Snake suddenly showing aggressive behavior

[CritterCrafts]

Hello! so my bp kaja is suddenly being aggressive with me? she is on a regular feeding schedule, she is always fed in a separate bin, never her tank. Her humidity and temp are all within range for bp's. She's been the sweetest baby her whole life. she was really sick when i first bought her from the pet store and she spent two months in the vet to recover, she got sick another time after that and both of those times she still was not aggressive despite probably being in a lot of pain. Im really confused as to why she may be acting this way now... its time for her annual check up so she has to go to the vet anyways but yesterday she actually got to bite me! it was the first time she ever did that/ even tried to in the almost 3 years ive had her! i tried to take her out of her tank again today to go ahead and feed her but the second she knew i was coming in, she went ahead and got into position to strike, once i walked away from her tank, she went to get some water, and is now currently guarding her cave while i type this post. anyone have ANY suggestions?

[bcr229]

It is a myth that feeding in the enclosure causes aggression, in fact, the opposite is true. It sounds like you have taught your snake to associate being picked up and moved with being fed. I would suggest feeding her in the enclosure from now on, and to look into tap training her so she knows the difference between feeding time and handling time.

Also in many areas summer weather has finally arrived after a long, lovely spring. This is naturally the time when ball pythons can get really hungry. What are you feeding her, and how often?

[Bogertophis]

She is not the "sweetest baby"...she's a snake, with an appetite, instincts for self-defense, & the potential to be confused by human actions, none of which make any
sense to her. But she's not the only one that's confused...

Snakes do NOT identify things much by vision...they rely on their heat sensing pits, and senses of smell & touch. Vision gives them an over-view & they basically assume
that a creature coming towards them is either prey or a predator. When a snake is hungry, they should be forgiven for assuming optimistically that whatever's incoming
is prey, and that is NOT aggression...it's you being unwise to move a hungry snake to a bin to be fed. You are warm and wiggling, just like their natural prey. You are
asking for a bite.

Always feed snakes in their home enclosures...it's less stressful for them (any handling can cause shy snakes to refuse food!) & you invite bites both before when they're
hungry, and after, since snakes may stay in "feed mode" (ie. ready to bite anything warm & wiggling) for anywhere from hours to a day or longer. While you may have
gotten away with doing this is the past, your snake has grown up & now has a bigger appetite...you're just asking to get bit. With larger species, trying to handle them
when they're hungry OR after they've eaten can be dangerous.

My strong suggestion is to buy some feeding tongs (if you don't already have them) & feed her where she lives. She's not 'aggressive'...she's a NORMAL snake.

[Faith.luu]

I would recommend feeding your snake inside the enclosure. However if you’ve been doing it outside, without any issues, then that is okay.

One thing you mentioned was that she was sick for quite some time. It could be that during this time, she is weak and was just unable to defend herself and would rather ball up/be in flight mode. So now that she is recovered it could be that she has the strength to go into fight mode( if that makes sense).

There are different handling techniques that you can try. Placing a paper towel overtop of them and then taking them out is an option. You can use a snake hook to help you maneuver her. You can use a dark pillowcase and place her inside for the duration of your handling sessions. And while in your hands, you can cover her head with one hand coming from the back of her head, and keep your hand overtop for a few minutes before slowly removing your hand.

Always remember to only put her back when she’s calm/curious for positive handling experiences so that they can build trust.

Has anything changed? Either Husbandry, handling sessions, feeding time, or type of prey?

[GoingPostal]

There's nothing confusing here, you have a hungry snake who knows it's feeding time and you stuck your hand in front of her. A snake in feeding mode is going to strike at anything that's moving or warm. Feed your snake in it's cage.

[Bogertophis]

I would also suggest learning how to communicate with your snake: they are nearsighted, deaf & food-focused, but have a good sense of smell, touch & body heat.

We humans are used to using vision & sound to communicate, but with snakes, you have to use THEIR best senses so THEY know what's going on & to avoid getting bit.

