Hissing?

I'm a new BP owner so I'm sure you'll see lots more questions from me. But I have a question about hissing....Do they open their mouth when they hiss? When I have my BP out, Nina, she sounds like she's holding her breath then releasing. She only does it when I get close to her head. She's VERY head shy. I don't think she was handled much and I'm trying to slowly work with her....Any ideas? Will she get over this head shy thing if I keep working at it?

Sounds like hissing. I found my bp to be a bit headshy but I started petting her under the chin and she can stand that much more than the top. She is slowly getting better with it. Give it a shot and see what happens. You still mioght get bit but it happens.

Yea I'm kind of anticipating a bite sooner or later lol. I'm going to keep working with her. She seems to calm it down a bit after I have her out for about 5 minutes. Just really bad when I first get her out. Although I haven't had her out longer than 15 min. Just trying to take it slow....Also, when I have her out, she's constantly moving trying to go somewheres and won't stay in one spot....Is that a sign of stress?

I think its more just exploring a new envronment. Mine will do the same thing till she finds a nice cozy spot. Normally she will try to get inbetween the couch cushins or under my leg. If you give her a little bit more time while she's out she should settle down.

OK, Cool. Thanks so much!

No problem and welcome to the forum.

Some snakes are just hissy. :) I have a few who've never hissed...and I have a few who hiss a lot. :)

One of my girls is very hissy, as soon as i open her tub she gets in a mild striking position, then she hisses as soon as my hand gets close to picking her up, she settles down within a few seconds though

Nina only hisses at me when I get near her head when she's already out... She doesn't do it when I put my hand in to get her out. She usually just hides her head then. But sometimes she does coil back like she's going to strike. I try not to let her intimidate me but it's hard sometimes. I keep telling myself a bite won't hurt, it's just gonna scare the crap outta me! lol

my new pastel hisses at me when i get in the cage to get her out but then she chills out after you pick her up lol

My Cinny is a hisser. :) I know I must be insane but I adore him. As soon as I pop open his tub, he starts coming out of his hide, all s'd up to strike and hissing up a storm. :D He's such a delightful jerk!!! He makes me smile. I adore my feisty little Jayne!

My Dumeril Boa hisses in his tub, but once he's out he's calm. Just not a fan of being dug out of his bedding. ;)

What does it mean when a snake usually hisses? It will hiss at my gf but she usually won't hiss at me.

I call it "huffing" instead of hissing, since they don't open their mouths, but most of mine do it now and then when I annoy them.

I have a girl who is very headshy, and I don't force her. Over time, moving slowly and carefully, she will now let me touch her neck as close as 6" from her head, but no closer. I also have to be careful not to move my hands quickly near her head or she really freaks out. However, she loves to borrow under the blanket on my bed and just poke her head out.

Gale

I just got my bp about 5 days ago and she isn't head shy at all. I touch her head all the time to check for mites. But when I taker her out of her cage to take temps and I was setting up a rheostat I made, I set her on the bed and my gf will watch her for me and she will hiss at my gf all the time when she tries holding her but then I will lay on the bed and she will slither on me and I'll pick her up and when I try to put her down she wraps around my hand and constricts hard but not to hard. And I think it's funny how she acts towards me and then towards my gf lol it's funny

I have a little boa that is a total witch, she's very... vocal. Just her personality though, and I love her for it, I can't help but laugh, she looks like an angry kitten.

everytime i go into my pastels tub he makes the hissing sound but his mouth is closed too. i just call his bluff and pick him up and he relaxes. some days hes cuddly and some days he just wants to get away from me and go hide. hes gettin better tho, with a lil handling they usually do

I dont even try to touch or stroke my snakes head i dont like when they flinch back.

Hissing is just their defense! They are saying stay away from me! When mine hiss, I pick them up even if I had no plans on picking it up. I don't want them thinking that they intimidate me by hissing. I don't want to show fear!

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Originally Posted by angllady2

I call it "huffing" instead of hissing, since they don't open their mouths, but most of mine do it now and then when I annoy them.

I have a girl who is very headshy, and I don't force her. Over time, moving slowly and carefully, she will now let me touch her neck as close as 6" from her head, but no closer. I also have to be careful not to move my hands quickly near her head or she really freaks out. However, she loves to borrow under the blanket on my bed and just poke her head out.

Gale

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My girl is the same way! I can't make any quick movements or she'll jerk back and sometimes hiss. I'm slowly getting closer tho. I come up from behind and under her neck...I'm getting there, just not pushing it lol