Striking at heat source

[lydia216]

Today moved our girl to a ceramic heat lamp with a cage on top. She’s always had a big heat mat under a huge piece of marble but she wasn’t getting warm enough.
Today is her feeding day so once all settled and she’d had a few hours sunbathing happily under the lamp I got her rat out, defrosted it and warmed it in some water as normal. When I went to feed her, before I went in the tank she was very interested in me which often happens but then as I was getting the rat into the enclosure she started to strike near the lamp. When I put the rat in and started tapping on the side as usual she got really excited and struck at the cage connecting with it 3 times! She got off it no problem and after basically bopping her with the rat and my husband coaxing her over with lots of tapping she got the rat. She seems fine but bit concerned this might be a new thing!! Don’t want her to be striking at the heat lamp after eating thinking there is still food in there if she can still smell it! Dosy creature! Anyone had this? Worried she’ll be in a constant state of feed mode or hurt herself!

[Armiyana]

What temps was she at with the mat previously and what is she at now?

It sounds like she's just confused at the moment because it's a new thing. I assume everything else is the same just a new heat source? She was probably just going towards the heat because she assumed the warm thing above was food when. She smelled food. Heck I've had a couple just look right at ME instead of the tongs with the food because 'big warm thing food smell' until passing the rat in front of their nose again.

If this is a new enclosure entirely, she may actually be more stressed in general. If this is the case I'd monitor her behavior a bit more. If she seems more likely to try striking at things when there's any movement nearby or in the cage, especially if she's out in the open and somewhere relatively high... that's defensive stress behavior. I've had to move two girls out of open front habitats for that reason. They would actually go so far as to strike the glass repeatedly when they saw movement.

[Bogertophis]

I think she'll probably get used to the overhead heat- she's just temporarily confused what with her hunger & the scent of prey clouding her judgement. BPs really do go after heat signatures, so remember that & don't be one.

[lydia216]

lol thanks both

yes nothing else has changed and she ate fine once she realised where the food was!! She seems quite happy now sat up in her branch like the Queen!
she often thinks I’m food! I think she’s really quite blind! We’ve had no more striking at the heat since she ate thankfully!

[Bogertophis]

You just have to remember that snakes are optimists. In the case of BPs & others with heat sensing pits, "If it's warm, it might be edible!" Many snakes do often seem blind- especially when they try to find the head of their prey. We're very visual creatures, but most snakes are not.

[bcr229]

You just have to remember that snakes are optimists. In the case of BPs & others with heat sensing pits, "If it's warm, it might be edible!" Many snakes do often seem blind- especially when they try to find the head of their prey. We're very visual creatures, but most snakes are not.

Bingo. I've had retics and boas strike their RHP's at feeding time. The smell of rodent in the air and a heat source close by is all it takes.

[Zincubus]

This is why the hairdryer method is so effective ..


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[Bogertophis]

This is why the hairdryer method is so effective ..


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Another Bingo!