Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok,i'm interested in working with mandarins,but was surfing around and read that w/c specimens have a mortality rate of over 95%.i would only consider getting c/b specimens anyway(always the preferred choice)and i know that they are very suseptable to stress and pathogens as imports,are the c./b specimens particularly fragile too?

Stick with CB, they are worth it. I've got 4 Mandarins, one WC adult male (the survivor of a pair) and 3 CB. My WC is best left alone- he hides 99% of the time and will only feed if I leave the F/T prey item in his hide over night. I'm amazed he even eats F/T. He will not come out to eat. He will not eat if disturbed at all (just being in the same room disturbs him). He eats prey smaller than most snakes his size (4') would. He's just started (afte 10 months) taking 2 hairless rat pups per feeding, though he looks large enough to eat an adult mouse. I've handled him just to check his health and he'd bite if I gave him the chance. I really try to disturb him as little as possible and as long as he's feeding, I'm happy. The attached pic is of my typical view of the WC- in his hide trying to get away from me.
The CB are a different story. I handle the CB (ranging in age from 2.5 years to yearling) and they are calm and inquisitive. The smallest is defensive- but young snakes usually are. They eat well- always F/T and appropriately sized prey items. They're still shy snakes- preferring to hide most of the time. My biggest appreciation for them is that I know their history. I plan to breed them and that gives me an inkling of what their offspring will be like.
If you don't mind taking a chance on a WC Mandarin- they are cheap for a reason. If you want a snake that won't mind being handled and will feed well then I'd get a CB.
Lora

....don't have any experience with CB's, but wanted to try the WC's, for no better reason than to get experience working with difficult snakes rather than our corns or blackrat. have one survivor out of two, and its just a hateful snake. Definately does not like to be disturbed in any way, strikes and tail rattles when I have to do cage maintenance, has eaten 3 times in the months we've had him on live peach fuzzies and a live pinkie, and really looks like a WC critter, not what you think of when you see pics of CB mandarins from breeders. Really, go with the CB. Jmho and peace...Chris