Snakes also have characteristic tendencies based on their species, as well as individual personalities, so it's up to YOU to find the best methods for YOUR pets. I live with
many rat snakes, for example, & when they're hungry, I can easily give them my scent by blowing across my hand in their direction so they "get" my scent & KNOW I'm
not incoming prey. That may or may not work for your BP, since they are more focused on heat signatures. Many boas & pythons do better with "touch" recognition,
aka "tap training" or similar signaling methods.

Remember that snakes live by their wild instincts: they can't afford to miss a meal- so they strike first & "ask questions later". Get used to it...your snake is not "mean"-
she's just being a snake, & to be successful, you just have to meet her halfway...just understand where she's coming from. Mistakes happen if you don't, & it's not her
fault.

[andeal]

Snakes aren't deaf. Also, BP can smell that you're not food. Unless she's latching on, she doesn't think your food. You're scaring her.

Moving on... She might be associating your picking her up with a stressful situation, i.e. going to the vet and all that entails. Let her settle a few days, and try again. Also, don't wave your hand around their face. When picking them up, its best to go at it from behind and scoop it up. Most snakes are fine once they're out and know you are not a threat.

[Bogertophis]

Snakes aren't deaf. Also, BP can smell that you're not food....

Not completely -I generalized- but neither can you rely on communicating with sound. They feel bass notes especially, & vibrations from percussive activity, like slamming doors.

BPs can certainly smell but in my experience with them, they rely more on heat signature so by the time you're close enough for your scent to take precedence over your warmth, you might already be tagged.

[andeal]

Tagging is not feeding response, it's a scared response. Latching is a feeding response. Rats have a strong odor. Plus you & your hand looks nothing like a rat. You are a giant warm thing. BPs are notoriously picky eaters, who will certainly be able to tell whether a "warm, moving thing" is food. In the wild, their lives depend on it.

BPs and snakes in general don't like to be touched pre and post meal. It's when they're the most vulnerable. When they think they're about to eat, and strike at you, that's a very understandable response. They don't want you around. They just want to eat in peace. On top of that, taking out your snake out of its home, and putting it in a separate feeding bin, especially a semi-transparent bin with no hides, is going to add to the stress of an already stressful situation. Transporting the snake back to its enclosure after it's eaten, is also very stressful, and can lead not only to tagging, but regurgitation. I'd highly recommend feeding it in its enclosure.

What I personally do, is place, with feeding tongs, a plastic lid inside its enclosure, right outside its hide. My BP is then able to recognize it's feeding time. Then, with feeding tongs, I wiggle and sweak the warmed F/T rat right above the lid. That way she can eat without ingesting much substrate. Once the rat is gone, and the BP is back to hiding in her cave, I quickly pull out the lid (with the tongs), and leave her alone for the rest of the day.

[Bogertophis]

Tagging is not feeding response, it's a scared response. Latching is a feeding response. Rats have a strong odor. Plus you & your hand looks nothing like a rat. You are a giant warm thing. BPs are notoriously picky eaters, who will certainly be able to tell whether a "warm, moving thing" is food. In the wild, their lives depend on it.

BPs and snakes in general don't like to be touched pre and post meal. It's when they're the most vulnerable. When they think they're about to eat, and strike at you, that's a very understandable response. They don't want you around. They just want to eat in peace. On top of that, taking out your snake out of its home, and putting it in a separate feeding bin, especially a semi-transparent bin with no hides, is going to add to the stress of an already stressful situation. Transporting the snake back to its enclosure after it's eaten, is also very stressful, and can lead not only to tagging, but regurgitation. I'd highly recommend feeding it in its enclosure.

What I personally do, is place, with feeding tongs, a plastic lid inside its enclosure, right outside its hide. My BP is then able to recognize it's feeding time. Then, with feeding tongs, I wiggle and sweak the warmed F/T rat right above the lid. That way she can eat without ingesting much substrate. Once the rat is gone, and the BP is back to hiding in her cave, I quickly pull out the lid (with the tongs), and leave her alone for the rest of the day.

I'm a little confused about what it means to "sweak" a warmed f/t rat, but otherwise, this is great advise!