Is my snake hungry, or just stressed?

[emilyfas]

I own a female ball python named Sassafras. She's a good six years old and is about four feet long. She has an amazing temperament and has never struck at or bitten me or anyone else. However, yesterday's feeding was a bit crazy. The normal tongs I use to feed her broke so I had to use a pair with a "loop" in them to give her the mice (I feed frozen, not live).


While striking, she went straight through the loop and, of course, got the tongs stuck around her body. Worst case scenario, I know. I had to put a towel over a very pissed off snake in order to get the tongs from around her. After that, she ate the two large mice that I'd placed (well, dropped) when she'd gotten herself stuck in the tongs. No problems from what it seems like. She didn't regurgitate them, and she wasn't injured by the tong situation from what I can tell.

A little while ago, I moved her heat lamp to adjust something. About ten minutes after moving the lamp, I placed my hand on the screen covering the top of her tank. She was out of her hide, and immediately struck at my hand as it sat on the top of her tank. This has NEVER happened before, and it's very unlike her.

I'm sure it's possible that she just registered the heat of the bulb that was just there and the movement of my hand as prey. I'm just curious- could she possibly still be hungry? Was she just hunting registering my hand and the heat as food? Could she still be stressed from the commotion last night? Do you suggest I feed her again?

[Albert Clark]

Wow! Sorry to hear that. Certainly at her age and length she can tolerate a bigger meal than two large mice. However I think she got a double dose of heat signature from your hands and the smell of mice. She nay have still been in "feed mode". Make sure to wash your hands after dealing with the prey items. I would consider moving the size of prey up to the next size. Either one that she will take jumbo mice or small / medium rats ?

[emilyfas]

Wow! Sorry to hear that. Certainly at her age and length she can tolerate a bigger meal than two large mice. However I think she got a double dose of heat signature from your hands and the smell of mice. She nay have still been in "feed mode". Make sure to wash your hands after dealing with the prey items. I would consider moving the size of prey up to the next size. Either one that she will take jumbo mice or small / medium rats ?

There were no mice around when she struck at my hand just now. The whole feeding fiasco was yesterday. I normally feed her larger prey, but the pet store was out of rats! That could totally be part of it as well, as she didn't get as much to eat as she normally does!