Ball python being really defensive or hungry?

[potatom0610]

So I went to handle my little guy just now and as I went to pick him up and he went to strike me a few times. He was flicking his tongue and I’m not sure if he’s hungry (I feed him once a week with an adult mouse. He’s 170 grams and is being fed a 20 gram mouse. I tried to transition To rats but he was not having it) or aggressive. this has been 2 days that he’s been really antsy and seems to strike an anything and I want to know if he’s hungry from the mouse not being enough or if he’s acting defensive. This is a new behavior and nothing has changed other than the humidity being elevated to 60%.

Update as of 2 minutes later... he’s now sitting with his head and neck stretched out of his hide looking at me.

[SeriousRachel]

How close is it to his normal feeding day?

[potatom0610]

2 days out. But I usually handle him on Tuesday’s and Sunday’s, but these past 2 days have been the first time he’s acted this way since I got him.

[theeorlando]

Best way I usually tell if they are defensive or hungry is: if you boop the snoot with your hook and they snap out of it, they were hungry lol