IMO cage aggression is crap. Unless you're reaching in after rubbing a dead rat all over you, you most likely will not get a food induced strike. They are more scent oriented than sight (not saying they can't see...because they can) but I know mine can smell the rat from inside their hides and poke their heads out...they don't have the see it to know it's time to eat. I feed all of mine inside their enclosures, including my boa, and have never ever been struck and coiled as if to mistake for food. The difference in strikes makes a huge difference. The defensive strikes have nothing to do with food, and if your snake defensively strikes at you from inside it's enclosure...it's not because you feed in their enclosure. I don't think I've ever come across someone that had a boa or any other snake that struck and coiled like food consistently. It's more of a freak happening...and usually the keepers fault.

I've been told that boas go through stages. As they get older they can go from being a defensive little (big) :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: to being calm as a kitten. They are so different from ball pythons in the aspect that balls generally keep their temperament through their life (from what I've heard....all of mine are 2010's so I don't have that experience). Boas have ups and downs, as long as you are consistent and careful it shouldn't become a life long problem. As for hook training, I've heard it's always a good idea, and really doesn't have any cons.

For the record...she is SOOOOO cute!!