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I RECENTLY GOT THIS 12" BLACKTHROAT AND HE IS HIGHLY UPSET AND STRIKES LIKE A SNAKE AND WHIPS WITH HIS TAIL IF YOU TRY TO PICK HIM UP. I DO NOT THINK HE HAS EVER BEEN EVEN ATTEMPTED TO BE TAMED YET. IS IT POSSIBLE TO SETTLE HIM DOWN AT THIS AGE? HE IS EXTREMELY HEALTHY AND EATS REALLY WELL BUT YOU NEED GLVES TO PICK HIM UP. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN UPSET BLACKTHROAT, HE THINKS HE IS A NILE. ERIC

12" including tail?Thats a very small Blackthroat and should calm down nicely in time.How long have you had it?

i have had him for about 2 weeks now. only his body is 12" long. he is my first blackthroat and he is pretty bad ass looking. i hope he does calm down because i am going to keep him. how old do you think he is?

At 12",it shouldn't be more than a few weeks old.I think they are 6-8" when born(hatched).My Blackthroat was 12" and 3-4 weeks old when I got her.Now after 15 months,she's almost 5' and still growing like a weed.Give it time.Mine turned out to be a real sweety.I tamed her by doing this:When she was young I would put her in the tub with a couple inches of warm water.She seemed more comfortable in the tub than being restrained.I kneeled down to her level and put my arms in the water.At first she hissed and tail whipped but after a couple weeks,she would swim over and crawl onto my arms.Now ,she can't go without the morning tub swim,but she can crawl out on her own when she want's to get out.Good luck,they are great monitors.