` You know what I say? I'd rather be lucky than good!!

` Over five years ago the baby Yellow Anacondas I got from NERD were incredibly calm and gentle. But I fell into them. I worked for a retailer who bought most snakes from big wholesalers who shipped sick, infested, and traumatized animals for cheap. I did some research, and found NERD. I set up a deal with them, and persuaded him to buy from them. It was quite a sell, as NERD's Anacondas were 75% more expensive than the ones he'd been getting.

` NERD refused to ship until the weather was right. When their babies arrived, having been shipped from New England to the Pacific Northwest, they were nervous and stressed from the shipping, but not aggressive. They were also perfectly healthy.

` They day after arriving, those babies were active, and hungry. They took pre-killed food from my hand, without striking, or constricting. That did it for me. I wasn't planning on getting into Anacondas, but when I experienced their behavior, I bought the whole shipment. Later, we ordered another group from them. The second group was the same as the first, except they were still dragging their yolk sacs, so it was quite a while before they were ready to eat.

` It is my experience that the first and largest mistake people make is buying the wrong individual critter. If you're just buying a breeder, all you need is a picture of it, and a reputable seller. If however, you want a pet, that's a whole different ball game.

` I have a thing about dumping animals. Once I get one, I feel a responsibility to it. I don't feel good dumping one because of its personality. So, I make it an absolute prerequisite to know the critter, its background/history, and its parents, before I give it a home. I only compromise this rule in the case of rescues, and I've been incredibly lucky with them. As a result, I have a group of great pet snakes.

` My answer to your question is this: These animals are all individuals. NERD's breeders may produce a higher percentage of calm babies BUT, that doesn't mean they aren't going to be some aggressive ones. Also, I've sold calm and gentle baby Boids of many different species to people, and had them bring them back to me later as vicious as Hell, while their siblings were still gentle. I'm saying that if you get them young, you have a chance to create their personality, if you remain mindful of what you're trying to do, AT ALL TIMES, as they grow up.

` In other words, I don't see an absolute, and informative answer to your question. It's a crap shoot, so you've got to cover all the angles you have latitude with. Nobody can tell you what a critter will be like in the future. If they do, keep one hand on your wallet.

` Most people just jump in, and try to figure it out afterward. That's why there are so many neglected, abused, and abandoned snakes, out there.

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