Corn snake freak out...:(

[Shelliebear]

Hi guys,
I've had Skittles for just over a year, and he was born only a few months before I got him. He's always eaten every week since we've had him.
Anyway two weeks ago we got a new gopher snake Sundown. I had him in the same room (but on the opposite side) of the room as my two corn snakes. Sundown the gopher snake seems to be doing fine, although he's very inactive for being a baby which I've heard is rather unusual for gophers, but he eats fine and seems healthy.
A few weeks ago Skittles started burrowing which is unusual for him;he still climbs his tank every once in a while but burrows too.
Today I went to feed him and I put him in the tub I feed him in, and he FREAKED OUT. I put the (I think it was a rat pup/pinky which he hasn't eaten before, he usually eats mice) and he started STRIKING and buzzing his tail. He would strike at me if I moved ANY direction, strike at Max when he moved on the bed 4 feet away, strike at the rat fuzzy but not coil it (only strike it viciously and let go). He did this over and over, bitin gthe sides of the tub, my fingers, Max's fingers, the towel I threw over him, everything.
I put the lid over the tub and he still kept striking at the sides, put a towel over it and he kept striking through that. He never at the rat pinky; I eventually took him out and he bit my finger, but I kept holding him and he eventually stopped biting.
What happened? Does this sound like signs of a disease? Skittles has rattled his tail before but never bit anyone OR been that aggressive. Is he upset that Sundown was in the room? Has he caught some disease from Sundown being in the room? We wash our hands every time we touch Sundown.
And just to be safe i have moved Sundown to my parent's room for now.
Should I call the vet and take him in? When should I try feeding him again?
Do corn snakes normally act like this?
Thanks for any and all advice; I'm very worried right now.
:(
skittles is in a 10 gallon tank kept at about 80 degrees ambient air temp with aspen shavings, 2 hides and a big water bowl.

[bitsy]

Might he be coming up to a shed? They can get very upset if they're surprised. Sometimes I think I've done all the right things to let them know I'm about to pick them up and they still jump when I touch them.

Also, what's the hottest temp that he can get to? If you're using a heat mat then it'll be the floor surface immediately above the mat. If you're using a heat lamp, then it'll be the top of the substrate immediately underneath the lamp. If the ambient temp in the tank is 80, then his usual living area (the floor) could be much hotter. High temps can make them very antsy.

In any event, I see ambient air temp as a bit of a red herring because the snake isn't up in the air. I'd forget monitoring that and instead switch to monitoring and controlling the hottest surface that he can be in contact with.

[Shelliebear]

He doesn't have a heat mat or light; 80 degrees is just the average temperature of the room he's in with the fan on overhead in the room. He does look a little pale but I remember he just shed like a few weeks ago so I don't think he's quite due yet?
He was burrowed in his aspen so I had to dig to find him, maybe I startled him then. :( He has since calmed down and is just cruising around his tank trying to get out.
It really worried me.
I also forgot to mention--I do believe I am partially to blame for his continuing striking after the first initial ones, as I began to laugh pretty loudly after he struck because he looked adorable. He was coiled into about 3-4 's" shapes in his neck and would lift himself high off the ground to strike while rattling his tail. I had never seen a snake do that, much less a tiny baby corn snake, so I started laughing, and maybe he picked up on my energy or the loud noise and freaked. :( I feel very bad about that now, I should have been quiet, but it looked cute. :(
Thanks for the info. :)

[psychoprimate84]

I am wondering if it could possibly be the scent of the other snake? Doesn't sound like Skittles is sick and snakes can not hear, only feel vibration. I'm sure they can feel the vibration of a sound but with other stuff going on, they are more likely to feel the vibration of the movement going on. Could of been any number of things that set Skittles off since they do have very primitive, simple brains. Odd smells tend to set any one of my snakes off into a striking frenzy (bleachy scented hands, cat/dog scented clothing).

[bitsy]

Sounds like he's coming up to a shed. I find that my juvies and adults shed more often over the summer months, so it could just be happening sooner than you anticipate.