The Jungle Story: is it true?

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Legally_Red

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I'm on the hunt for a python and like many, am torn between two species: Jungle and Bredli.

I'm a licensed snake-catcher, experienced handling both venomous and non-venomous snakes in captivity and the wild, so am not concerned about taking time to accustom it to handling, nor being bitten in the process ... but, this will be my first pet snake.

And, eventually, I plan to use the animal in small-scale demonstrations (with appropriate licensing etc.), as, living in a rural area, I'm trying to combat the rampant shovel-bashing ethic ... and believe a "mascot" will help. However, if said mascot tags the first kid to walk past, I won't be sending quite the right message.....!

I've long heard Bredlis are sweethearts - and those I've handled have been - but I still stare at photos of black and gold scales and am sorely tempted.

So...are all the terrible tales about Jungles really true?
Are they all snappy? Or is the bad reputation just leftover from the early days?
Has generations of captive breeding made a difference?
Could I take a young Jungle and accustom it to handling to make it suitable as a demo snake? Or am I kidding myself?
 
Could I take a young Jungle and accustom it to handling to make it suitable as a demo snake? Or am I kidding myself?

In my UNEDUCATED opinion, you could.
But I am very interested in hearing what others, with much more experience of Jungles than I, have to say :)
 
I'm personally one for not believing the hype in regards to "typical" animal behaviour. Its horses for courses in my opinion, and totally dependant on how they are raised. If I had to choose between the two I'd look at which is “more” aesthetically pleasing. Some of the high yellow jungles are truly stunning! But then your typical bredl also has the unique quality of a more condensed scale pattern and feels more like a skin than scales. Both are easily identified as a species and both are hard to beat in their pure forms. Tough call. I’ve always liked the jungles though ;) Good luck!
 
I have two jungles, the female is a sweetheart, as long as you don't smell like rats, and the male is a snap happy pain in the ****. I think it's possible to find one with the temprement your after, it might just take some time.
 
From what i have heard ( and this may be wrong) it all really depends on the temperment of the snake. My neice is 4 and her and her dad have a b and g jungle called sophie and she is seriously as nice as pie. she is my neices favourite has never bitten her. ( and you know what 4 year olds can be like with snakes lol pretty rough) but then their are other stories that they do bite alot. I have 3 coastal carpets and 2 are complete puppys and the other is very stroppy inside the enclousre and always strikes but as soon as he is out he joins the others in being harmless puppy dogs . so it would be hard to say just from looks or what other people say. maybe just get one of each :) then al least one will be nice:)
 
i just last week put a deposit on my first jungle and at the start i was hesitant because of the way jungles are. well as most people saying very aggressive! when i went n seen a guy about buying it i was very surprised this jungle is beautiful and dont bite what so ever! im sure you could find a nice one with a nice temperament and if not then train it to have a good one!
 
On average they are bitey snakes, some individuals are well beyond being bitey and rate up there with the most hard to deal with pythons around (lucky they are relatively small ;) ) if you don't like to be bitten, their reputation can be legendary and thus paints a bad name over the whole species.. though like any species you can get calm ones, I suggest you find yourself a good breeder that is willing to tell you the truth about the line(s) they produce, it is certainly possible to get calm jungles, though finding a good coloured one that you can hand to a five year old at a birthday party may be difficult, or expensive, either / either....
 
l breed Darwins and they are like juggling chainsaws , my 2 Jungles on the other hand are pussycats . Maybey l was lucky but they have never bitten . Perhaps you should buy an older Jungle , at least yearling , so you have an idea on their temperment .
 
It depends a lot on the locale of the jungles as some are known for having a less than desirable temperament, if you are considering say lower Palmerston for example, then stick with a Centralian carpet.
While it is true that many snakes with a reputation of being savage can improve with regular handling and some eventually become great to handle, this is certainly not always the case so why choose a species that is known for that reputation in the first place. And believe me when I tell you, that their reputation is deserved.
 
Get the one you want, you have handling experience, use it. I'd get an olive.
 
Comes down to the snake imo

I have a bredli which is almost retarded as to how good it is.. nothing really gets to him other than being put into a bag..

i have also had a jungle who is the same if not better

and another jungle which is the spawn of satan himself and plans to the destroy the world in a holy fire of bitting, hissing, pooing

and then Ive also got another bredli who is partners with the spawn of satan but tends to be more of a anything that moves is food
 
i work in child care and we get reptile demonstrations to our centre every holidays.. No one has ever had a jungle as a python they let the children hold or pat but i have seen a few darwins and they were fine yet they have the same bitey reputation as jungles..

I agree with the comments where it depends on the pythons personal temperment and age as they tend to settle more as they get older.

the main pythons i've seen at demonstrations are olives, water pythons, MDs, darwins, and stimmies.
 
I think its really down to the snake,,thats why we love em..they have personalitys!:),i got 2 jungles as my 1st snakes."against alot of advice"..glad i dont listen to people on the net..yer they were snappy at the start..but lily wouldnt bite someone now if you tried,same as my "diamnods",..they think their cats..i dunno?? they love people!..lol..like..id take the 6 footer to a school etc np.then again theres a reason i call my other jungle "chainsaw"..she's,still unpredictable and will cut you to pieces in a second if shes not happy .:rolleyes: but she will grow out of it with handling.id rather her bite me 100 times now than once when shes bigger but.she was kept in a fishtank with NO branches??. and was NEVER! handled..so id be pissed off to spending a year in a tank alone.so i like a challenge and took her to..;)..but unfort there really is no answer to your prob imo.However with your experience,id say get a few!:D..and see how they go..your expertise will kick in and youll be onto it in no time..good luck tell us what you ended up getting :lol:

thats chainsaw at the front..lilleth in the back 8)
 

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I have some jungles that are ridiculously calm and others that are extremely vicious i have only had one hatchy that i couldnt calm (Krauss line) but the bitey adults i have aquired only come out when cleaning lol.
 
absolutely comes down to the snake.

i have had a pair of bredli, one was an angel, the other evil as hell. never owned a jungle but again have seen some that have a "typical" jungle attitude and others very placid and handle extremely well.

pick what you like and work with it. no such thing as buying a particular species and having 100% guarentee it will have a puppy dog attitude.
 
my first snake was a jungle, like what has been said they do have a bad reputation but mine is a pussy cat dont get me wrong he has tagged me a few times but that was only because i was in the process of feeding him, other than that he has never biten me or anyone when being handled
 
i have 2 jungles he is as calm as can be not a care in the world but my girl is an absolute bitch will bite everytime without fail and most time more than once so u can chance it both ways i guess.
 
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