# Thats not a snake, THIS is a snake



## Retic (Dec 21, 2005)

This is a Reticulated Python owned by a friend of a friend. This photo was taken in England a couple of years ago when the snake was 21 feet long. The snake was in a private collection not a zoo. It is now unfortunately dead. Sorry about the quality of the photo.


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## pugsly (Dec 21, 2005)

GGGEEEEZUUUSS!

That girl would almost be an entree!


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## peterjohnson64 (Dec 21, 2005)

The best security system on earth for your collection. Is she the owner or the ex-wife? and follwoiing that...who is dead?


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## reptililian (Dec 21, 2005)

Golly gosh! :shock: What did they feed it ? Ponies?


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## Hickson (Dec 22, 2005)

That woman's body language suggests she is really nervous!



Hix


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## olivehydra (Dec 22, 2005)

Very nice  I suppose an average pillow case wouldnt suffice if required to bag that snake :shock:


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## peterescue (Dec 22, 2005)

olivehydra said:


> Very nice  I suppose an average pillow case wouldnt suffice if required to bag that snake :shock:



exactly why ; when called earlier this year to remove one; when told the length I declined and passed it on. looked at my bag and thought, "no way in hell". It did turn out to be somewhat smaller.


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

No, she is good around snakes. There is another photo of her holding it, well a small part of it anyway. 



Hix said:


> That woman's body language suggests she is really nervous!
> 
> 
> 
> Hix


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## cwarren72 (Dec 22, 2005)

A guy I used to work with in Sydney owns a Retic although his isn't that big yet it's probably not that far off i though. He lives in NSW and yes he has a liscence for it -lucky bastard


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## reptililian (Dec 22, 2005)

> I suppose an average pillow case wouldnt suffice if required to bag that snake


Doona cover. KING-SIZED doona cover!


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## Kingii (Dec 22, 2005)

Great pic Boa!!

Puts my big Olive to shame :wink:


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## shiner (Dec 22, 2005)

Amazing size :shock: thats a great pic boa


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

Yeah a mate of mine in Victoria has a pair on license. They are my favourite python species and would love another one, maybe one day. 



cwarren72 said:


> A guy I used to work with in Sydney owns a Retic although his isn't that big yet it's probably not that far off i though. He lives in NSW and yes he has a liscence for it -lucky illegitimate child


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## olivehydra (Dec 22, 2005)

boa said:


> Yeah a mate of mine in Victoria has a pair on license. They are my favourite python species and would love another one, maybe one day.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Have to agree with you there, ultimate in snakes IMO. I take it from your post that you had one once?


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

Yeah I have had maybe 5 over the years. During one of the times I lived in the UK, many years ago my parents bought me my first Retc when I was I think 17. That snake had me hooked, in more ways than one. He was typical Retic at first but soon calmed down and became really tame and just the most beautiful snake. It was just about every colour you can imagine with wonderful bright orange eyes. 
Without wanting to start yet another pointless exotic debate I just hope one day sanity prevails and a workable system gets introduced to allow experienced keepers to get the chance to keep these wonderful animals and others of course.


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## Jason (Dec 22, 2005)

that is an amazing snake, it is HUGE to say the least!!!!! what the hell did they keep it in? they wouldnt even have been able to move it around it would waya ton!!!


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

They had a special reptile room for the collection. The owner had a few 'big' snakes like the Retic and some Burmese pythons. I think it might have taken a few hands to move it and if it didn't want to move then my guess is that it stayed put.


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## craig.a.c (Dec 22, 2005)

Retics are beautiful snakes. I don't think I would like to keep one that size though. If they grew to same size of a large coastal then I would (if we could).


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## Slateman (Dec 22, 2005)

There is no margin for eror when handling that size of retic. Timebomb waiting for acident to happen if in private collection. Lot of people in US have a dilema what to do when they grow up to much.


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

They certainly need careful handling but I'm not sure I would call them a timebomb. I would trust one of those more than a Taipan for instance. It would never be a good idea to go in with one on your own. 

Some of the Island forms of Retic like on Bali only get to a couple of metres in length.


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## Greebo (Dec 22, 2005)

Yeah, its big.....but could it do any tricks? (Besides making rabbits disappear)


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## staffsrule (Dec 22, 2005)

alot of rabbits !!!! Or ponies for that matter lol. That is one huge snake. Great pic.


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## reptililian (Dec 22, 2005)

"Daddy, where's my pony gone?"


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## hugsta (Dec 22, 2005)

Great pic boa, they are truely an amazing snake.


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## Rossagon (Dec 22, 2005)

Man, I'd hate to clean up after that one!!!


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## SLACkra (Dec 22, 2005)

what sortof licence do they have to privatly own an exotic legally?

a pony would be by far to expensive. become a criminal(Snatch, cept instead of pigs a massive snake)

andrew


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

An exotic license which, unfortunately, are no longer available.


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## Bakes (Dec 22, 2005)

WOW bloody big snake that :shock: 

Just out of interest. How does an Aussie get a licence for one of those. I thought you couldn't get them here?


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## Dicco (Dec 22, 2005)

Some people got them in an amnesty a while back I believe, they aren't allowed to breed though.


