Very Odd BP Behavior (Opinions?)

[FeathersRuff]

So recently my BP has been acting a little strange ever since her last feeding, which was about a couple days ago. Usually during the evening she'll stick her head out of her hide and just stare at nothing. Pretty normal, and when I go up to look at her she usually retreats her head back into her hide.

Now ever since her last feeding, she's kind of turned that behavior around. She seems to "eye" me a lot, and when I go up to her tank to look at her, she actually curls her neck and looks up at me through the glass. Even when I take the lid off, she doesn't retreat she just sits there and stares. I have no idea why she's doing this. I kinda get the feeling she may want to "strike" at me, but I can't really tell if shes looking at me that way or just for some reason really interested in me all of a sudden.

If anyone has any opinions on this sudden behavior change, please let me know. If for some odd reason she's doing this because she wants to strike at me I'll probably avoid handling her for a while.

[silverbill]

That behaviour is very normal. My BP does it often when I first approach. I think it means he's unsure or slightly started. He relaxes again once he realizes I'm no harm.

I suppose you could try handling her and find out. I wouldn't be too afraid of the striking. Mine has done it a few times and it doesn't hurt or anything.

[Bcycling]

Mine do that all the time. They really get like that when they hear a hair dryer as that's what we use to warm the feeders. If my wife dries her hair they look ready to strike. If I open the tubes and move confidently they realize it's not feeding time and are fine. It's just associating you with food, but that does not mean cage aggressive. Just grab her when she acts like that and all is good.

[FeathersRuff]

I kind of had a feeling it might have to do with feeding. As per usual when I feed her its right before I go to bed and I use a hairdryer to warm her food beside her tank.

Honestly I thought she wasn't the smart to associate me with food (I've heard BPs are very primal and not thoughtful animals). Although I hope that once she smells that theres no mice she wont strike at me. Not that I'm afraid it's just I dont wanna startle her.

[Nellasaur]

(I've heard BPs are very primal and not thoughtful animals).

They may be primal, but you'd be surprised what a primal animal can learn. As a kid, I had a fishtank in my bedroom that I fed every morning as soon as I woke up-- and my alarm clock was a radio alarm. One day I decided to play some music in my room in the afternoon. Imagine my surprise when all the fish swam up to the top of their tank, waiting to be fed! Food is a powerful motivator

[redshepherd]

Totally normal! And bp's are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for (as 100% dumb and thoughtless animals), and they do learn certain things through conditioning. If you haven't handled a mouse or rat, they're smart enough to know your hand isn't food, even if they might be expecting food when you first open the cage. Assuming they're not in feeding mode.

For all my snakes, I reach behind them first and lift their hide off their back. I also try to approach from the side and behind them, stroking their back first, and not reaching toward their face or from directly above. If they don't turn around toward my hand in that quick food way and zero in on my hand, it's safe to know they won't strike at me.

To know if she wants to strike at you, you really just have to reach in and go for it LOL