(Quick introduction as this is my first post.) Hello, I'm Sonya. I recently looked after a beautiful pueblan milksnake for a friend for a few months and was sad to see it go. Now, I have to have a snake of my own. I had heard about ball pythons as excellent pets and looked into them... I've pretty much exhausted the entire internet researching these guys and I'm certain a BP is the snake for me!

- Anyways, there is one thing I never came across on the internet but was wondering about: A friend who owns a BP says that sometimes it hisses at him! Is this normal? Should I expect this behavior from my BP? Obviously it means the BP is upset, but does hissing show signs of extreme stress?

- The next question I have is about purchasing a BP. I'd love some tips from actual BP owners (rather than online caresheets) as far as health, but also about what patterns are desirable.

Thanks in advance.