Quote Originally Posted by RetiredJedi View Post
Not saying that BPs don't strike at people because they obviously do when they feel threatened and have no other choice, but for an animal that loves to hide and in small enclosed spaces it just seems weird (not impossible) that one would climb into a baby crib. As far as the heat goes, it's the smell that gets them going. Ever try to turn a mouse eater into a rat eater? It's not easy because they smell totally different and ball pythons don't hunt for humans regardless of how small they are. Even the ones that don't eat for a while, don't go around looking for human flesh.
I'm not saying the snake was out "looking for human flesh." But a crib could be a reasonable hiding place, depending on how it was set up...toys and blankets could give the snake places to hide. And, I can tell you, heat signature can be enough to trigger a feeding response. I have a collection of around 100 snakes, and I have taken a feeding strike (strike and wrap) to my hand on more than one occasion when I had clean hands and there were no rodents around. It's even more common with my carpets. I have a male JCP who will wrap my hand any time I'm not paying attention (he's still young and overly enthusiastic). So you can tell me that it doesn't happen, and I will still argue that it can, because I've had it happen enough times to be sure.
And yes, I've switched plenty of mouse eaters to rats (every hatchling I've produced), and I'd say 90% of mine switch first go with no scenting needed.

As a hobby, I don't think taking the approach of trying to convince everyone that the story is inaccurate is a very good tactic. It won't get us very far even if the story is exaggerated/made up. We are better off stressing that this unfortunate event happened because the owner didn't take the necessary steps to secure the animal.