Recently fed, Now strikes at everything?

I have a 3 year old, female BCI. She was a great feeder for the longest time, but in the last few weeks she has developed a strange habit.

After we feed her, and we feed her on a pretty straight forward schedule, and we feed her prey that is correctly sized for her, She becomes "food agressive" and strikes at her tub when ever someone passes by her rack. Im afraid she is going to hurt herself.

Should I try changing up the feeding? should I move her to feed her? should I put a curtain up after I feed her?

My water python has done this in the past, and my old bcc did it a few times over the years I had her. Sometimes snakes with big appetites will stay switched on after a meal, unless the meal is massive, and it usually shouldn't be. I would just put a sheet over the cage till the next day, then they were fine.

The Sheet / Curtain idea is what I was thinking. I think.... I will be making some sort of screen for them.

Next week, I will try rats that are a LITTLE larger, or perhaps, two that are slightly smaller.

Thanks I don't want her to get hurt. Shes a very good, and beautiful animal.

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Originally Posted by Hotwire

The Sheet / Curtain idea is what I was thinking. I think.... I will be making some sort of screen for them.

Next week, I will try rats that are a LITTLE larger, or perhaps, two that are slightly smaller.

Thanks I don't want her to get hurt. Shes a very good, and beautiful animal.

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Boas can have a crazy food response, and can be easy to overfeed because of this, but as long as you space out the feedings a little more, a slightly larger prey item won't hurt and may help a bit.

My BCL does that all the time. I fed him a small rat and his weaned rat and that shut him up lol. Like mentioned, some snakes just have a big appetite.

I would say just up the food item by one size and if necessary, stretch out the feeding by a few days.

I have bulldog clipped a small curtain around her exposed bin walls. I think that will do for now.

Thank you guys, Im sure she is happier too

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hotwire

I have bulldog clipped a small curtain around her exposed bin walls. I think that will do for now.

Thank you guys, Im sure she is happier too

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I put a curtain/drape up over Behira's (my female BCI) tank after she started doing this. She would strike at the acrylic doors of her Boaphile cage even if hungry - at night and when in hunt mode - with even the slightest movement.

I have hook trained her and she is still a sweetheart the rest of the time, but mad, mad, food response.

The curtain works very well for her.

The only thing I will say is make sure there is space between the curtain and the bin wall so the bin can properly vent. You don't want temps getting up too high.

Good luck and great idea.

I had a Peruvian boa that was just a little aggressive, he would strike at things outside of his cage on a regular basis. I started draping a towel over the front of his cage. That seemed to help quite a bit, good luck. Unfortunately I didn’t start doing this until after he hurt himself, my first and only case of mouth rot.