if you get them young they will likely be tamer, but they are always wild animals and you should never trust them completely. alligator snappers are quite docile by nature.

i have snappers and 1 spiny softshell. the softshell stays buried in the substrate much of the time and is very shy. i'd recommend a snapper for this reason, so long as you are ready for it's care requirements. other softshells might be more sociable, though.

if you're thinking alli, i absolutely recommend john richards, turtleman.com.