#1) Out of all of the giant snakes you have owned, WHICH one type has been the most consistantly gentle and responsive?
--I have kept more Burmese pythons than Reticulated in my collection over the past 12 or so years. I also worked at an exotic pet store and was in charge of the reptiles for 6+ years there. In all of the giant constrictors, it is my opinion that Burmese pythons are the more "gentle" of the 2 in question. For the giants that I have raised from a baby into adulthood, the Burms I have owned have always been more trustworthy. I have a 6.5 year old female albino green named "carmela" and have had her since she was 4 weeks old; she has NEVER offered to bite and has NEVER struck at the glass in her cage when food was in the room or just after eating. ALL of the retics I have owned have done so. But in saying that, the 2 retics that I have now (a super and a normal from Baldogo tiger parents) are dog tame outside of their cage, and the male normal is really turing into a lapdog.
I also think it really depends on how they are raised (like any other animal). Handle them as much as you can for the first 6 months you have them and I believe you will be well rewarded with great pets either way.

#2) Are Tigers/Supertigers from established well known bloodlines really that much more tame and calm than , say Yellowhead that are c/b or silvers that are c/b or albino lavenders that are captive bred, or Jampeas?
From people who have owned animals rom the original Tiger line and who have owned others (including me), I believe you have a better chance of having a tame animal from this bloodline. The only c.b. Jampea I have had came from the Baldogos as well and she was very tame once out of her cage. I had her for 5 years and never had problems with her. You just have to understand retic behaviour. The only albinos I have ever worked with were at the pet shop I worked at, and they were not tame. We received them when they were 4 months old, so I don't know how they were handled before that. I do know they would not hesitate to bite.

In my opinion, if you want a giant, get a Burmese python. If you have your heart set on a retic (which I think you do, LOL!), then get a normal silver from original Tiger bloodlines. I think this will give you the best chance at owning a TRUE gentle giant.




-----
Derek Roberts
Sonoran Reptile Breeders
sonoranreptile@cox.net
"I remember the first war, the way the sky burned
The faces of angels destroyed
I saw a third of Heaven's legion banished
And the creation of hell
I stood with my brothers and watched lucifer fall
But now, my brothers aren't my brothers" -- Zao

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