newly agressive, help me figure out what is going on?

[movingthestars]

Hi, I could use a little help if anyone has the time.

I got my BP about 2 years ago, and she was very small. She came from a pet store (I did not buy this snake, it was a present for my boyfriend at the time who never even wanted it) so I don't know exactly how old she is, but probably around 2 years old anyway.

1 year ago, I left the USA. My mother was taking care of the snake for me. The first 6 months everything was fine, the second 6 months the snake did not eat at all, although she was being offered food every 2 weeks. Additional information: She is regularly weighed. She did not lose any weight over the 6 months not eating.

Finally, 2 weeks ago she ate. I also offered her food tonight and she ate again. That's great!

Other information that you may or may not want to know when advising me: She has a nice big enclosure, it is one of the Animal Plastics Terrestrial ones that I got because it was recommended here. The temperatures on the warm side and cold side are faithfully monitored and controlled. Her enclosure is always clean, her water is changed every day. She has no problems shedding.

Now the problem. Three weeks ago, she bit my mother when she offered the food. Instead of going for the rat, the snake went for her hand. We always use long metal tongs to offer food. My mother says her hand was completely out of the tank, and the snake lunged out of the tank for her hand. Of course it was a scary experience for my mother, but we can move past this, obviously she was hungry after 6 months of no food and she is an animal, these things happen.

Prior to this, she had been handled extremely regularly!!!

But now, she seems very aggressive and I feel sad and worried about her. Before this, I've never felt nervous around her at all, she has never bit me or lunged at me. When I came back and touched her, she made a noise like she was deflating (my mother insists it was hissing, maybe?). She has never done this before. When I fed her, she first looked like she wanted to go up and over the rat, and I thought she would go for my hand. I then kept my hand out of sight completely and just put the tongs in and she went for the rat (we feed frozen by the way).

I'm hoping that since she ate tonight, she will feel better in a few days and I will be able to handle her. (No one has handled her since she bit my mother.) What do you think? Should I give her more time? Anything I should keep in mind?

She is my first and only snake, so any advice from some people who are much more experienced would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading!

[tbowman]

They are very much guided by the heat signature given off by the rodent. If the rat or mouse wasn't warm enough it's likely that she mistook the hand for the food.

As for hissing, it's not uncommon. Many snakes will increase respiration when they are being handled, especially if they get startled. There are also some days that they just don't want to be bothered. This doesn't sound like an aggressive snake to me. I think your best option is to continue as if nothing ever happened, and if you do happen to get bit, it's not the end of the world.

[Reinz]

Wow, lots of ifs, maybes, and so so's here. Too many possible variables.

My adult female goes on 5-6 month hunger strikes. She NORMALLY eats one or two medium to ML rats. Every now and then she may get stuck in feed mode for a few days and eat up to 4 rats, the limit I put on her.

The reason I mention this, is sometimes their whole system can get thrown out of whack. Mine has "machine gun " struck before. Many rapid strikes, all misses as if blind.

Back to your mother, how warm was the rat when presented? Could it have cooled down? Could your mom's hand have been warmer or smelled of the rat?
Did your mom wash her hands? Rinse with cold or hot water?

Think about it, the snake was in feed mode relying on more on two out three senses here, probably, smell and heat. She smelled the rat and seeked the heat, just MAYBE Mom's hand was warmer and maybe even smelled better?

Anytime you have a bite in feed mode, don't blame the snake. It may be hard to shake off, but you see that other times she will be sweet as always.