So I have a 4 month old Dumeril's which I've had for about a week, tonight I tried to feed him (I did it in a separate container) with a mouse hopper (what he had been eating for the breeder), he struck at the F/T mouse many times, at first I thought he was just missing the mouse, but a few times he made contact with it but did not coil around it, just snapped backwards.

Do you think this was defensive strikes vs him missing his feeding strikes? I'm really anxious now thinking that maybe I was just traumatizing him and now it will be that much harder to feed in the future?

Any thoughts or suggestions. I know many boa people feed in the enclosure, but I don't understand that when people have to use a snake hook just to tell their snake it's not feeding time. Might as well feed in a separate container so opening of the cage doesn't = feeding response without snake hook conditioning.

Background: Temps: Cool Side is 73, Hot side is always between 89-91 He has 2 hides on both sides, on paper towel substrate with UTH.

thank you for any advice.