Hi Karl. Thank you so very much for all of your ideas. In advance, from further reading, I think it was a hunger "strike." (If you're going to request "another", I thought I could throw that in there
.) We do have dog (ancient, Lab) and a cat (6-ish, thinks she's a dog), and it could very well be that my son was with one of them right before handling Steve. I have read up on the "rattle." (So I do thank you for that point as well.) On the advice of a clerk (who really did seem reptile-knowledgeable) at a big pet store, we got him a feeding tank. While we've only fed him once (and that one time was in the feeding tank) it seemed to work very well. Living with us, he has become used to the snake "hook" coming in, scooping him up, and then being handled by warm hands. He really is a nice guy (unsexed). Lastly, (more or less), I think the tank temp and humidity are fine -- from what I understand. His tank is 20 gal, 30" x 12" x 12". He has two hides (that came with the set from the previous owners) that look like hollowed out logs then cut in half. We were given a third (and unused) one by the first owners, but the tank seems a bit tight for hide #3. He also the bowl and "plant/ivy" that came with him. I so appreciate all of your thoughts, feel free to keep them coming. I'm new with snakes, but I really like them. Thanks again, Alexandra & Co. (daughter 14, son 11, and husband who is NOT a snake fan, but IS a really good sport) Kai, yellow lab(15-ish), Hip-hop, cat (6-ish), and Steve-the-snake (2).