Suddenly Aggressive Ball Python?

[Skep]

I have a 1 and a half year old ball python. I've had him for almost a year now, and he's always been the biggest sweetie.
His temps and humidity levels are always correct and they're carefully monitored. He's incredibly healthy and always sheds wonderfully.
Lately, however, he's been pretty aggressive towards me. The past week, every time I've tried to get him out of his tub to handle him, he thinks he's getting fed and he gets in strike position. He even sticks his head and neck out of the tub, forcing me to back up.
Just a few minutes ago, I tried to get him out of his tub, and he bit me pretty good. It didn't hurt much, but it bled a lot.

I noticed that this started happening around the same time that I started feeding him 2 rats. (He eats frozen-thawed) Would this have anything to do with it?
I handle him around 3 times a week, and usually later in the day because I feel bad waking him up in the daytime. Should I be handling him more to calm him down? Should I be handling him earlier in the day when he's not as active?

Any advice would be super helpful, I just want to know why he's acting like this.

[wideglide]

Maybe he's still hungry. First thing I'd do is increase the food and see if he settles back down.

[Skep]

Would that be okay? I'm a bit nervous to feed him more, I'd be feeding him 3 small rats if I increased the food.
He wouldn't throw up, would he?

[bcr229]

How much does he weigh, and how much do the small rats weigh?

[NH93]

Check, check, CHECK temperatures!! What are your temps at?? (Ambient cool, ambient warm, hot spot). How do you heat the enclosure (heat source/s), how do you measure (what kind of thermometers), and how do you regulate the heat (thermostat/etc.)?

[Skep]

How much does he weigh, and how much do the small rats weigh?

I'm not sure how much he weighs, I don't have a gram scale. The rats weigh 45-84 grams each, according to the site that I bought them from.

[Skep]

Check, check, CHECK temperatures!! What are your temps at?? (Ambient cool, ambient warm, hot spot). How do you heat the enclosure (heat source/s), how do you measure (what kind of thermometers), and how do you regulate the heat (thermostat/etc.)?

Ambient cool is at 78-80 degrees, ambient warm is 88-92, which is the hot spot. I have a UTH and a heat lamp because the UTH alone doesn't keep the ambient temps where they should be. I use a ExoTerra thermometer with a probe to measure the ambient temps. I have a HydroFarm thermostat hooked up to the heating pad to regulate it. I have him in a tub which keeps the humidity where it should be. 60-65%, and 70-75% when he's shedding.

[bcr229]

Ambient cool is at 78-80 degrees, ambient warm is 88-92, which is the hot spot. I have a UTH and a heat lamp because the UTH alone doesn't keep the ambient temps where they should be. I use a ExoTerra thermometer with a probe to measure the ambient temps. I have a HydroFarm thermostat hooked up to the heating pad to regulate it. I have him in a tub which keeps the humidity where it should be. 60-65%, and 70-75% when he's shedding.

The UTH shouldn't keep the ambient temp up at all, it's only function is to create belly heat. If your air temp on the hot side is 88-92 then the surface temp will likely be way too high. You need to find out the surface temp of the tub over the UTH, as measured with a temp gun or IR thermometer.

You need a gram scale so you can weigh the snake and the feeders - there have been reports that a few sellers regularly ship feeders on the lower end of the low/high weight - and you need a temp gun or IR thermometer so you can get an accurate surface temp.

[Skep]

The UTH shouldn't keep the ambient temp up at all, it's only function is to create belly heat. If your air temp on the hot side is 88-92 then the surface temp will likely be way too high. You need to find out the surface temp of the tub over the UTH, as measured with a temp gun or IR thermometer.

You need a gram scale so you can weigh the snake and the feeders - there have been reports that a few sellers regularly ship feeders on the lower end of the low/high weight - and you need a temp gun or IR thermometer so you can get an accurate surface temp.

I know, I wasn't relying on the UTH to keep the ambient temps up. The heat pad is actually on the cool side, because that's where he usually is. I sometimes catch him on the hot side, but then he goes to the cool side right after. The surface temp was around 90 degrees last time I checked, I used a probe to measure it.

Are temp guns/IR thermometers and gram scales very expensive? I really don't have much money to go and buy a whole bunch of other things like that, I've already spent tons of money on what I have for him now.

[NH93]

I know, I wasn't relying on the UTH to keep the ambient temps up. The heat pad is actually on the cool side, because that's where he usually is. I sometimes catch him on the hot side, but then he goes to the cool side right after. The surface temp was around 90 degrees last time I checked, I used a probe to measure it.

Are temp guns/IR thermometers and gram scales very expensive? I really don't have much money to go and buy a whole bunch of other things like that, I've already spent tons of money on what I have for him now.

The point in having a cool side and a hot side is so the snake can have a heat gradient. Essentially, the snake needs a way to get away from the heat. If you have a UTH on the cool side, it is not a cool side anymore. My guess is the snake is too warm!!
When I had a glass enclosure and needed a low wattage heat lamp to keep up the ambients (I used a 50W red bulb day and night, on a 15 gal. aquarium - you can also use a straight up heat lamp with no light) I had the lamp kind of in the middle but slightly more to the warm side, where the UTH was.

You need to have a place where the snake can be free of heat sources (or rather, about 78-80F INCLUDING the vive floor). Too much heat makes for an upset snake...