Hey Maureen,
yes sorry I had seen your reply just been stupidly busy recently.
I have a year to get my research done on retics or burms, so any information freely given by those who have had Giants before comes greatly welcomed lol.
We are currently working on my scrub python on keeping her a nice calm handleable snake from a small age, as currently meeting this with great success.
with concerns to shadows over vivs, i have seen my Boas and scrub react to outside influences quite alot so have taken this into account for the positoning of the Giants viv with in the reptile room (to be constructed).
Thank you for your advice on getting the snake used to getting touched around the head, I currently have a large female BCI with a hatred of her tail and head being touched and am working with her to allow check ups to be less stressful (last time she stalked the vet the whole time)
The thing I really have to sort is not really myself and the snake being comfortable with being handled or touched, more my OH getting used to handling a snake of such length, currently he handles the scrub and male BCI (the royals are just puppies so no one worries about them) but still needs his confidence built up with the large snakes (my female BCI being the dreaded one) so hopefully with a retic hatchling he will be able to learn its moods, movements and everything he needs to as it grows
but these are things I can only deal with when the time comes I must say, he did once swear he'd never go near another BCI again after being bitten by my first female, he now handles my male so I'm sure with time and nice rewards I'll get him handling all sized snakes without any effort
