My diamond has lost the plot!

[Hoon84]

hey guys just got back from a 2 week holiday in Thailand and thought Id give my diamond her 1st feed since april. Now, all through winter she has been placid as!! Now I dangled a rat in her enclosure and she didnt seem interested (probably expected) SO i left it int there and shut the door.
Now when i go back to check if she has eaten it, (which she hasnt) she arcs up in these bizzarre shapes and srikes me, this is EXREMELY unusual behaiviour for her, My guess is she has been dormant all winter and the juicy warm rat has triggered her feediing response and sent her phsycho!! But she doesnt seem to want to eat the rat.
Any suggestions/opinions as to what might be the reason.

 

[Asharee133]

Mad diamond disease!

 

[cracksinthepitch]

Haha Brendo she's P@ssed at you for leaving her alone by herself. Feeding response or cage protective and finally something is moving in front of her cage again. Remove rat and reheat and try again, try and get her to whack the rat though not you...

 

[wranga]

id be worried reheating the rat and trying to refeed it. id leave her a couple of days then try feeding her again.

 

[Jay84]

Hoon, did you check out my thread?? iv had mine for 8 years and he has NEVER done this before...... and not one bite but two?? thats no confusing me for food!

Maybe there is something in the air lol

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/australian-snakes-37/tagged-and-bloody-115026

 

[Hoon84]

Well tried again today with another rat but she doesnt want a bar of it. She strikes it if i dangle it in front of her but wont coil it up. Guess Ill try agaun in a few days.
Its costing me a small fortune in rats...Lol

 

[tenacres1100]

have you been cooling her over winter? how long have the temps been back up? wait for a few weeks at it's normal temps and try again.

 

[cockney red]

Just a snake being a snake, expect the unexpected.

 

[Chrisreptile]

Is she coming up for a shed?

If i miss the cloudy stage and offer a rat, my snakes will just strike at it (in defence).

It could be this and you missed the early stages of shedding when you were away?

 

[serpenttongue]

She has cooled herself and has then been presented with prey that she doesn't want, while she is feeling vunerable. She's being defensive due to the rodents smell and presence.

I wouldnt bother offering food until late September.

 

[birdNherps]

i have 3 beautiful full sized carpets and they are all placid as but at night when i walk past thir tanks they will strike and head butt the glass they dont do it all the time and its not always to do with food, i would give the food a miss for a few weeks and try to get her out of the tank and get to know each other again she will quickly remember you are no threat and not be stressed out when you approch her tank. when she settles down then offer food.

 

[Hoon84]

She has cooled herself and has then been presented with prey that she doesn't want, while she is feeling vunerable. She's being defensive due to the rodents smell and presence.

I wouldnt bother offering food until late September.

Thanks serp, that makes a lot of sense. Ive incresed basking time from 2 hours to 4 hours @ 32 degrees also she hasnt shed for about 6 months (probably cos she hasnt grown during winter)
Ill give it a few weeks and give it another crack...Cheers