How do viral reverse transcriptases recognize their RNA genome?

Reverse transcription is not solely a retroviral mechanism. Hepadnaviruses and caulimoviruses have RNA intermediates that are reverse transcribed into DNA. Moreover non-viral retroelements, retrotransposons, use reverse transcription in their transposition. All these retroelements encode reverse transcriptase but each group developed their own expression modes capable of assuring a specific and efficient replication of their genomes.