New addition , no name as of yet..

He's beautiful, Zina! And, wow... He is huge for a 2016! My 2016 Sumatrans are only half his size. He looks just as big as my 2015 Matrix that we've been talking about. I wish I was as far along with handling my Matrix as you are with this fella, though! lol

He really isn't all that big, he weighed 322 gr before his last meal.

And we aren't all that far ahead of you, he is still not comfortable...

You will get there. Is there a way to get in touch with the breeder and ask him if your Matrix has always been one of the more "expressive" ones? And if he was ever able to calmly handle her?

Just keep on trying. If she never gets AS calm and sweet as some do, don't blame yourself. Just like with other snake species, there are different personalities within. In Blood python the more "spazzy" ones simply put on quite a show ;)
If she never gets to where you would like her to be, you could sell her to a breeder. Someone that will take good care of her but isn't as worried about temperament. She can live happily the way she prefers, minimally handled, and do what nature intended for her. To lay eggs.

However, you aren't there at all yet. She might really just need far more time to "settle" in. Who knows, in a few month she might be watch TV with you on the couch :)

Ask if she was housed in different substrate, anything to make her feel "home" might help. Mine is on substrate he likes to bury in. He has 2 hides. He was still cruising and unhappy until I put some newspaper OVER the hides and substrate and now he happy resides inside of his hides , halfway buried in the substrate. ;)

You must just have really tiny hands that make him look bigger... lol I'm not sure what mine weigh. I just got my new scales yesterday, actually and I need to get all of my snakes weighed in.

I'm still holding on to hope that my Matrix will calm down, because my Sumatrans were acting just as schizo as she is and I seem to have had a break-through with them. I've been planning on getting her a boyfriend for the future as soon as another breeder I know has some ready within the next couple of months. I would love to make some Ivories and Albinos with her in a couple of years. If she doesn't settle down, I will probably try to trade her off for a different one that is calm. I definitely don't want a 30 or 40 pound loose cannon! lol I was actually planning on speaking with the breeder directly soon to find out exactly how much handling she has had and what her temperament was before I got her. She was just one of two that were left when I got her and i'm always a little skeptical about getting "leftovers"...

Some breeders also like to hang on to the best until last..haha.

She may very well calm down nicely. She may just need more time then the young-ins. Until she starts eating, I would do nothing more but the most basic maintenance. I would leave the other little one that isn't eating be, as well. You now know they will do nicely.
Perhaps you can try "leaving" a dead rat with the Matrix to see if she will take it once she has privacy.

Do they have privacy on the sides and back of the tub? Layer more newspaper on top of them, and make sure they are enclosed sides, back and top. They will eat once they feel safe and comfy.

If you want the Matrix for breeding, she should calm down enough to be handled for sure, she may not get to be puppy dog hang out with you for fun tame, but handle-able? Absolutely! And who knows, she may surprise you. But first things first, get them eating ;)

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Originally Posted by zina10

Do they have privacy on the sides and back of the tub? Layer more newspaper on top of them, and make sure they are enclosed sides, back and top. They will eat once they feel safe and comfy.

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Yeah, the sides and back of my rack are closed in... I'm betting that all three will eat on Monday. I shouldn't have even tried to feed them last Monday. It was too soon...

Here is a pic of her tub:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...s%2Fmatrix.jpg

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread and make it about me...lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

Yeah, the sides and back of my rack are closed in... I'm betting that all three will eat on Monday. I shouldn't have even tried to feed them last Monday. It was too soon...

Here is a pic of her tub:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...s%2Fmatrix.jpg

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread and make it about me...lol

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Oh, don't feel bad. I LOVE having someone to talk "Bloods" with :)

Try putting some newspaper on top of the hide and the crumbles. Mine calmed down a LOT right after I added sheets on top of the substrate and hides. Since then he is snug as a bug and happy ;) The sheets are a bit "droopy" now, since I just misted. They covered almost all the area but the very front, covered both hides, in front and in between them. Btw. the tape that holds the probe cable is on the outside of the tub ;)

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens.../large/1_2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens.../large/2_2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens.../large/3_2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens.../large/4_1.jpg

You have 2 hides, huh? Your snakey poo is spoiled! >8>)=

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

You have 2 hides, huh? Your snakey poo is spoiled! >8>)=

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Yeah, I had to clutter up that space...the Tub is bigger then the one he was in, didn't want a big open space ;)

I feel ya... It's hard to have exactly the right size tub for every size, species and stage of growth. Right now, i'm trying to accommodate all of the needs of adult Balls, 2 different sizes of Bloods and a year and a half old Boa all in the same rack (temporarily). I'm getting ready to build a new 10 - 41 qt. rack then I need to build a hatchling rack and a few 6' x 2' x 2' display enclosures for the future. And, I still need to build an incubator. This is definitely not a cheap, easy venture to get into! lol

Little Man today..

Picking him was easy, barely an exhale. Can't wait to make some outside pictures, the camera definitely doesn't pick up his gorgeous colors well...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/...3be29d27_c.jpg

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https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2867/...7f37487a_c.jpg

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https://farm1.staticflickr.com/591/3...818480ec_c.jpg

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