1st off, I had doubts as well about Sam. They've been put to rest. If the animal arrives dead that's a chance u take when having a reptile shipped. Mine all arrived alive. If urs died after u got it maybe u don't know how to properly care for a snake. U really thought these were bred at SAMs house? Of course not, and he wouldn't b my choice on who could sex a reptile properly, however whoever does has been correct every time for me. And sexing a brand new baby is just a guess. I was upfront with Sam, he's a reputable guy and I have only had good experiences with backwater