Is it that time of the month?

[tigerlily]

Dandylion's was in a mood today. She actually hissed at me. That's a first for me, since neither one of my snakes have ever struck or hissed at me. She hissed and hissed. I was cleaning her cage and apparently she didn't want me to. I had to move so I did, but I just know she's gonna be the one to intiate me into the once bitten club. Both of my girls have been EXTREMELY active, and eating like fiends. Is it just that time of year or am I special?

[Forrest]

I think it just might be that time of "mood" for your snake. You just had to go and mess up the cage, and your BP just got everything perfect (LOL). I know all of my snakes have been a little edgy lately, but I just moved so I was exspecting (ICK) it.

[tigerlily]

Moving sucks, especially if you have to do it. Sorry to hear about the sudden change of location. She needed new hides too, so she'll probably royally ticked off at me for awhile. But maybe not, since she wasn't using them much and she moved right into the new ones. Hopefully she'll get over it soon.

[frankykeno]

Girls and their moms......hehehehehehe! I know Mike messed with Kyna one day while she was snoozing and she did a couple of these really long low volume hisses. It was so clear that was snake speak for "for goodness sakes I was sleeping! do you have to make me bite you!" LOL

I think Dandy was probably just feeling her oats today or something. They can't be sweet lil babies forever. Maybe you disturbed her when she was napping or just didn't feel like being bothered.


~~Jo~~

[Adam_Wysocki]

That kind of behavior can be common in the fall ... hungry, aggressive, restless .... winter is coming and they know it, so they are on the prowl for extra food to get through the cooler, drier months ... they don't know that you'll be giving them the heat and humidity they need to be ok so they're preparing on their own.

-adam

[tigerlily]

As long as I don't have the 'freak snakes'. I was wondering if the season had something to do with it. Lily is still her sweet self. Both have been abnormally aggressive feeders and prowling A LOT! It's not like they don't eat well, but dang I better have that mouse ready on the tongs before I open the cage or they'll come out looking for it! :eek:

[frankykeno]

Well now that is interesting Alex! I really never thought they'd known the seasonal change when they live in a stable environment all the time.

That definitely could explain why Kyna nearly came out the cage and through me to get to Mike as he walked into the room with her prey recently. She was darned near standing on her tail and stretching way out towards the scent of food from a good 6 feet away. Fall was definitely a good time then to switch these girls over to rats if they tend to have even stronger feeding urges at this time of year, what blind luck for us LOL.

Fiona got it right though in another thread.....they are saying "Hiss Off!"


~~Jo~~

[Lady Python]

LOL Jo. Graham picked Zag the Boa up this morning - Graham doesn't usually handle the snakes in the morning so they must have been sleeping and yes, he got told to "Hiss Off" in no uncertain terms by one sleepy-looking snake

[Ginevive]

I just put my female into a larger, better cage. She spent half of the day exploring and thinking "what the heck" (if they can think, heh.) I did keep her original hide, as well as the cypress substrate and water dish from her other cage, so maybe the scents/textures of those things would be more familiar to her.

[Eddie_Z]

Ah the Hiss off, I have gotten that since day one with Hissy. She is generally all hiss & no bite. There was that one exception when she broke two of her hides & I unwittingly overheated her tank (I was unknowingly not measuring her temps properly in her new *at the time* AP tank). She bit me twice while overheated and having no other place to safely cool off. Once I get her new hides in & got her temps squared away, she went back to all hiss & no bite. She did feed in an overly aggressive fashion last nite.

By the Jo, FWIW, it was Adam, not Alex who brought up the seasonal thing.