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## Bakes (Dec 22, 2005)

Oh, thanks for that. Have to wonder how they got them in the first place :wink:


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## yommy (Dec 22, 2005)

we get olives that big in the NT don't we bakes? but i could be biased


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

Yes Dicco, they aren't allowed to breed them, yeah right. :lol:


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## Dicco (Dec 22, 2005)

boa said:


> Yes Dicco, they aren't allowed to breed them, yeah right. :lol:


I said not allowed, what they actually do is another thing


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

:lol: Exactly.


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## BROWNS (Dec 22, 2005)

Yep gorgeous looking huge animals,but not the big ones like that for me,one feeding bite and constriction she's nighty night lol that's if you were to say have had a few too many beers and become too complacent around any python that size...i love their colours and would love to be able to keep the smaller species boa mentioned.


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## Retic (Dec 22, 2005)

Yes a 2 metre long Retic, the ultimate python in my book.


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## BROWNS (Dec 22, 2005)

It's actually most of the smaller exotic boids i really like like rainbow boas,ball pythons rosy boas etc So what did she actually feed it regularly?

Any other exotic pics boa?


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## Bakes (Dec 23, 2005)

> we get olives that big in the NT don't we bakes?



And thats just the hatchlings :shock: :wink: :lol: 

Heres a big python story.....

My Dad is up over chrissy and we were talking about my new found interest in snakes. He told me he saw a big python in Viet Nam in 1971, outside a yank boozer. He said it would of been over 20ft. In that same boozer was a photo of a yank running out of the water (in a river somewhere) with a big python chasing him. Dad said all you could see in the pic was a large head sticking out of the water and a bloody great bow wave. Wouldn't that ruin your swim :shock: 

Dad didn't know if the python outside was the same one in the pic.


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## ether (Dec 23, 2005)

Imagine it's crap after a big feed!!


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## redline (Dec 23, 2005)

How big do the snakes get?


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## Retic (Dec 23, 2005)

Retics CAN get over 30 feet long but it has been many many years since anything that size has been sighted. Actually they get sighted all the time often well in excess of 4o feet but oddly enough these animals are never captured or even photographed.


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## zulu (Dec 23, 2005)

*re Thats*

They have been found over thirty feet redline but that was a while ago,they are still surprisingly common the retics even in some built up areas.I would here stories from locals in leyte of retics like coconut trees and of one that was seen to cross a road and swim off in the ocean.They would tell of the young pythons in the roofs of houses and the guy that was eaten buy a huge one in the mountains when he went down a track for a pee at a bus stop.The retics in the phillipines looked quite different in pattern to the ones i mostly see on web sites and zoos,beautiful pythons!


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## Retic (Dec 23, 2005)

Yes I like the smaller ones especially Rainbow Boas, it's hard to imagine an animal more beautiful than a Brazilian Rainbow Boa. I love Ball Pythons, they were one of the first python species I kept.



BROWNS said:


> It's actually most of the smaller exotic boids i really like like rainbow boas,ball pythons rosy boas etc So what did she actually feed it regularly?
> 
> Any other exotic pics boa?


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## zulu (Dec 23, 2005)

*re Thats*

Oh well now two answers at same time redline,at least you got to keep some boa thatd be cool,the balinese type sounds interesting


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## Retic (Dec 23, 2005)

Yes I didn't get to actually see any live ones when we were there but they were supposed to be quite common. It sounds bad but I didn't even know they had them on Bali, as a lover of Retics I should have known.


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## Moreliaman (Jan 13, 2006)

> "Daddy, where's my pony gone?"


 pmsl!!

cotswold wildlife park here in the UK has a 32ft owned by its head of reptile department (marc ormond) im going up there this weekend & will try to get some pics, i'd only consider one a "timebomb" in the hands of an inexperinced keeper ! 
amazing to see a snake this size in the flesh! although personally i wouldnt keep anything this big! its not fun trying to use a shovel to pick up its faeces & keep an eye on her or the other retics & annacondas that are in the enclosure with her ! esp when they start showing an interest in what your doing !! Thankfully (for obvious reasons) a minimum of 2 keepers must be present at all times when in the enclosure !


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## Retic (Jan 13, 2006)

I have seen the Retics at the Cotswold Wildlife Park they are awesome, being my favourite python I am biased. :lol: I would want to see it measured as no snake has been officially measured at 30 feet for a great many years, I would guess in the high 20's. There used to be another monster Retic in another zoo in the UK, it was called Colossus and measured 27feet I think from memory.


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## Moreliaman (Jan 13, 2006)

we measured them all a few months ago, recorded length was 32 for the female, if i remember correctly the BBC & ITV were there to witness the event, ill see if i can ask for a copy of the raw tape they gave us
If you were still over here you could have bought one of the hatchlings, they are growing at an amazing rate ! usually getting to 10f withing the first year.


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## Retic (Jan 13, 2006)

Yes I would like to see that, isn't there still a big reward for any snake over 30 feet in length ?


