things that make you go hmmmm

I was up last night with yet another evening with insomnia, so i took Nagaina out of her bin. I have the water bowl on the back side center of the bin and she was all stretched out along the back wall squeezed between the tank wall and water bowl.

I, as always, when I go to take her out, I removed the hide she is under. I gently touch the back end of her body so as not to startle her (she's still getting used to people but she is doing great!) and then I pick her up back end first.

well, for whatever reason it sounded like she hissed at me. I thought it was one of my cats at first, but none to be seen. can BP's hiss, and if yes, why?

it was funny...I jumped about 3 feet and got my adrenaline pumping lol

thanks in advance

Yes, ball pythons can hiss. why? Because they are just like any other snake. Also it's a defense mechanism. My ball python has only hissed at me one time and that was when I first got him and he was still getting used to the new enviroment.

that makes sense. guess I just never thought much about a BP hissing. I've heard other snakes hiss, but never a BP. thats kind of cool though, even though it was meant to ward me off, it was a cool sound. dont want to make her do it again though. that was the first time she hissed at me though, so hopefully it was just a cranky day for her and nothing major.
what do I do if it continues to happen? should that indicate a trip to the vet?

OHHHH yea they can hiss and some do it all the time.. LOL

IMO, touching it's back before picking it up... or poking it... or stroking it... or what ever it is that people do before that pick them up it kind of dumb. Some animals kind of play with there food before eating it. Such as cats that will bat around a mouse and play with it before they kill it. Poking/touching/petting the snake suggest (to me) that you want to eat him and your just testing him.... causing him to hiss! If you want to hold your BP without it getting defensive just raise the hide and pick him up instantly.

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Originally Posted by Kilo

Some animals kind of play with there food before eating it. Such as cats that will bat around a mouse and play with it before they kill it. Poking/touching/petting the snake suggest (to me) that you want to eat him and your just testing him.... causing him to hiss! If you want to hold your BP without it getting defensive just raise the hide and pick him up instantly.

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Nice Advice.... My Bp hisses almost every time I pick her up. I've learn in this two years I've own my BP that picking her up fast is the best thing.

Another thing, if your snake hisses more than twice in the same attempt, leave her alone. Two much hissing means you are getting a strike to your hand without a doubt. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by Kilo

IMO, touching it's back before picking it up... or poking it... or stroking it... or what ever it is that people do before that pick them up it kind of dumb. Some animals kind of play with there food before eating it. Such as cats that will bat around a mouse and play with it before they kill it. Poking/touching/petting the snake suggest (to me) that you want to eat him and your just testing him.... causing him to hiss! If you want to hold your BP without it getting defensive just raise the hide and pick him up instantly.

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I always touch them before picking up as well. How would you like to be sound asleep and get woken up by being instantly picked up?

It's all about routines, touching on the back each time equates being picked up.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

How would you like to be sound asleep and get woken up by being instantly picked up?

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It's not like your going to sneak at you snake to pick her up in the shadow of the night. Of course you need to let your snake know you are going to pick her up. But is not a good thing flickering your fingers on the snake's back (petting) as she/he is hissing to warn you. :snake:

I always talk to mine before picking her up - before I touch her (their sight isn't good) - she hears the glass door sliding then I say a few random things so she knows its me.

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Originally Posted by Razaiel

I always talk to mine before picking her up - before I touch her (their sight isn't good) - she hears the glass door sliding then I say a few random things so she knows its me.

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Umm... I was under the immpression that snakes can hear nothing at all... due to the fact they have no ears... and that that can feel vibrations and use that.

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Originally Posted by Grishnákh

It's not like your going to sneak at you snake to pick her up in the shadow of the night.

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BP's are nocturnal anyway... plus they have no eyelids so I don't think it's very realistic to assume they are asleep or awake at any given time.

I used to work at a pet store that had a lot of different species of snakes, and each snake had their own temperment... in my experience I have found that it is best to just pick them up immediately rather than open the enclosure and talk to them or breathe on them or touch them, etc, etc. I got bitten way more if I hesitated in any way rather then just going in there and doing it.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

BP's are nocturnal anyway... plus they have no eyelids so I don't think it's very realistic to assume they are asleep or awake at any given time.

I used to work at a pet store that had a lot of different species of snakes, and each snake had their own temperment... in my experience I have found that it is best to just pick them up immediately rather than open the enclosure and talk to them or breathe on them or touch them, etc, etc. I got bitten way more if I hesitated in any way rather then just going in there and doing it.

