Young BP striking at air during feeding time?

[UpNorth]

While feeding Newman this week, as well as last week, I heated up the rat pup with his cage top off and the bag open so he really got a good whiff. He started coming out of his hide within 30 seconds or a minute of the blow dryer turning on.

As soon as I picked up the rat pup and brought it near his cage, he started striking at the air and fake leaks in the upper part of his cage (3-4 strikes, completely missing the pup). I touched the pup to his nose and guided him down closer to the bottom and he took it right away.

Is this normal behavior? I'll upload a video shortly, it isn't great because I had to keep moving his food around to show him where it was. He had a bad shed, but doesn't appear to still have his eye caps and I got 95% of it off aside from the top of his head and neck.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I have one who does this on occasion, I don't think that anything is wrong, but I'll wait for the video to say anything for sure

[UpNorth]

Here is the video. For some reason I say he is 5 weeks old... I've had him 5 weeks, he is closer to 4 months likely.

[Homegrownscales]

That's defensive striking. I'd let him totally chill with no handling, only bare maintenance to the cage before you try and feed again. At least a week. It can take longer. Babies are really prone to stressing easily and that's his show of "hey don't mess with me". If he does it again next week. Stop trying to feed, again till the next week. Other stress movements are jerking away from the food, or "running away" from the food. You may want to try a smaller than normal live feed.


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[UpNorth]

Odd, I handle him without issues and he never strikes unless food is in the room.


One other thing to note, he never did this before when I warmed the rat in the next room. Single strike to the rat every other time.

[RobNJ]

That's defensive striking.

That doesn't look like defensive striking, and doesn't appear to be a snake under any sort of stress. So here is my theory based on what I saw in the video...

As the OP mentioned, the snake came out pretty much right after he started warming up the rat pup. Obviously looking for it's food, it was picking up heat signals from the heat lamp sitting right over the fake foliage, and since that was the only thing it could make out carrying any sort of heat with the scent of rat in the air, it was striking at the leaves.

To the OP, I doubt there's anything wrong, but if it concerns you at all, I'd suggest picking up the pace a bit or shutting your heat source off a few minutes ahead of time.

[UpNorth]

Could definitely be the case with the heat source, it's exactly where he was aimed. The first strike I noticed my shadow passed through the leaves at the heat source and he struck at it.

Hot, rat smelling shadows? Could be the answer.

Thanks guys. If anything changes I'll let you know.

[Exotic Ectotherms]

That doesn't look like defensive striking, and doesn't appear to be a snake under any sort of stress. So here is my theory based on what I saw in the video...

As the OP mentioned, the snake came out pretty much right after he started warming up the rat pup. Obviously looking for it's food, it was picking up heat signals from the heat lamp sitting right over the fake foliage, and since that was the only thing it could make out carrying any sort of heat with the scent of rat in the air, it was striking at the leaves.

To the OP, I doubt there's anything wrong, but if it concerns you at all, I'd suggest picking up the pace a bit or shutting your heat source off a few minutes ahead of time.

That was exactly my first reaction when watching the video. Try turning off the heat lamp AND taking it off of the screen top before offering the rat. Those bulbs take forever to cool down. Let us know if this helps.....

[UpNorth]

I just want an Animal Plastics T8

[Homegrownscales]

Whoops I see what you guys are saying I didn't notice the video. Ok so I'd agree that he was most likely a hungry buddy that was over excited about a yummy meal. Maybe a bit before the blow drying shutting off the light giving it time to cool down.


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