Hissing Ball

So i know i only have had him since sunday, well he looked hungry on wed so i fed him wed. picked up him first and held him for a min then put him away. well friday i went in his tub to pet his scales softly and he was in his lil ball but he hissed, and ive never dealt with a hissing snake. Also today i opend his tub and he just seemed idk scared i guess cause he tried burrowing himself in the mulch. Should i leave him alone for several more days or what? He's a lil hatchling still, about a month - month and half old i was told.

Yes, give him a week to settle in. I know it is hard to have a new pet and want to touch it and play with it, but the best thing you could do is leave it alone and let it get acclimated. Congratulations on your new pet. You will have many years together, so give it a little time now.

Give him more time alone. After that he should settle down the as you handle him more and as he gets bigger.

so then should i wait another week then?

I would give him another weeks, but that doesn't mean he will stop hissing at you. A lot of mine still hiss at me. I've had one since April who still hiss at me every time I open her tub. It's kind of cute. :P

Babies are more prone to biting too because they have evolved to have an I am food and everything bigger than me wants to eat me mind set. Give him time, he'll settle down eventually. Don't freak out if he snaps at you either, he's just following his instincts and trying to "survive". :)

alright thanks lol. When i got my female as a baby from an expo, she never hissed or anything at me, and i really dont want a mean, hissing, biting snake like all of his life. lol i wanna enjoy him hah so i hope he calms/mellows out.

Give him time. If you are gentle and patient he'll come around.

My Nago baby, my first male, never outgrew his huffing as I call it.

The first time I held him after he was shipped to me, he gave a loud close-mouth hiss, which I call a huff because his mouth is closed. He was just terrified of me and was sure I was going to eat him or worse, and wanted me to know just how dangerous an 11" long snake could be. :D

Over the course of a few months, he learned that huffing was not going to make me stop holding him a couple of times a week. But he still kept trying to convince me he could mess me up if he had to. :)

After about 6 months, I noticed an interesting thing. Nago it seems had worked out being held with huffing, and decided he was supposed to huff when he was picked up. He'd forget to do it sometimes, and only after I had him picked up and was holding him, he'd suddenly remember and huff at me. I'd laugh.

Now, even though he's been here almost 18 months, he still huffs every time I pick him up. He's never bitten or even snapped, but he's convinced you have to huff when you get picked up.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

Give him time. If you are gentle and patient he'll come around.

My Nago baby, my first male, never outgrew his huffing as I call it.

The first time I held him after he was shipped to me, he gave a loud close-mouth hiss, which I call a huff because his mouth is closed. He was just terrified of me and was sure I was going to eat him or worse, and wanted me to know just how dangerous an 11" long snake could be. :D

Over the course of a few months, he learned that huffing was not going to make me stop holding him a couple of times a week. But he still kept trying to convince me he could mess me up if he had to. :)

After about 6 months, I noticed an interesting thing. Nago it seems had worked out being held with huffing, and decided he was supposed to huff when he was picked up. He'd forget to do it sometimes, and only after I had him picked up and was holding him, he'd suddenly remember and huff at me. I'd laugh.

Now, even though he's been here almost 18 months, he still huffs every time I pick him up. He's never bitten or even snapped, but he's convinced you have to huff when you get picked up.

Gale

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silly snakes these days lol, but thank you. ill try to give him another week before i try picking him up or anything, its more of the movements that make me jump lol.

Some of them never quit hissing. I have one like that.

She did quit striking, though, and that is my main concern. I figure that as long as she doesn't bite me she can talk trash at me all she wants. :)