New Ball Python just started hissing.

[njbassman7689]

I got my first BP about a month ago from a reptile show in my area. I did a ton of research to make sure I could keep him in the conditions he needs. He is in a 20L tank with 3 sides covered with black foam insulation for privacy and to hold in heat. The top is covered with tin foil. I used a mixture of forest floor and eco earth as my substrate. I have a hide on the cool side and a large water dish in the middle I have an uth with hide on top for his hot spot on the opposite side. I also have a che to keep ambient temps on point. Both are controlled by a herpstat ez2. My numbers are 80 on the cool and 90 inside the hot hide with ambient temps always right around 80. Humidity usually stays between 48 and 55. He weighs about 190g and has been eating 2 hopper mice a week (waiting for rat pups to be delivered currently). He has shed once for me and pooped twice. He was fine with me handling him for the first 2 weeks but this last week he has started to hiss when I move his hide to check on him. If he is out of a hide and I go to his tank he usually darts inside of it. Is it just him being a new and young BP? Or could somethong else be causing it?

[Bogertophis]

He just sounds scared to me. Normal for young snakes, they're small & easily preyed upon, & in their hide, they feel cornered when you move it...that's the
only "safe" spot they have. It takes longer than a month to overcome instincts & feel safe with a human picking them up...and you should stop wearing that
hawk-mask & file your fingernails... & try not to "swoop" in, lol.

[Craiga 01453]

He just sounds scared to me. Normal for young snakes, they're small & easily preyed upon, & in their hide, they feel cornered when you move it...that's the
only "safe" spot they have. It takes longer than a month to overcome instincts & feel safe with a human picking them up...and you should stop wearing that
hawk-mask & file your fingernails... & try not to "swoop" in, lol.

I agree 100%.

When they're that little almost everything looks like a predator, including you.

How often are you handling the snake?

[njbassman7689]

Thanks for your help. I feed on Monday nights so I was handling him on Thursday Friday and Saturdays. Letting him have 2 days to digest and leaving him alone the day before he eats. What would you guys recommend as far as handling frequency? He has never struck at me just hissing. Dont wanna stress the little guy out.

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for your help. I feed on Monday nights so I was handling him on Thursday Friday and Saturdays. Letting him have 2 days to digest and leaving him alone the day before he eats. What would you guys recommend as far as handling frequency? He has never struck at me just hissing. Dont wanna stress the little guy out.

When you handle him, how long do you have him out for? We all mean something slightly different by "handling"...

[njbassman7689]

Between 5 and 10 minutes. Its usually just me in there with him.

[Godzilla78]

I got my first BP about a month ago from a reptile show in my area. I did a ton of research to make sure I could keep him in the conditions he needs. He is in a 20L tank with 3 sides covered with black foam insulation for privacy and to hold in heat. The top is covered with tin foil. I used a mixture of forest floor and eco earth as my substrate. I have a hide on the cool side and a large water dish in the middle I have an uth with hide on top for his hot spot on the opposite side. I also have a che to keep ambient temps on point. Both are controlled by a herpstat ez2. My numbers are 80 on the cool and 90 inside the hot hide with ambient temps always right around 80. Humidity usually stays between 48 and 55. He weighs about 190g and has been eating 2 hopper mice a week (waiting for rat pups to be delivered currently). He has shed once for me and pooped twice. He was fine with me handling him for the first 2 weeks but this last week he has started to hiss when I move his hide to check on him. If he is out of a hide and I go to his tank he usually darts inside of it. Is it just him being a new and young BP? Or could somethong else be causing it?

Very good Research! You nailed it pretty darn well.
Do not worry!
It is totally normal and expected for teeny,tiny,baby,royal pythons to hiss and strike at monstrously gigantic mammals!
Lol

[Godzilla78]

O, and btw, a baby ball python bite is almost hilariously weak, their teeth are very small at this age.

[Craiga 01453]

Thanks for your help. I feed on Monday nights so I was handling him on Thursday Friday and Saturdays. Letting him have 2 days to digest and leaving him alone the day before he eats. What would you guys recommend as far as handling frequency? He has never struck at me just hissing. Dont wanna stress the little guy out.

Between 5 and 10 minutes. Its usually just me in there with him.

Ok, I would just slow down a little bit with handling for a bit til he gets more comfortable. Once you build a trust for one another and he's got a bit more size on him he'll likely chill right out.
Instead of three consecutive handling days maybe cut out Friday so he's got a day in between to just chill.

[Bogertophis]

Between 5 and 10 minutes. Its usually just me in there with him.

In my experience* snakes are the MOST stressed right when we pick them up, so if you handle them for only 5-10 minutes, they hardly get a chance to feel safe with you.
What I suggest is to just sit down & watch tv or something while you hold a snake, sorta cuddling them to you so they feel safe & warm (they feel most afraid out in the
open & are more likely to bite defensively that way, especially if you move your hands suddenly, they assume it's an attack). Take at least 30 minutes, because during
that time they learn your scent & touch, & start to feel safe with you. Remember too that most snakes (like BPs) don't visually identify you...they recognize us primarily
by scent & touch, so don't be offended if your snake doesn't recognize you thru the glass/plexi, or at a distance...we're just a scary blur at that point, nothing personal.
BPs are snakes that like warmer temperatures too, so it's not likely they'll be over-heated if you hold one for 30 or more minutes, as other kinds might (since we're about
98.6* ourselves).
(*we don't all agree on this, plenty of ppl do the same thing you're doing, handling for a very short time.)

Snakes don't all have the same personality either, so if yours gets too stressed with back to back days of handling, he might need more time off. If your snake doesn't
feed well (reliably unless shedding), that's usually a sign that he needs more privacy. BPs are normally mellow snakes, so you'll have to "read between the lines" some.