Short version: I'm looking for some help in deciding on an animal to add to my free reptile education program. Should I go with a male Blood or a Borneo? I'm currently a student getting my teaching certification, so my budget is tight. Where should I go to get a nice 'poster child' snake for the public to interact with?

The whole story:
I run a very small and free reptile outreach program in my spare time. It's my attempt to change the general opinion of all things scaly one person at a time. I frequently do this as a form of street performance, as I spend my summers in Michigan's biggest tourist hub, Mackinac Island, I end up with audiences from around the world. Whoever I get my snake from will get world-wide advertising for their breeding business!

I love snakes and want to have some amazing animals to use to teach people that snakes are not monsters, but amazing, varied, beautiful, and threatened animals. I have lectures planned based around the skin trade and the growth of the captive breeding. I don't want to deal with the size problems that a burm or retic would pose, but I would love to have a larger snake to use as a hands-on animal, and the Bloods seem ideal for this. Do you think a Blood or a Borneo would be a good animal for me?

I'm having trouble deciding on whether to get a Blood or a Borneo. I want a male, as they generally run smaller. I prefer the coloration of Bloods, especially those with lighter colored faces (my ideal would be an Ivory, they look so gentle, but I just don't have the funds to purchase one, especially as I have no intentions of getting into breeding), but marble Borneos are also appealing. Is the size difference between male Bloods and Borneos significant in your experience? Would it be possible for a full-grown male blood to be too dangerous to be handled alone?

I know that personality depends on the animal, and I plan to work with my animal on a regular basis to keep him hand-tame, but have you had any problems with Bloods becoming unpredictable or more aggressive after reaching maturity, how do they compare to Borneos? Is anyone working to breed more docile bloods? (this isn't completely ridiculous, it's possible to breed for lowered adrenaline responses, resulting in calmer domesticated animals).

I currently keep a Nicuraguan BCI, who I treasure, and I've worked with ball pythons, garter snakes, milk snakes, and corn snakes, as well as a number of lizards, so I do have a bit of experience with a variety of husbandry requirements.

Sorry for all the questions, I'm trying to think everything through, so I don't end up with a snake that I can't handle. Thank you!

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