Your BRB pic almost burned a hole in my monitor. That is a beautiful snake. I've read, in the taxonomy, that Epicrates is the most closely allied genus to Eunectes.

In answer to your question, I got started in Boas in 1963 while working with exotic pets in retail. Anacondas got me in 1998 while working in another exotic pet store. We got a shipment of baby Yellows from New England Reptile Dist., and I was impressed by their calm behavior. We received them still dragging their yolk sacs. By the time they were ready to take food, they were willing to just accept frozen/thawed feeders from the hand and swallow them. They didn't bother to strike, or constrict. Now, as adults, they still behave the same. I ended up with several more of them, when their owners tired of them. Those who had been fed live prey easily converted back to pre-killed. They, too feed gently. A couple of them were owned by people who wanted to have a fierce snake to impress people. They just aren't.

I too, do docent work, at the local Cal State University campus. I show them as "Water Boas". People, mostly young kids, handle them, and enjoy learning about them. At the end of the session, I tell them they've been handling Anacondas. Some refuse to believe it. Many refuse to believe that they're not venomous. Even though they've handled them, they become afraid when they learn what they are. I tell them that if they think education is expensive, they will pay much more for ignorance.

When they ask about biting, I show them my dog-bite scars for a a little perspective.

Anaconda porn.

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To Buddhist hot dog vendor. "Make me one with everything."

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