Reticulated Pythons: The Dwarf Variety 

The Reticulated Python is the longest snake in the world, named for their reticulating geometric patterns on their bodies. These pythons are massive, ranging between 16 and 25 feet on average. The longest recorded reticulated python reached 25 feet and 5 inches long. This snake has an incredible food drive, and is extremely fast and agile for an animal that big. They are found in South and Southeast Asia inhabiting tropical rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, and 

If it weren’t for their size, they would actually be really great pets. And for the right people, they actually still do. These snakes are intelligent, active and curious animals, who are just amazing to watch and interact with.

I often affectionately call these snakes Eden Snakes, because of their sheer size and intelligence.  

Unfortunately, most people can’t handle the size and power of these guys. 

Luckily, there is a version that appeals to possibly even beginner reptile keepers! 

The dwarf and super dwarf reticulated pythons are 100% the same as the regular ones, except much smaller. Dwarf reticulated pythons reach between 10-13 feet on average and super dwarfs get even smaller, about 6-8 feet. But they still retain the same personalities, intelligence, and looks as their larger counterparts.  

So how did they get this way?  

When people hear dwarf, they think of a genetic defect that stunts growth. But this is not that. Dwarf and super dwarf reticulated pythons shrank because of their environment. 

Dwarf and super dwarf reticulated pythons inhabit small islands surrounding Indonesia. The mainland retics somehow came to these islands and due to the lesser amount of food and space, they adapted and shrank down to become smaller. This adaptation is called Insular Dwarfism and it affects all kinds of animals including: Elephants, Lizards, and Hippos. 

For retics, it should be noted that these snakes have a range of sizes, as mentioned before. Their size depends on their localities, where they come from. The most common localities are the Jampea and Selayer for dwarfs, and Kalatoa and Karompa for super dwarfs.        

People have been selectively breeding these pythons as pets for a few years now, with the purpose of keeping them as small as possible. Make sure you turn to a reputable breeder. Garret Hardle of Reach Out Reptiles, is the guy I recommend to most people. He is the biggest name in the world of super and dwarf retics. Breeders like him will begin socialization, and educate you on care requirements and other things you need to know. More so than this article will show you. Speaking of… The pictures used in the article are from his personal website and from his collection on Morph Market.   

        How do I care for them? 

Enclosure set up

Set up and prepare your enclosure before you get any pet. 

The care requirements for both mainland and dwarf/super dwarf retics are about the same. These snakes, being large, semi-arboreal, semi-aquatic and semi-terrestrial, require a lot of space both vertically and horizontally, with some kind of water source. For a mainland retic, this could be the size of a small room. 

This is a ridiculous amount of space! 

But the dwarf and super dwarf reticulated pythons require less space, although still a big enclosure for sure. 

A good sized enclosure for a 5-7 foot super dwarf is gonna be 10 x 4 x 4 or bigger. For those of you who stink at math, like me, that's 10 feet long, 4 feet tall, and 4 feet wide. 

For substrate, I would use coconut fiber and eco-earth, maybe some sphagnum moss mixed in.  

Make sure the snake cannot escape this secure enclosure and decorate it with rocks, logs, and hides. You need a hot and a cool side, and a basking spot around 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the humidity is at least 65% inside the enclosure. Place hides on both warm and cool sides and include a water source, like a small pool they can soak in and drink from. 

Diet 

You have to know what to feed any animal, and I highly encourage you to do a good amount of research on what your pet eats, how often they feed, and where to find their food. 

For mainland retics, you will start off small with rats and rodents and increase in size as your snake does. Mainland retics eat a varied diet of larger animals. 

Dwarf and Super Dwarf retics will take rats and other equally sized rodents. You can offer small prey birds like young chickens, and quail on occasion. Reticulated pythons love food! They are very easy to feed. But you need to be careful you don’t over feed your snake. Obesity is very common in domestic reticulated pythons, and can lead to problems like diabetes, heart complications, bone-loss and digestive problems. Feeding an adult snake once every 7-10 days is the most common practice. Maybe every 5 days for a baby.   

Make sure you have a good vet keeping track of your animals’ health. 

Speaking of… 

Health 

Reticulate pythons, both mainland and dwarf/super dwarf, are hardy animals who live for a very long time… can be up to 30+ years in captivity. But as with all living things, they can get sick or hurt. Before you get one, or any reptile or non-typical pet. Make sure you have a vet lined up that specializes in the animal you’re keeping. This will help you in the long run. 

Dehydration is one of the biggest concerns with this particular snake, and any tropical snake really. Make sure they have constant access to water and humidity. Now if it fluctuates slightly that's ok, again, they are very hardy. But keep the humidity between 65% and 75% on average. And never let them go too long without water. 

Obesity, like I said before, is another problem. Retics love food and will most likely eat every time they are offered something. Make sure to put them on a schedule and that they get plenty of exercise. This doesn’t just mean moving around. Get them out of their enclosure, handle them, let them climb on structures around your house. This will encourage them to keep a healthy body weight. 

Mental health is also an important thing to note. It is believed by experts that the more intelligent an animal is, the more complex their mentality. Snakes, Pythons in particular are very intelligent creatures so their minds are always working. This can lead to some difficult conditions. Did you know a retic could get depressed? Well they can! 

Now when I say depressed, this is a rather humanized word for it. These snakes are highly active, interactive, and curious. They thrive on new experiences and interactions.

If they are deprived of stimulation, they can become placid and lethargic. Boredom can kill them! They can rub their faces on their enclosures, knock over water bowls, attack things in their enclosure that might not be good for them to bite. This is all uncommon, but it can happen if your reptile is bored.   

 And when they are raised by people, they build strong connections to those people and actually miss them when they are gone! 

Like I mentioned before, getting your retic out of its enclosure to explore can have great benefits not only on physical health, but mental as well.  

You can also change up their enclosure every so often to keep them engaged and drive off boredom. 

These are the 3 basic things to worry about when it comes to care. Honestly, it’s not that hard of requirements. Which is why I say this snake could be a good first time reptile for someone who has really done their research. 

Why choose a super dwarf or dwarf retic? 

So why do I recommend this snake for beginners? Well because it is so interesting and beautiful. And the care is fairly simple for a reptile. 

These snakes are very personable, and interactive with their people. And can recognize faces voices and heat signatures. 

They do have a high prey drive, which means they can be bitey if you’re not careful.   

But this can be trained out, so that you can give them indicators of when you are feeding versus when you are handling. 

They are also, so beautiful, having so many color and pattern morphs available. 

Just look at these!                           

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the super dwarf and regular dwarf reticulated python is amazing, and I really want one. I love them so much. And hopefully now, you do too. 

These smart and beautiful snakes are part of God’s great art work. 

I hope you enjoyed this article, and these snake pictures. 

Show your support to Reach Out Reptiles and Morph Market by clicking these links. 

Until next time, have a great life and God bless. 

Next article: 8/31/2025