When snakes hiss...

The first snake I heard hiss was one of my king snakes, he was going into shed and wanted to be left alone. It sounded like someone was saying "Psst! Psst!" to me. Kind of cute actually.

The ball pythons hiss, and the hiss is louder and lasts a bit longer, but usually they're doing it as they're diving into a hide so again, it's not a concern.

Well, I got to hear one of my adult BRB's give me what-for earlier today. I wanted to do the regular temperature check of his warm side. Normally I can lift up his hide even if he's under it, check his temperature, and put the hide back, and he doesn't twitch. Today I got a nice long look down his throat when I picked up the corner of his hide - he greeted me with mouth wide open and let me know that my presence was not wanted.

I'll wait a few more days on the temperature check.

lol try establishing a tapping routine on their hides before lifting them up. Kinda like knocking on the door before opening :P

I like ball python hisses: I agree that they're pretty cute! But some of my boas and particularly my bull snake....sometimes I'm amazed at how loud they can be! They're a bunch of bluffers though.

I haven't had my boa hiss at me yet. The clown girl was VERY hissy when she arrived. She did pee in her shipping bag so I can understand the hissy fit (lol). I think I'd be a little worried about my boa hissing when she full grown though. I know a ball python doesn't have much to back up that hiss, but I've seen boa bites and they're a little more messy.

Is your boy going into shed?

I've been given a good talking-to before when I was just trying to remove Julius's soiled bedding. Must have been her favorite art project so far.

You should get your hands on some hissing cockroaches, now those things are fun!;)

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Originally Posted by ViperSRT3g

lol try establishing a tapping routine on their hides before lifting them up. Kinda like knocking on the door before opening :P

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Good idea. Though he's not in a tub, he's in a Monster PVC enclosure, and me unlocking the latches and then the door opening should give him warning as well - it's not like I'm trying to sneak up on him.

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Originally Posted by pythonminion

You should get your hands on some hissing cockroaches, now those things are fun!;)

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Er... no thanks. I'm really not into bugs. Or spiders. At all. Shudder.

Got to love a good warning hiss. I made the mistake a couple time of opening my big burm girl's cage and trying to grab her when she was getting ready to shed. Big sweetie most ofnthe time, but she did NOT want messed with when she was blue. I never pushed her, didnt want 40+lbs of grumpy burm taking a poke at me. I just laugh now when one of my bps hisses at me. Same with my blood, he's all bluff.

When I first got my ball python, when he was in blue with me for the first time, he tried hissing...
That was just adorable. It definitely wasn't what you'd think it would be. It was like someone trying to whistle through their nose.
Needless to say, no actual "hiss" came out. Just a puff of air.

:)

So I watched some youtube videos of ball pythons hissing. It sounds like a bicycle tire being deflated, it's hilarious!

I've never been hissed at, but I strongly suspect it has a lot to do with the way I interact with my girl. She HAS gotten hissy with someone else, but she took a swing at them first. If you've never had a 3ft ball get her knickers in a twist while she's wrapped around your neck, it's pretty interesting. She was cocked back and ready to take another bite when she started hissing, and her head was right by my ear. I was impressed.

Now an adult Boa... There was a video posted on the Reptile Report of a guy on the wrong end of a wild female Boa. Columbian, I think. Hissing and spitting like a BIG wildcat, then she took a swipe at his face. Lucky for him she missed, but he was asking for it.

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