Hi Hun.

I did give you a late reply on the Jordan thread, just in case you missed it.

You may already be aware of what I am about to say, but better safe than sorry, so they say.

The idea of getting a young retic is an excellent one as like you say you get used to each other whilst the snake is young, and you can learn by mistakes too whilst the snake is not big enough to do much damage.
I would suggest that whilst getting to know each other well, and building up a trust, that you practice gently wiping your finger over the snakes eyes, and stroke around his/her's head and mouth , even gently parting it's lips so as to be able to see the snakes gums. Also get the snake used to having it's tail touched and gently held. This prepares them for any time in the future when huge, if there is thought to be a problem, or indeed it does have something wrong, like a retained eye cap for instance, it should remain totally calm for you as what you will be doing nothing out of it's normal routine. I so wish I had that advise when I first reared a large python. The struggle to contain a very large snake because it was frightened of the unknown was a nightmare.

I have known people that went to touch their large pet python's tail to be met with either a tail lashing around spraying at the same time, or swinging round very fast and biting them, leaving all in shock, and it was not the snakes fault, yet it was up for rehoming. This happened many times sadly, but some were willing to work with their pets to overcome this, but it was so much harder in the later years.

My large snakes here allow one to just place two fingers at the entrance to their mouths, and the mouths are then gently opened to look inside without teeth being any issue whatsoever, but I don't recommend this unless you have short finger nails, and are shown how to do this by some one else first that has plenty of experience. I was very lucky to have Mark O'Shea show me on one of my visits to see him.

Another tip for you is that shadows on the glass of the snakes viv can make them very jumpy and liable to strike at the glass as you walk for for example.

I remember one instance of being called out to rescue and rehome a large burm because it continued to strke at the glass, thus making the owners too frightened to tend to the snake anymore.

As I sat in their front room talking to them, I was aware that the snake was in a large viv directly on the floor at the other end of a 24 ft long room, so a fair distance from us, and there was not a problem until the people's Children started playing on the floor right near me. The snake then started striking the glass, and I could see that the Children's shaddow's were reflecting on the snakes viv glass and that was all that was wrong with the burm. Once that problem was addressed the snake became a gentle giant.

I'm sure you wil have plenty of other's to advise youas time goes on, but I never see the above mentioned on the forums and they are very important tips for the future smooth running of owning a large snake. The above should only be practiced once the young snake is past the hatchling bitey stage, and at ease with you.

Mo.