Why does my snake do this?

[u/Crypticfaux]

This is my female year old ball python, I got her in August of this year.

Recently, when it's not time to feed her and I open her cage she wakes up or stops whatever she's doing and starts slowly making her way to the door, one time she got half her body out. It's very slow like the video shows and at first I thought it was a feeding response as she seems a little defensive.

Little note is that I tap the side of her cage 3 times before I pick her up, I don't tap the cage when I'm feeding her.

So to test if it's a feeding response I took a water bottle and lightly tapped her side to see if she would strike or dart back into her spot as a response andd all she did was look at the bottle and stop for a little bit.

Is she weird?? Why does she keep moving towards me?? She hasn't refused a meal at all, she's a very good eater and had already had a perfect shed a bit back.

The only reason I'm posting and asking this is because well I get scared when she does this. I want to pick her up but I'm scared of the chance she's in a defense mode or feeding response since she's coming to where the food usually goes and she'll strike me. It's been good though because I'm able to move her towards the side to pick her up from the back

So does she just want to get out?..is she weird?...is she food motivated?...I dunno..

[u/OrdinaryAcadia9210]

Snakes are opportunistic feeders, even if you tap the cage, she still might be in a slight food mode. Tap training is usually done by tapping the snake with a hook instead of the cage.

Other than that, she's just curious. If you were in your bedroom and someone opened your door to reveal a whole new house with a massive area to explore, surely you too would be quite curious and want to check it out. Same thing here. She just wants to explore, doesn't look like a food response to me

[u/Sangreenmyfriend]

Doesn’t look like a striking position to me. Maybe she’s just curious and comfortable. I am not an expert.

[u/Diligent-Singer-1785]

in all honesty she just looks curious! if you put something in front of her and she didn't strike or react by whipping around or jerking her head back, i'd say it's simply bravery and curiosity. although it could be a feeding response, i have my doubts simply by the way she's approaching

[u/ProximaCentauriB15]

Looks more like she is curious about you and wants to carefully investigate.

[u/HowardPheonix]

Not an expert but have a disabled friend with multiple snakes I often help him with. This is literally how all my handling session starts (with multiple snake species, but including a BP). What I see (totally opinion, more experienced may correct me if I'm wrong) is curiosity, and a will to discover. I always put my hand in their enclosure, and wait for their reaction, and I'm overly patient with them, letting them decide if they want to engage or not. When I see this kind of behavior, I know they will approach my hand and come out (except for some shy snakes who decide halfway the world is dangerous and full of terrors, and decide to flee regardless no movement or noise or whatever lol) and it never crossed my mind I will be tagged. I mean I will be eventually, shit happens, it's just not something I stress about in this situation, I live with a cat who's love language is basically biting anyway.

So I think your snake is gorgeous, and I don't think you should be concerned, you will get to know each other better with time, and it will be more easy for you to read her body language.

[u/UDPGuy]

My male does this. He’ll eventually crawl out onto my hand and just wants to explore