Hello! This is my first post here, Figured more mundane questions would be better suited on a forum like this rather than the breeder forum I usually browse.

So, I'm a newbie snake owner! I've got a gorgeous little Firefly, August 2012 I believe, and a Butterbee on hold I'll be picking up soon. However, just a couple weeks ago I picked up something of a rescue. Her name is Luca, her owner couldn't keep her any longer due to financial trouble and she's been a real sweetheart since I got her. Her last owner told me that she's approx. 3 years old she thinks (She got her from someone else about a year ago.) and has never struck at her, always eats well, etc etc. I got her for next to nothing so I didn't ask questions, she's been really gentle with me for the most part and I've really enjoyed getting to know her.

I purchased a rack the day before I got her, I can't remember the model at the moment but it's made for adult balls and she fits in it perfectly. she's got a hide, a large water dish, And I'm sure to check the temps regularly (I've got a Thermostat for it, don't worry.) to be sure they're where they should be. She's always in her hide when I check in on her, and she's seemed pretty happy. she ate and everything, and things were good.

However, this week she's been very hissy with me. Whenever I pull out her tub to socialize with her and remove her hide to see her, she hisses at me right away. The first couple times she did it I backed off, figuring she was in a bad mood and to let her have her peace. A couple times she's hissed and I've gently taken her out for just a moment anyways to make sure she wasn't serious about being angry and she's seemed okay afterwards, but all the same... I had to feed her tonight, and here's where the problem happened.

I opened her tub same as ever, removed her hide so she'd be able to have space to strike properly and see the prey. She hissed at me, same as usual, ducked away from the rat at the beginning when I offered it but she took it finally. After she took it, I started to carefully slide the tub back in again... as I did so, she uncoiled from the rat, hissing as she did so, and then struck at me. I backed away, thinking she thought Iw as trying to take her rat away from her. But even though I was a few steps back from the rack, she struck again, actually trying to jump out of the rack to get at me.

I backed away to the other side of the room, she was still poised to strike and tracking me with her head, so I grabbed an empty box (We're moving soon, so plenty of folded up boxes in that room at the moment.) And gently covered the tub with it so I could get close enough to close it. I'm not even sure if she's taken the rat at the moment, I'll have to go back in to check on her soon but I'm still shaken up, and scared if I open the tub she's going to jump at me right away.

What was my mistake here? Is it the environment, was it me hovering too close when she'd taken the rat? She's been so sweet, I'm scared I've done something wrong and she's going to strike at me like this again.

Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it!