Hissing

[spellbound04]

My ball python hissed at me when I checked on him today and I'm kind of having a panic attack. Not because I'm afraid he'd hurt me or anything but because I know if he's hissing then he isn't content. He has a water bowl, his temps are at 80 on the cool 90 on the hot, his humidity is admittedly a little low probably close to forty rather than 50-60 but he has two hides and a water dish and I use a heat emitter on the hot side. The troubles began about three weeks ago when rather than feeding him two mice a week apart I did it closer to three days. He ate them both but hasn't eaten since (I've offered two mice since then, about a week and two weeks ago) I saw he had finally pooped today and when I went to move him out of the way to grab it he hissed at me. He has only hissed at me ONE other time and is normally very sweet and docile. The entire time I was cleaning the poop out and putting more water in his dish and misting his tank he was s-ed up and on edge. Its possible he's going into shed because he has beefed up a bit, but I was too nervous to disrupt him again in order to take a closer look @ his eyes or belly for signs. Please let me know what I should do/what I did wrong. This is my first snake and I love him so much and dont want to have to give him away but if he isn't doing well under my care I'll do it even if it breaks my heart. Thank you for your help, please dont be too harsh, I'm trying my very best

1.0 Normal
Normal doesn't mean boring!

[Tigerhawk]

First relax, snakes hiss sometimes. Usually they hiss if they don't want to be bothered. They have days just like we do. Also your cleaning his cage with him in it. May have made him nervous. Don't stress over it. Just because he hisses doesn't mean something is terribly wrong.

[spellbound04]

First relax, snakes hiss sometimes. Usually they hiss if they don't want to be bothered. They have days just like we do. Also your cleaning his cage with him in it. May have made him nervous. Don't stress over it. Just because he hisses doesn't mean something is terribly wrong.

OK thank you, I'll keep an eye on him and give him some space and post an update in a day or so... Thanks again

1.0 Normal
Normal doesn't mean boring!

[Craiga 01453]

No reason to worry, BPs hiss. Like Tigerhawk said, they have their days too. I wouldn't sweat it at all. My King will occasionally rattle his tail and get in strike position if he doesn't want to be bothered. So far the BP I have now has never hissed, but one I had years ago hissed almost every time I went into his enclosure. He would calm down after a bit and actually handled extremely well.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry, you aren't doing anything wrong. He just doesn't want to be bothered right now.

[dustin860]

I have a few females who will hiss when I go to pick them up . They never strike or do anything once I have them . I really wouldn't worry too much over it .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spellbound04]

No reason to worry, BPs hiss. Like Tigerhawk said, they have their days too. I wouldn't sweat it at all. My King will occasionally rattle his tail and get in strike position if he doesn't want to be bothered. So far the BP I have now has never hissed, but one I had years ago hissed almost every time I went into his enclosure. He would calm down after a bit and actually handled extremely well.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry, you aren't doing anything wrong. He just doesn't want to be bothered right now.

Thank you! Is there anything you think I did that would make him get in a mood or anything I could do to get him out of it?

1.0 Normal
Normal doesn't mean boring!

[Craiga 01453]

Thank you! Is there anything you think I did that would make him get in a mood or anything I could do to get him out of it?

1.0 Normal
Normal doesn't mean boring!

Nope, he's just being a snake.