Reticulated pythons or "retics" are native to Southeast Asia and can grow well over 20 feet
Earning the title the longest snake in the world. On this cool evening
I wasn't exactly prepared to find a beautiful 7 footer laying across the highway.
There was no time for a proper introduction. Parked on a dark dangerous curve...
we needed to bag this snake pronto before another speeding trucker comes barreling around the bend.
Okay, here's the retic we caught last night crossing a busy highway.
So I'm going to open her up let her out of the bag and hopefully
She doesn't spike. Reticulated Pythons have 110
Sharp teeth meant for grabbing. Four rows on the top. Two rows on the bottom.
This reticulated python is only 8 feet long. I've been smitten by much larger, but you know me. I don't like to
Neck snakes if I don't have to.
Hi.
Look at those beautiful orange eyes. See if I can get that tick off of her.
Pythons kill by constriction. Though extremely unlikely large specimens can kill a person and Several Plausible reports of human consumption exist.
Retics can also change colors.
Within hours dull olive and gray can become vibrant gold and lighter Bluish gray. When I get the snake into the sunlight you'll see
another amazing Phenomenon a brilliant color Come alive.
All it takes is non aggressive body language in patience.
And you can sweet-talk just about any snake out of defensive bitin. Once the python feels reassured. You're not a threat
You'll see they're gentle curious side.
She's starting to crawl off. This is where things could get interesting. My wife is safe up in a tree.
Up... there she goes.
If I grab her, she's going to turn around and chomp. So I'm going to have to let her
crawl
the Retics disruptive Coloration pattern
effectively camouflages this species in a variety of backgrounds. They thrive in Jungles, Grasslands, Rocky Terrain...
They're excellent swimmers known to Swim far out to sea
Colonizing numerous Islands and as my wife is about to find out. They're masters of climbing.
I was expecting the snake to beeline for the forest
But she shot up this tree instead. This puts the snake in ranger.
This tree is the last row of an orchard and if the farmer happens to find her it's a good bet he or she won't
Be a snake lover. I'm going to have to get her down to see her safe into the jungle
And that's not going to be easy. Plus,
I really want to get some photos of her in the sunlight and watch her colors Come alive
This is not how i wanted this to go.
Retics have a reputation for being grouchy and quick to byte
I think they're precious and just need a little more sweet-talking. Still, I wouldn't recommend one for a pet. They get out of control big.
I used to breed pythons and when a friend could no longer provide the amount of space to
adequately house their 8-foot retic
I agreed to take over the burden
Eventually the snake grew to 16 feet long and she never once tried to byte me... unless it was feeding time.
Khisanth was one of the most beautiful snakes I've ever seen. I sure miss her.
Well it took damn near a half-hour
But we eventually talked this python out of the tree. Now, to show you those crazy colors I've been boasting about.
See how she turned to defend herself. She's feeling a little vulnerable out in the open like this.
In direct sunlight the Rainbow of Iridescent appears. emerald Greens florescent purples and blues
Sparkle on Golden Scales. How's that for a gem?
For some reason my phone didn't record audio here, but I'm probably saying something along the lines of...
"Wow! gorgeous 9 foot, Reticulated python in the Wild...
in Thailand!
A dense jungle full of Wild chickens, squirrels, macaques and whatnot. A labyrinth of
Limestone cliffs, caves and streams and no Major roads for miles. I feel confident this little python will do well in her new home.
Think I'll tell my buddies. She was 10 feet long
Thanks for watching friends till next time happy trails