Sudden Aggression/Defensiveness, totally different snake

[Daybreaker]

I had a scary incident last night and wanted some thoughts: I believe it's isolated but wanted some opinions.

I went into the snake room last night for the nightly rounds and when I got to the two tubs where my Argentine female and albino Colombian are housed (separately) I heard a loud bop from DiOra's tub (albino). She sometimes strikes the side of her tub but it's usually when she knows it's feeding time (which was not last night) and she can smell the rats so it was out of character for her (I have a towel over her tub so maybe she saw my shadow).

When I peeked in on her (by raising the towel up) she was in total defensive mode: jaws wide open, hissing, body tense and spread out against the sides of the tub, middle of her body raised off the floor. She has NEVER acted this way and is one of the nicest boas I have so this was very out of character for her. I was able to look into her mouth and noticed she had a piece of aspen stuck on the roof of her mouth: me and my bf decided we should remove this.

Well, she was so defensive (I don't like the term "aggressive" since it's simply not in her nature) that we could barley handle her: she was striking wildly everywhere and was very vocal. I noticed that the aspen wasn't in her mouth anymore (I'm assuming it shot out when she was hissing/striking/acting crazy) so we left her be without opening her mouth up. She continued to hiss for minutes after putting her away with a towel over her.

After giving her a day of no contact I just took her out about an hour or so ago for a overall wellness check and she is back to her wonderful, sweet, well-mannered self. It's like last night never happened with her. So here's my question:

~ Could this piece of aspen what was in her mouth case her to act this way out of paint/discomfort?
~ She ate almost two full weeks ago and I took her out last on the 21st for a tub clean. She was totally normal then so I believe this aspen got stuck in her mouth very recently: can she have drunk up a soggy piece of aspen from her water bowl? I don't know of any other way this got in her mouth and this is the only thing I can think of.
~ I don't believe she is ill in any way and I believe this is an isolated incident (if she has another one of these "fits" she's going to the vet right away: after loosing one of my corns last month to an isolated incident I'm not taking any chances) but could she have simply been spooked/caught off guard or is there a health problem I should keep an eye out for?
~ Tomorrow is her feeding day: I plan to feed her but is there any reason I should not? I changed her aspen out to paper towel substrate so she can't ingest any more aspen.

This really scared me: not because I was worried about getting bit or that her hissing scared me but I was scared FOR her. This was so out of character and it worried/worries me that something was/is going on with her. I'm hoping this was just an odd incident: I like to think I can "read" my snakes pretty well so I hope she stays her sweet self! Any input on this (boa related or otherwise) is appreciated.

Pic taken August 21st (noticed nothing odd):



Taken tonight (again, looking fine exterior-wise), not even a hiss or bluff from her:

[DooLittle]

How odd. Sounds like maybe she was spooked or startled? I have noticed with my hypo, that when he is in one of his growth spurts, thinks he needs to eat everytime you open his lid. And will come out looking for food, ready to strike. But never hissing and open mouthed. Maybe she is growing and was hungry and grumpy? Long shot, but idk??? Wish I had something for you.

[Daybreaker]

How odd. Sounds like maybe she was spooked or startled? I have noticed with my hypo, that when he is in one of his growth spurts, thinks he needs to eat everytime you open his lid. And will come out looking for food, ready to strike. But never hissing and open mouthed. Maybe she is growing and was hungry and grumpy? Long shot, but idk??? Wish I had something for you.

I think either I really startled her somehow or she was in pain from the aspen in her mouth. I've startled her before but she has never acted in this way: she was literally like a whole different snake. My Hog Island can be a turd about open mouth hissing and bluffing when handling but even she has never acted in the way that DiOra did last night (DiOra was in no way bluffing with her strikes last night: she intentionally struck out at my face even). I was thinking maybe she was in shed but she's in no way in shed or blue. Just very, very weird. Thanks for your input though! I'll take any insights.

Oh, and I handled no feeders or live rats last night: this wasn't a feeding response. By her body language it was full out defensiveness due to something.

[Evenstar]

I am willing to bet you happened to startle her when you entered the room. Either she caught a bit of movement from under the towel that was over her cage or by turning on the light. And I'd bet that she got the aspen stuck in her mouth when she struck.

I wouldn't be too worried, but I understand your concern. I feel the same way when something is "off" with my guys!

[Borgy76]

She sure is a beauty.

[Daybreaker]

She sure is a beauty.

Thanks

It's been a week since making this thread and DiOra is acting perfectly normal (sweet, well mannered, etc) and ate just fine last week. I'm guessing it was a fluke incident.

[Crazymonkee]

She's really pretty!!

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[sissysnakes]

I have one snake which will act defensive if you wake him up. If he is already awake he's fine, but if you startle him when he is out of it he will take it out on you. Just a thought.

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[crepers86]

maybe she was just having a mood swing

[Daybreaker]

She's really pretty!!

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Thanks!

I have one snake which will act defensive if you wake him up. If he is already awake he's fine, but if you startle him when he is out of it he will take it out on you. Just a thought.

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Very possible: she may have been sleeping. Since the towel was mostly over her I wasn't able to tell if she was still or noticeably awake.

maybe she was just having a mood swing

Possible too, though she's usually so nice. I think I just startled her.