I have been looking into super dwarf relics and they seem really cool. I was wondering how fast they grow and if anyone have experience with them. I would ether get this or a ball python. what do u think?
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Just based on their temperament I wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting out with a Retic. They’re very food driven and depending on the animal they can be pretty spicy. You would definitely want to have a snake hook or two on hand. I would also suggest perusing some of the retic handling threads on here, they’re the same animals as a mainland Retic they’re just in a slightly more manageable package. Many of them are very tractable, but some can be extremely difficult to work with. Any snake of that size can give you a run for your money if it’s upset. Especially when they’re wrapped around your arm trying to bite your face 
Caging requirements are quite a bit more intensive for a Retic (even a superdwarf) as they’re a semi arboreal species and will utilize as much space as you can give them. They still get fairly large, people tend to post the smallest ones a lot and that presents a skewed view of how big they can get (assuming they are true super dwarfs). I transported of a pair of pure Kalatoas for a friend recently and the male was about 7’, the female about 9’ and with a decent girth. It’s certainly possible to end up with one on the smaller side but they’re not all going to be. Especially if there are morphs involved.
Like any other snake they grow based on food intake. If you feed aggressively they’ll grow fast. Feed conservatively and they’ll grow a bit slower, but you can’t do much to slow them down.
The most important factor in determining size is genetics so make sure you buy from someone reputable who has an established program.
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ok thank you. I knew about there food drive, and I still think I would want one anyways.
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@ballornothing hit the mail on the head! I have 3 retics 2 mainland and one 87.5 kalatoa super dwarf. The sd is only around 6 1/2-7’ and my largest female is 14-15’ and I would rather handle her with my eyes closed while holding a rat then my little sd! Temperament matters a lot with retics more so then size, and if you have never owned a larger snake or are inexperienced definitely try the ball python for a while first. Or have a experienced good retic keeper show you the ropes and advise you a little first!
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I second the advice @ballornothing gave you. If you want a larger size snake you should check out boas. There are a lot of different types and for the money you would spend on a dwarf retic you could get a super nice boa of some kind. I have 3 Central American boas and they are great! Or you could go for a red tail. Boas make great pets because for the most part they are so very mellow!
Then if you still want a retic later on then so be it. But I really think you would be happier with a snake you can interact with and control/hold.
Here is my female, Kaluha:
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They’re a very rewarding species for sure. Just to be clear it’s not just food drive that can make them difficult to handle. A bad one in a bad mood will helicopter their tail, spray (pee/poo at high velocity), surge, and/or bite. A lot of them aren’t that way these days, but you can’t be certain what you’ll get. My first Retic was pretty sketchy to handle once he hit 6-7ft.
Males tend to be a little more hormonal as adults and that’s when you’ll typically see some of that bad behavior. If you ever get to the point where you have a pair just beware, when spring is the air, the males are pretty much wild animals.
If you use a sliding front glass enclosure make sure the glass fits the tracks pretty tight. They sort of hook their body against the glass when they’re fired up and it can cause the glass to lift out of the track and fall out and shatter.
There is a retic podcast out there, I forget the name of it, but it’s probably worth tuning in and checking out.
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how long does it take for them to reach there full size?
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4-5 years generally if you’re not pushing it foodwise
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ok thank you
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I agree with everything that has been said above.
$$ is definitely a consideration as well. Obviously, the ball python will most likely be the more affordable option depending on your taste in morphs.
Caging for the retic will definitely be more to consider…they do tend to be more arboreal and active than a typical BP.
And you will need to spend a pretty hefty amount for a good bloodline of SD. The price difference between a quality SD and a mainland can be astounding. You will definitely need to question the lineage on the SDs. The more mainlands that get crossed in, the larger the snake can potentially become. There’s really not a way to increase the % of dwarf back into the lines as it’s more of a line bred trait than something you can prove out like recessive %s. Even if you breed 75% to a 75% SD… You don’t get a 100% SD.
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ok thanks for your help
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Honestly, it depends on so many things. I got mine (he’s only 25%) in February and he was about 2 feet maaaybe 2 1/2. He is now probably close to 4 feet. He is 13 months old and eats either a weaned rat or a rat pup 1x a week.
Temperament wise, everyone told me I was making a mistake because I had only ever had ball pythons and I didn’t know what I was getting into. Truth be told, they are quite different and I am a little more cautious with my retic than the BPs. He did bite me twice in February, but both were my fault. I was told not to hold him for 2 weeks after I got him to let him decompress and I completely ignored that and did it anyway. 
So I got what I deserved. Since then, he hasn’t even tried to bite me. He is very chill and a very good snake.
Just make sure you do your research properly on them. Get yourself a snake hook and feeding tongs. Read up on ‘tap’ training and all that, and just be a bit cautious especially in the beginning. They grow at their own pace. Some grow really fast with regular feeding, some grow really slow with it. Some people power feed to get size on their snakes. If you want the best chances of a smaller retic go for a high percentage (or pure) SD. Especially Kalatoa, those are the smallest type when pure, I believe.
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ok thanks 
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Everyone gonna tell you they are good driven and hard to care for. They aren’t. With anything its about time spent. I have a 50% kalatoa goldenchild that is not hook trained he is hand trained. Never blows up striking. Know why? I’ve held him alpt, worked with him alot. Hes such a baby its wild. 0 bites ever from him. Now had i not worked with him maybe a different story. Ball pythons are usually docile no matter what
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Nope you get 75 lol
Thanks for finishing the math. 3 months later. Lol
Had to haha
Thanks for proving the point of you don’t get 100% I guess? Lol
Well correct its impossible to get back to 100 lol but you can get really close just takes many generations.
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