Red-tail Boa

Question
I have a female red-tail boa that is about 3 years old. I feed her a large rat once a week. A lot of times she will move her head near the top of the cage, look up and not move for a good 5-10 minutes. I don't know if she is hungry or if she does not like the humidity or wants out or what. I only take her out about every other day or less though. I am kind of hesitant to take her out now because she bit me a couple weeks back after I came back from a week long vacation. I only late feeding her by a day. But as soon as i put my hand in the cage she bit me (with a glove on because i knew she was going to bite). I feed her in a small box to develop a proper feeding habit. Another thing, she will drink water and then tilt her head up and open her mouth all the way for a couple seconds. I don't know if any of this is normal or not. Thanks for the help.

Answer
Hi Reagan...There is a possibility she might have an upper respiratory infection.  I have a boa that had the same symtoms. He would still eat,  though,  but open his mouth like he was gasping for air or something. Sometimes I could even hear a "rasping" noise when he opened his mouth.   I eventually took him to a Veterinarian that specilizes in reptiles.  He was given some prescription nose drops and healed up quickly.  So you might want to keep a closer eye on her and if it persists then have her checked out by a qualified Vet.
As for the biting...that is pretty normal for most snakes.  They know it's time to eat and work themselves up in a frenzy.  Which in turn can lead to an unexpected bite of your hand.  Just be careful :-)  Hope that helps and thanks for writing.