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## Moreliaman (Jan 13, 2006)

dunno m8 i thought it was 35F , its either that or ive got my measurements all screwed up (im sure she is 32f tho) im just in the process of checkin now, will let you know. :mrgreen:


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## olivehydra (Jan 13, 2006)

boa said:


> Yes I would like to see that, isn't there still a big reward for any snake over 30 feet in length ?



I think $50K from Bronx? I would love to see/read something about that. Surprised nothing was mentioned here?? I thought "Samantha" was the biggest at around 27-28 before she died?? So 32 is amazing :shock:


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## Moreliaman (Jan 13, 2006)

ok i may have goofed ! :roll: could have got the 3 & 2 round the wrong way.. :? ..i think shes 23 feet but still growing (no idea why their website says 20 foot tho) how do i put pics in forums ? 
theres a pic in my gallery (under moreliaman)
and yes i goofed again...  ...its barney the male thats 23 feet, tikki the female is around 18-19 feet ! and he's gonna do me a copy of the video footage (on disc) if its huge ill burn you a copy & send it over, if not ill just email it, do you have broadband/cable or dial-up ?


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## Retic (Jan 13, 2006)

Well if it grows another 7 feet it will be worth $50,000 :lol:


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## olivehydra (Jan 13, 2006)

Not suggesting another goof :wink: I think it was Bob Clarke who said something along the lines of "if its over 20ft, no need to sex it cos its female"?? Perhaps Barney could be a record breaker already?


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## Moreliaman (Jan 13, 2006)

hi olive, the way my brains been working latley, it wouldnt surprise me (i think its this below zero british weather affecting me!) however, just checked with marc ormond, barney is 22-23 feet long & 100% male, they are all weighed & measured every year & the next time this happens will be around march. will try and take some pics this weekend.


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## Dave82 (Jan 13, 2006)

Thats one snake I would'nt put around my neck!


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## Moreliaman (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi olive, i asked Bob and he said he'd never say that, because he has males there now over 20ft. jesus....if you want to see nice retics !! have a look at bobs site, amazing, even though they arent the type of snake i'd keep the colors and paterning on some of them is breath-taking ! :shock:


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## peterjohnson64 (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi Mark, please put us out of our misery and don't force us to read trhrough every post in this thread to find the URL of Bob's web site referred to above. Ta mate.


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## Moreliaman (Jan 15, 2006)

bobs site is just here http://www.bobclark.com/ olive got my hopes up then, i though me mate had a record breaking snake !! how cool would that have been eh 8) ! and then bob tells me he allready has males over 20ft ! :? bigger than 23ft too im willing to bet ! on well, back to the grindstone !

if im still here in march ill go to the hamm show and take some pics, then you can have a looksie at our european shows


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## Hickson (Jan 15, 2006)

boa said:


> Yes I would like to see that, isn't there still a big reward for any snake over 30 feet in length ?



I thought it was 40ft?



Hix


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## Moreliaman (Jan 15, 2006)

dunno................whos's gonna email the Bronx Zoo and find out ? i did find this site all about retics & claims about the largest snakes kept. have a look, there are pics of more retics over 20 ft !! 

http://www.reptilediscovery.com/retic.html


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## chameleon (Jan 15, 2006)

hey moreliaman,im finding out how much it costs to send that dvd to ya..
it has footage of one as large as the one in the photo striking at the 
camera and also downing a deer.it shows photos of people half 
decomposed cut out of one.
rob bredle also owns one.
he has his whole family holding it.(he has a large family)


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## Moreliaman (Jan 16, 2006)

Hi, thanks for that chameleon, let me know & ill pop a few dollars in the post, ive just got hold of some dvds, all about the worlds most dangerous animals, one here with green & yellow anacondas, i can do you a copy of this & we can swap if yer want? 
went up the park and took pics of the retics & anas feeding, also a seven foot monitor! but ill shrink em down a bit first :wink:


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## Moreliaman (Jan 16, 2006)

pics:


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## Moreliaman (Jan 16, 2006)

feeding time !!


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## Moreliaman (Jan 16, 2006)

this is Sal, He is the largest salvator in the UK at smidge over 7ft from snout to tail, and he's not scared of anyone !!


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## Moreliaman (Jan 16, 2006)

ive got more but i dont know if how many you can put up before i get told off !!


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## castellano (Jan 16, 2006)

*big snake*

did they find a snake that was over 15 meters long and it was the largest snake ever recorded. and it was eating the villagers dogs


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## Moreliaman (Jan 17, 2006)

I think theres allways stories about big snakes where ever you go castellano, just no proof !


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## Greebo (Jan 17, 2006)

They did find that snake and it had amazing shrinking powers as well. When they measured it, it was nowhere near as long as they claimed.


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## Moreliaman (Jan 17, 2006)

They find snakes like that all the time greebo, and one's that fly through hoops of fire ! :shock:


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## olivehydra (Jan 17, 2006)

Moreliaman said:


> ive got more but i dont know if how many you can put up before i get told off !!



Keep them coming  You are only governed by your individual 12MB limit.
Love the retic pics and Asian Water Monitor pics


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## Moreliaman (Jan 17, 2006)

few more pics then


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## Moreliaman (Jan 17, 2006)

and more


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