Thanks for the encouragement, Jo. I also think a lot of the recent happenings, (the musking and the tail shaking) had to due with the fact that he was due to shed very soon.
Toby, our other corn, couldn't care less if you handle him when he is in blue or about to shed. Dax, on the other hand, gets grumpy and does not want to be touched. This one could just belong to the "I'm going to shed, leave me alone, I'm uncomfortable" camp. I also wonder if he didn't just snatch him out of the cage with little or no warning. I don't think the current owner knows a whole lot about snakes. He already told me he didn't offer food last week because the snakes eyes were "milky".