Juvenile ball python is a bit aggressive before feeding

[JeanTownsend]

I shouldn't use the word "aggressive."
I put my ball python, Mystique, in a tub when I feed her. I know that can stress them out, but there's shavings in her enclosure and I don't want her to swallow any.
So lately, every time I try to remove her from her enclosure, she goes into strike position but won't bite me or strike. Eventually (after a few minutes), she'll return to her hide, which I lift up and pick her up. Once I have her she's absolutely wonderful.
Last Tuesday when I fed her, she did strike, and didn't get me. Again, I just waited for her to return to her hide and when she did, I lifted the hide up and picked her up. And again, she didn't bite me or even go into strike position...once I had her.
And after she was fed, I just reached in the tub and gently lifted her up. No going into strike position. No biting me.
She is getting enough food. I have to feed her two small rats per week (not pinkies, they have fur; not sure what they're called), because the person at the pet store where I buy the frozen rodents didn't give me the size I requested. This coming Tuesday I will run out of those, and I'll nake sure I get the proper size this time.
She's a juvenile...something like nine or ten months old. I've had her since March.
Oh, her hide is a cave and is way to large for her...it's better suited for an adult. I'm trying to find one that fits her.
Her enclosure is 18x18x18. Yes, it's one of those annoying ones from the pet store.
Not sure if either of those details may be related to the actual situation.
I am open to suggestions on how to fix this. I don't care if she bites me, but I don't want to freak her out every time I feed her.
Thanks in advance, and I hope everyone can understand the situation clearly.

[PythonBabes]

Do you want her to bite you or....???

Switching a snake to the tub before and after feeding is the best and most common way to get bit. Put the rat on a paper towel and she won't eat any of the bedding and if she does its not going to hurt her if she has the proper heating that she needs to digest.

EDIT;

And you should care if she bites you, that can pull her teeth out and then she won't be able to eat at all. Its not about you.

[Craiga 01453]

Feeding within the animal's enclosure is the far more common method among experienced keepers. You want to fix this situation, right? That will be your best bet.

A) If you're worried about substrate impaction, lay the prey item on a paper plate or something similar within the enclosure.
- Serve the prey item dry, as substrate won't stick to dry fur very well.
- Consider: nobody cleans their food in the wild.
- They digest fur and bone with proper husbandry, a little substrate will not hurt them

B) You're making it sound as if you WANT to get tagged. Ok, so true, it really doesn't hurt, but why stress the animal more than you need to?
- The point made above about the snake's teeth is also a good point.

C) Refusals and regurgitation are far more likely to occur when using a feeding tub.

So, I hope this helps.

[RickyNY]

Feeding out of her enclosure:

Feeding in the enclosure:

[donnadudette2003]

If you're going to keep feeding in a tub, get a stick to take her out with instead of your hands. It's safer and you keep your snakes teeth intact.

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[Sunnieskys]

Sounds like she is already in food mode. All of the above. Feed in her enclosure for less stress.

[Zincubus]

If you're going to keep feeding in a tub, get a stick to take her out with instead of your hands. It's safer and you keep your snakes teeth intact.

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I use cheap snake hooks - off eBay just to keep their head ( teeth) away from me


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[JeanTownsend]

I care about her teeth, of course; I didn't mean to imply that I didn't care about her. And of course, if she ever bit me I'd stay as still as possible so as to not hurt her. I have been bitten by a snake before (wild garter) when I was six, and I was more concerned about the snake's safety than mine. I am well aware that it does more damage to the snake than it does to us, but thanks for pointing that out
We've figured out why. I have her feeding equiptment (tongs, gloves, etc) in a compartment in the table that holds her enclosure. She no doubt noticed the vibrations when we retrieve the items, just before feeding. So, not a good idea, and we changed our routine, and she doesn't show any signs of stress before feeding.

[Zincubus]

I wasn't suggesting anything about the teeth APART from I like to keep them away from me


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