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As Abu would say down at the corner store. Thank you come agian!

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I always touch them before picking up as well. How would you like to be sound asleep and get woken up by being instantly picked up?

It's all about routines, touching on the back each time equates being picked up.

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I would have to politely disagree. Touching the back IMHO is going to do nothing but scare the snake and cause it to become defensive.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

BP's are nocturnal anyway... plus they have no eyelids so I don't think it's very realistic to assume they are asleep or awake at any given time.

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What I meant is that you wouldn't pick-up your snake like you're giving her a "Surprise" scream if she were entering to her Birthday Surprise Party. You have to let her know you are there, but don't hesitate to pick her up. ALWAYS watch out for the hissing warnings, if she thinks shes in danger, she'll attack, and you don't need that.

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Originally Posted by Kilo

As Abu would say down at the corner store. Thank you come agian!

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you mean Apu ;)

Abu is the monkey from aladdin!

My BP hisses a lot, I think it's just his personality. He has never tried to strike yet and I don't think he would either. Sometimes they are just that way. When I pick him up and he's hissing I just ignore it so, he doesn't think it will make me go away every time he hisses. Don't want to encourage the behavior. I do gently touch him before picking him up too, to gauge his mood and so I don't startle him if he is sleeping. I usually only pick him up if he is out of his hides though.

mine never hiss unless really ticked off. Though i have had experience with burms who just sorta constantly hiss, not incredibly loud like he was ripped at me, but enough to let me know he was still hangin over my shoulder. I have heard of some people describe their snakes as "chatty" which i find hard to believe that they are hissing just to chit-chat:rolleye2:



~mike

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Originally Posted by sidhe

I do gently touch him before picking him up too, to gauge his mood and so I don't startle him if he is sleeping.

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And that's why your snake will never kick it's hissing problem.:) Not being rude here just voicing what I believe. Sorry :(

Hissing IS a warning. It shouldn't be considered harmless, that will be your first mistake. Your snake is not chatting with you when she hisses, she is letting you know there is something not normal for her, stop trying to justify your snake's hissing. Would you say that a RattleSnake moves the tail like they do, becasue she's happy, just like a puppy do?:snake:

hissing can be a warning... but sometimes (like with hog island boas) it's just their "thing" :P

here's a quote from frankykeno in a thread i made a year ago - when i first got dexter.

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Re: our first day together
Funny but over the years I've been bit more by my kids than the snakes....odd that! LOL

We do basically what Cody does. Take the hide off slowly, gently reach in for a little stroke down the spine of the snake, gives them notice we are about to lift them out of their home, then remove and support their body. We do this even if they are out of their hide just so it's a routine they can learn. Reach, stroke, lift, support....even Brannagh the Brat is coming to know this routine. Just be deliberate and slow in your movements so you don't startle Dex.

Even with the most nicely tempered snake you are doing to get hissed at, jabbed at or nipped (tagged as the snake folks call it) someday. It's just part of owning snakes and isn't anything to really worry over. All you can do is minimize the reasons which are normally driven by fear, defensiveness or a hungry snake going for something warm coming his way. They just aren't domesticated pets when all is said and done.

I was actually glad when Brannagh finally tagged me as it was so minor compared to what my fear of it was (FEAR = false evidence appearing real).

One of the best bits of wisdom that Adam shared I think is to form habits and routines and stick to them with ball pythons whether it's feeding, handling, whatever. It seems to make everything run smoother and the snakes know in a basic way what to expect from life.

If you are nervous right now, then pop on a set of gloves to get Dex out. Then when you know he's relaxed, slip them off. Heck I'm not a weenie but I wouldn't think of handling our Brannagh gloveless yet myself, though she's getting better every day LOL.


~~Jo~~

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taken from: this thread

i have always gently touched the sides of my snakes... corns, boas and balls before picking them up and following this advice, i've never *knock on wood* been bit. my ball has hissed at me once... so i left him alone and my hog island hisses every time you go near him LOL - if he's out and doesn't want to go back into his enclosure (which by the way, is every time he's out) then he hisses!

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

hissing can be a warning... but sometimes (like with hog island boas) it's just their "thing" :P

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Hahaha, my Hog Island's "thing" is striking at my face... ;)