Hissing Albino

My Albino Whitewater Rosy blows his throat out and hisses a lot. I've never had a snake do this. What is causing it? I think maybe I overfed him but I'm not sure if that is why he's being so distempered. He's only a baby (maybe thirteen inches), but I've never had a snake strike so much. I got him at a pet store that had him in racks and since I've had him home he's been moved three times to different cages. The cage he is in now is where he will be for awhile, so should I just let him be alone for a few days then try to tame him again, or what? I think it all started when I moved him into a thirty gallon tank--it must have been to big for him and he got nervous about it.

All snakes are different ... some are calm ... some are mean ... some like to be held ... others hate people. That's just the way it goes!!

(Hey, I should write a children's book :neener:)

-adam

Sooo...what you're saying is...I'm SOL?

Baby boas are know to be a little tempermental lol. Patience and persistance is key here. Give your snake a day or so then try handleing again. If it still is a little "hissy" get some gloves or tongs and remove the snake that way(being very careful of course). Chances are your snake will calm down once removed from its enclosure. Adam summed it up great in the thread above. Some are just born mean and there is nothing you can do but be tolerant of it. But consistant handleng can make the snake more tolerant of you, so don't give up and good luck.

I don't know about your baby, but I have my 2 month old male in a 10-gallon. He has never hissed, struck, flinched, nada. I probably hold him every other day, to every day and he is perfectly fine. I do have some 4" diameter clay pot bottoms for hides that he fits in fairly well(I had to downsize from the 6"). I have newspaper on the bottom, and about 1.5-2" aspen bedding for him to burrow in.


If it were me, I would move him back down to a much smaller tank. I bet the big size of that 30gallon is stressing him out. Move him back to a 10gallon and give him alot of places to hide. You can eve try a small, flat piece of slate laid straight on the substrate for him to hide under. I bet that would help.

But still, all snakes are different, and he may just be a pissy little thing :)

Satanicintention,
You are blessed. My baby turns in to Satan himself when he is around his heat source. Once removed the demons flee and he turns back into the snake I like. On the other hand I have this possible "Gunyan" who is just leary of contact, but she has yet to bite so as is well.

Well, Rosy Boas(Erycine species? I think) and boa constrictors(boa species) have completely separate temperments and care. Baby boas are definately known for their pissiness(is this a word...? hehe), but all of the Rosy's I've handled and met have been nothing but calm and deliberate.

I am just thinking that he is stressed beyond all belief because of the constant moving, and the increasing cage space. Think about it, if you were constantly moving into new apartments or houses every few days, would you be stressed out? I bet the little guy can't even find his XBox games... Jeez... ;)

But seriously, I think a smaller enclosure would help his stress level, as well as low to the ground, tight hides. You might want to cover 3 sides of the enclosure with dark construction paper or something similar to help him feel more secure.

Why do you think you overfed him? Mine is on two large pinkies once a week and is doing fine. What did you feed him that you thought was out of his league? :)

I fed him two large pinkies also, but he is a very good eater and was only on one small pinkie at the pet store. I might of confused some of you in my first section--his last move was into a ten gallon from the thirty gallon. I did add a lot of extra hiding places (he has four good tight places to hide now). He isn't much of a hider anyways. I've left him alone for two days now and he seems to be okay. Before if I even came within a few feet of his cage to peer in at him he would blow his neck out at me, but now he just stops and stays still.

When I first got him he was really calm and docile, but not now. I believe it was the stress from the thirty gallon's largeness. Oh yeah, the only time I ever used a glove on a snake it was with two seven foot carpet pythons that were fighting over a rat--not with a teeny rosy boa. He has already struck me three times since his attitude changed and never broke the skin once. They are nippy but their speed is deadlier than their bite.

I like the construction paper idea, I think I'll do it today.

Thanks alot :handshake