Dwarf Tiger Reticulated Python close up!

[Robin.M]

Here's a close up shot of my Dwarf Tiger Retic, Zoe.

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff484/RobDower690/IMG_8089_zps7cfcda70.jpg (http://s1238.photobucket.com/user/RobDower690/media/IMG_8089_zps7cfcda70.jpg.html)

As you can tell, her large scale on top of her head has been rubbed off. I'm not sure why she has done this. Her temps are perfect, sheds perfect.

I've heard it's sometimes due to them trying to escape constantly. Any truth to this?

She's just 3 1/2 feet long now, and she's in a 4'x2'x2' for now with simply a hide, water dish, couple rocks and perches since she is just finishing up her 6 month quarantine.

If any of the Retic guys could shed some light on why she might have rubbed this scale off it would be great!

Rob

[smy_749]

There is some truth to the whole nose rub , scales coming off due to constantly trying to escape, but I thought it was seen more commonly in males tryin to get to the ladies (this is what Iv'e heard)

[dave himself]

My little girl was the same and I was told by the breeder it was due to her trying to escape out of the rack. But now she's in a viv she seems to have stopped

[guyabano]

Yep, retics are kind of notorious for doing that. I try to avoid anything too sharp or angular in the enclosures for that reason.

[InsanityApe]

That is one beauty of a snake, though she gave herself a bald spot, I don't own a retic but if I were to see that I would freak out, I freaked out when I thought MY snake had mouth rot, turned out it was just dirt.

[marvelfreak]

She so cute. Think we need more pictures.

[millertime89]

Retics push/rub, one of the few downsides to them. You can try playing around with enclosure size, I would think it has to do with the size of her enclosure. At 4 ft she's probably feeling rather insecure in a 4x2x2 and she's trying to get out to find place she feels safer. Try adding more ground cover or a perch with some fake plants around it. I wouldn't recommend bumping her up to a 6x2x3 for quite some time per your statement in the other thread. I would wait until she's at least 8ft, if not 10+ to avoid her getting stressed again.

[Mikoh4792]

Retics push/rub, one of the few downsides to them. You can try playing around with enclosure size, I would think it has to do with the size of her enclosure. At 4 ft she's probably feeling rather insecure in a 4x2x2 and she's trying to get out to find place she feels safer. Try adding more ground cover or a perch with some fake plants around it. I wouldn't recommend bumping her up to a 6x2x3 for quite some time per your statement in the other thread. I would wait until she's at least 8ft, if not 10+ to avoid her getting stressed again.

Can anyone confirm this? I thought as long as you provide hides, a bigger than recommended enclosure would be fine. Snakes in the wild have the whole world, they just find a rock or crevice to hide in or under.

[Lankyrob]

Can anyone confirm this? I thought as long as you provide hides, a bigger than recommended enclosure would be fine. Snakes in the wild have the whole world, they just find a rock or crevice to hide in or under.

I always use the largest viv available/practical, cover 90% of te floor space with cover/hidesfor babies and as they grow i remove some f the cover to give them more room.

[Mikoh4792]

I always use the largest viv available/practical, cover 90% of te floor space with cover/hidesfor babies and as they grow i remove some f the cover to give them more room.

That's what I do, my snakes are fine.

[Aaron_S]

Retics push/rub, one of the few downsides to them. You can try playing around with enclosure size, I would think it has to do with the size of her enclosure. At 4 ft she's probably feeling rather insecure in a 4x2x2 and she's trying to get out to find place she feels safer. Try adding more ground cover or a perch with some fake plants around it. I wouldn't recommend bumping her up to a 6x2x3 for quite some time per your statement in the other thread. I would wait until she's at least 8ft, if not 10+ to avoid her getting stressed again.

So you are here!

You should come to the giant thread with all your friends since I got banned from retic nation without a single post...

[Robin.M]

Retics push/rub, one of the few downsides to them. You can try playing around with enclosure size, I would think it has to do with the size of her enclosure. At 4 ft she's probably feeling rather insecure in a 4x2x2 and she's trying to get out to find place she feels safer. Try adding more ground cover or a perch with some fake plants around it. I wouldn't recommend bumping her up to a 6x2x3 for quite some time per your statement in the other thread. I would wait until she's at least 8ft, if not 10+ to avoid her getting stressed again.

Thanks dude! This is really helpful. I've added much MUCH more aspen, and put some fakeplants around her perches. I haven't seen her rubbing much. She's either hiding in the perches behind the plants of underneath the aspen. Hopefully she'll come around soon.

Thanks again everyone for the comment and suggestions!

Rob

[millertime89]

I've been preoccupied with moving and starting a new job out here. Had to get rid of my dwarf burm since I moved to a different state. A friend of mine back home who already has a pair took her in. I'm ignoring that thread as its pretty pointless to join at this point.

If a retic is pushing it's because it's stressed. Start changing things around slowly and see what causes it to stop. For a young animal it's usually because it is feeling insecure in its environment. Some will use a hide, some prefer extra cover. I prefer having my snakes in appropriately sized caging as they grow. Starting big with cover/hides works, just not my method. It all comes down to "listening" to your snake.