Suddenly aggressive

[zina10]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

First of all, don't take it personal that your snake bit you. And don't let it get you down. I know, easier said then done.
I completely understand that it becomes a bit harder to handle any of the snakes, after you've had a couple of unexpected and bad experiences. It removes some of the trust that built up over the years.

Honestly though, I agree about it being a feeding response. It really doesn't matter how you fed for 12 years and how they acted, sometimes instinct just takes over. It also doesn't make much sense to remove a snake for feeding in order to keep them from mistaking cleaning/handling time with feeding time.

While animals get used to routine, that is simply giving them to much credit. If you remove the snake from its enclosure for any reason (handling cleaning feeding) and it suddenly scents food in the air, it can go into full on feed mode within a second. Especially if it has been smelling the food before you even took it out. Anything warm (hands) and movement can trigger a food response in that moment.

I have noticed that my Ball Pythons go through stages of just "how" crazy they are about food. Sometimes in the year, the scent of rats warming up doesn't seem to get them all excited. They will still take the food, but quite calmly and without much drama. The last two feedings (some took a break for a few weeks) have been insane !! Far bigger food response then I have seen before. A couple of them literally spazzed out !!! Thrashing around open mouthed as I got close. I have never seen that before. That same snake got fed again today, and OMG. All the years of snake keeping under my belt and she almost got me !!! She was SO ready to eat, I held the rat up to her, the rat was VERY warm, she went up to it, but then turned her head to me and lunged towards me, mouth wide open, at least a foot and a half. It was close and it got my heart pumping, LOL. Take her out during the day or no food smell in the air, she is a sweetheart.

Perhaps your male is going through a "want food, and fast and now" stage and he smelled it in the air. When you picked him up, the scent got stronger and your hands were moving and warm.

I never remove my snakes for feeding, and not a single one is aggressive. I try to do maintenance and/or handling during the day, when they usually aren't looking for food. If I have to mess with them while they are hunting, or during those "ready, and ready now" times, I simply open the tub and gently tap them on the hand with a paper towel roll. (gently, not a smack!!) That snaps them out of feed mode instantly and I can pick them up. But I wouldn't do that while the smell of food is in the air. That is setting your animal and yourself up for failure.

If you came up to my tubs at night time, esp right now when they are going through a ravenous stage, you would think they are aggressive. But no, just looking for food, and ready to lunge out for it. They are perfectly fine during the day, and most of the year they aren't going quite that crazy for food.

Long story short, while this has worked for you for many years, just see if you can switch things up for that one snake. Take him out during the day, and NEVER while food is thawing or he is hungry and searching for food. See if his temperament is different then. Feed him in the cage. Then take him out a couple of days after eating, and during the day. (no rat scent in the air) See if he still acts iffy.