agressive ball python

i had just got my ball python about a week ago and he was really nice when i handled him in the store and i took him home and sense he has been VERY aggressive i took him out to feed today and put him in a tub and put the thawd rat in there moved it around and he stuck and missed it a few times but now he keeps on striking at me and is always in the strike position ! he wont let me pick him up at all and hes not eating the small rat.... its the same size the store told me to feed him and he is pretty big so i know its the right size for him can any one help me ? can i get him to just curl into a ball or anything he is being ridiculously aggressive...

Well, sounds like he just doesn't want you to take his food away. I would feed him in his enclosure though, if your scared to pick him up. When they smell their food they are going to be in a defensive bite position.

I would just get some gloves and do it that way. You could also just throw a towel over him and pick him up that way. He thinks your trying to take his food (it's happened to my bf before). So, if you pull away everytime he strikes, it gives him a reason to strike again.

Once you get bit you will realize it doesn't hurt. I was scared until i was tagged for the first time. lol.

How did you warm up his food? Most snakes seem to take the f/t better if it is plenty warm. It is possible that he smells the food, so wants to eat, but the only warm thing he is sensing is you. If that is the case, it is no wonder he is striking at you.

i warmed it up in warm water and i had just kind of drug it around the cage for a while and he stuck a bunch of times at least a dozen but missed the rat each time than i had accidentally droped the rat and he started striking at me instead and he is ALWAYS in the position to strike he don't ball up or anything defensively. and now even with gloves i am terrified to pick him up. its almost like he thinks im the food hes ignoring the rat completely .

and i have aspen bedding so i cant feed him in his normal cage or else he might accidentally eat some of the bedding. that's what i have heard anyways plus i don't think you are supposed to do that anyways.

It's ok. I thought the same thing. However, they digest bones on a daily basis, aspen chips are no biggie, as long as they aren't huge. Next time try running the head of the mouse under some hot water. It needs to be warmer than you, because they hunt by heat, and you are heat that is moving.

okay i just stuck the tub it was in into the cage and open it up im gunna leave the rat in there for a few hours and if he don't eat it soon im gunna take it out and try and feed him again in a few days

he did not eat it... im gunna try again friday but with a large mouse instead of a small rat

Wait a week, try next wednesday.

you think it will be okay if he goes that long w/o food ? that would be 2 weeks in between meals. also i was kind of thinking about feeding live because the pet store said that is what he has been on forever. i did get a response from him as to biting the thawed rat but i think maybe it would be better for him to just stay on live. would it make him more aggressive if i feed live ?