Confusing BP aggression?

Okay, two days ago i purchased a Adult Male Yellow Belly breeder. Hes a big boy. Future breeder to my Normal Female. I had him in a 20 gallon tank, only one i had available and he seemed fine. Last night i moved him into a 40 gallon breeder tank, and he has become quite aggressive? Striking at movement and always in a defensive strike position. I also fed him a medium rat yesterday. I placed a nice sized box with a small whole in it for a good privacy hide. I have a UTH and the temps/humidity is good. I checked on him this morning and he was in the box, i opened the top slowly and he was ready to strike some more... So im confused now. :confused:

Please ask any questions.
If this is in the wrong section, i apologize. First time on this site.
( i know 20 gallon tank is too small, it was a holding tank )

My guess would be that he's stressed from all the changes in his environment (first moving to your care in general, and secondly the tank switch) and thus defensive.

Is he in a high traffic area?

Leave him alone for a few days and see if he gets any better.

I purchased him from a pet store here locally and he along with another breeder male came from a breeder they use to get there ball pythons. I believe they had him for a few days and then he came home with me. I taped up the two sides of tank with towels to indicate darkness maybe it will help with his stress maybe. No traffic where they are.

Just leave him be for about a week.

BTW- Some new information was just reported to me from the shop i got him from. The breeder who had him last only fed him 6 adult mice a month?! I was so stumped on why you'd do that. He was born in 2008. Apparently he was just a producer, not being held alot too. Sucks, hes a good looking snake hopefully he'll turn around...

Is the UTH regulated?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Is the UTH regulated?

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That was my next post :P

No it isnt.

Then it needs to be unplugged, it is probably the cause of your issues. Unregulated they can (and will) get hot enough to kill a BP.

You must have a thermostat.

Here are 2 good ones, don't bother with the junk sold in pet stores.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S

http://spyderrobotics.com/

Do you at least have a probed thermometer?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Then it needs to be unplugged, it is probably the cause of your issues. Unregulated they can (and will) get hot enough to kill a BP.

You must have a thermostat.

Here are 2 good ones, don't bother with the junk sold in pet stores.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S

http://spyderrobotics.com/

Do you at least have a probed thermometer?

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x2! :gj:

What a lot of folks don't realize is that reptiles are not like higher animals and they won't always move away from an excessive heat source and will literally cook themselves alive. Unregulated heat mats can easily get to 130+ degrees Fahrenheit, which is more that hot enough to kill a ball python in short order.