I adopted a ball python three weeks ago, he's eaten twice with me, I was told he was about a year old and he weighs 211 grams, (1' 11" in length) for the first week I left him alone entirely and he was on paper towels, after a week I fed him and changed him onto coconut fiber substrate, he has a heat mat under his warm hide (on a thermostat that prevents it from rising over 95 degrees) he seemed perfectly fine for the next week (handled twice for 5 minutes each, seemed rather skittish) when I went to feed him the second week of owning him he struck in every random direction 6+ times before I even had a mouse anywhere near him (Feeding "large adult" mice from the company arctic mice supplied by petsmart) I thought he must just be hungry and he ate for the second time with no issues.

I wated three days before attempting to handle him, I waited until he was already active in the evening and I opened his cage (Glass 20g, has foam-core around 3 sides and 80% of the screen lid for humidity and attempting to maintain heat. works for humidity but his ambient is room temp, usually 70-74, due to this I will be building him a better cage in the next few months.)

When I opened the cage he struck multiple times, I moved fluidly and picked him up gently, he tagged my finger, still didn't flinch as I know this can hurt them.

I held him gingerly for 5 minutes then put him back where he eagerly dove into a hide.

I've continued to handle him (hook training him now before I lift him, seems to have reduced biting a little) but today when I went inot the room where he lives he was rubbing his face against the hide (stone/rough style hide) and when he saw me he instantly struck at the glass.

He is my third snake I've owned, it looked like he was trying to begin a shed but he hasn't shown a single sign of shed since I've gotten him, any ideas for what he was doing on the hide?

Sorry for the lengthy post as well :/ Just hoping for some help. I know his conditions aren't 100% optimal but I'm working on changing them.

I own a 51qt semi-clear tub, would he be happier in there? I know my temps aren't ideal hence why I've made plans to build him a new enclosure, is this the reason he's striking? Just because he's new?