Behavior Question!

[mayacg]

Hi, i've had my ball python for about 5 months now, and he is about 3 years old. His name is Salazar and has been an amazing pet. He has never lashed at me or bit anyone, and has always been calm other than the occasional under the breath hiss when he was either molting or when I first go him.
Normally he likes to just look at me, either in or out of the tank. He's funny and will sometimes just come straight out the tank and touch noses with me and stay there for a few minutes before crawling around.
Recently however, when I have gone to clean out his waste he has been hissing at me, and today when cleaned out his tank he brought his head up and stared at me through the tank like usual, and open mouth hissed at me. It was quite distressing and I'm not sure what to do!
Is this behavior normal? Is there something wrong with him?

I use a heating pad under his tank and a timed light to keep day/night time conditions. He is also near my heater which keeps the abient air warmer than the rest of the house, seeing as I live in colorado. He last shed in later october.

Thank you!

[George1994]

He might not be in the mood on that occasion. I'd be shocked if no one on this site has never been hissed at. Most have probably been bitten. They are very docile, but sometimes don't want to be disturbed as they may be going into shed (not malting), you may have shocked it or scared it, could be any number of reasons. Nothing to worry about, just got to remember it is a non-domestic animal, and will still have the mind of a wild animal.

[Sauzo]

I actually have never been hissed at. I have been bitten by multiple snakes I've had in my life, most of them being wild caught local stuff when I was a kid. My BCI girl did head butt my hand when she was a baby and new but since then she has never shown any anger. When she wants to be left alone, she will go sit in her hide box, or if I try and pick her up, she will just crawl back into her cage. That's when I just leave her alone. My BP doesn't seem to care either way and is like a pet rock. Is your snake might be getting rdy to shed? That's the time when both of mine get the crankiest if they are gonna get cranky. And I'm surprised your gets cranky on poop clean ups. My BCI girl seems overjoyed when I clean out her poop. If there is a poop in her cage, she gets antsy and paths all over the cage like she is trying to get away from it. Then when I clean it, she calms down and usually curls back up under her RHP.

If everything with husbandry is the same and correct, I wouldn't worry about it and just chalk it up as the snake is having a bad day and just leave it alone till the next day or so.

[Snake Man 27]

I have been hissed at, that was only because I was trying to help my ball shed lol, but NEVER bitten... I guess I have just been lucky?