, not to mention expensive. I hope he is ready for the commitment this animal will bring when it is fully grown; retics need a room-size enclosure. They are also potentially dangerous; you should never feed a retic python alone, because if the retic mistakes you for food and bites, you may well have a very hard time getting away again.

Snakes in general though make great pets. As for whether your brother is stupid or not, it depends what experience he has with snakes and how well he researched reticulated pythons.

Answer 3

Only if he doesn't know anything about them. If he knows how big they get and the agressive nature that they have, then I don't think he made a mistake. I owned a rock python a couple of years back and had no idea how agressive they can get. She was taken care of just fine but I couldn't handle her very well. I finally ended up giving her to a reptile store, which happily accepted her. It made me realize that pythons are not snakes for beginners. something like a boa or a milk snake are good snakes for first time owners. Now I own an iguana which I found when he was about 2 months old and he's the best reptile I've ever owned.

Owner of a 4 year old, 6 foot long, male green iguana

Answer 4

I own three snakes A seven foot red tail boa and a baby red tail boa. the third is a five foot African rock python that we've had for six years. When we got the python she was just a baby and told she just needed to be handled and she would be gentle. she was fine for about a year and then she became the biggest ***** i have ever seen. she will strike the glass on her cage if you walk into her room sometimes. I now have found out that once they get so big they do not tame. I wouldn't have another. We keep ours in a room by herself in a locked cage. she is not messed with other than to feed her or clean the cage and she is much happier. I don't think that is the kind of pet anyone would want.

Answer 5

Certain pets are not really appropriate for home keepers- their sizes, danger levels, care needs, etc.

The problem is that some of these animals are considered 'really cool' or appeal to some macho sense. Some are 'fads'- "Everyone else has one, so why not?"

A LOT of keepers buy these animals when they are young and have NO REAL IDEA what it is like to care for the adult. Many of these animals become a real burden to the keeper, and they are given away, abandoned, or euthanized.

(By the way- almost no zoo today takes donated animals for display purposes. They may take the animal and be all nice and gushy about it, but issues like budget, display needs, disease concerns, and more mean that most donated animals are quickly euthanized- ESPECIALLY the big animals!)

Common examples of these 'bad pets' include:
- The giant snakes, especially Burmese and Retic pythons
- Sulcata and Leopard tortoises
- Iguanas (these need BIG spaces, and are very commonly miscared for- almost to a criminal extent!)

If you are REALLY prepared for the responsibility, that is one thing- but most people are not and the animal eventually sufferes for the keeper's hubris.

Answer 6

Very much so.............too many stories of even trained people doing stupid thing like still retaining the smell of a rodent and being strangled by a snake that is too large........too many idiots buying extremely large snakes and then letting them go into the wild...........there are some snakes - constrictors that stay around two feet try a sand boa, stick with that easier and cheaper to maintain. My hubby and I have an have owned many reptiles....some are good pets and some are just not.

Answer 7

Jeff the drunks answer is Way out of line that's a terrible thing to say snakes are great pets I own many noo retics though they get way to big for my liking butt I do have friend with them one of my friends lets the snake run loose in his condo I kind of question this but the snake seems very happy but retics are enormous and require large prey and are very strong if your brother is educated on snakes and lizards and has owned them before he should be just fine..

Answer 8

Pythons are very cool animals and they have no intention of hurting you but they are wild animals and can be unpredictable. It sounds like you don't like snakes, well if not you don't have to take care of it at least. Pythons are probably a bad idea for someone with a small amount of experience with reptiles. they can get up to 20 ft long if raised well and can be very dangerous.

Answer 9

It depends, if he bought it on a whim and doesn't have the experience or education about retics then yes, he's a 'tard. If on the other hand, he has experience with large snakes and is ready for a retic, then he's not very stupid.

Answer 10

He's only stupid if he puts it around his neck. Snakes are very sweet creatures.