hissing

[zomby_pengy]

i'm a first-time ball python owner...I have a baby ball python, about 8-10 months old, i think.

Anyways, my ball python has never been aggressive or anything, I've always been able to hold him and he would be fine, really active, climbing all over me and stuff.

Anyways, For the past few weeks, when i try to hold him, hes beeing hissing alot. So i just haven't held him in a while. The only time I held him against his will is two times in the past few week, last week when I picked him up to put him in his feeding cage, and today when i put him in his feeding cage...

But i don't know whats wrong and why he keeps hissing like that. Is it for any reason?

[Shelby]

Sometimes they just hiss.. I don't not hold them if they are hissing (they may learn that hissing makes the big human thing go away, lol) just handle like you normally do. Sometimes snakes seem to have 'moods' too.

Often when they are shedding they do not like to be bothered, and after feeding of course they should be left alone for about two days.

Make sure your cage is set up correctly.. temps in the low to mid 80s on the cool side, low to mid 90s on the warm side.. and make sure your snake has nice tight and dark hiding spots so he feels secure.

[rabernet]

I've got one now that hisses, my girl Leeloo. She did that from Day 1 (now we're on Day 17, but who's counting?) LOL


After her settle in period and first feed, I've been doing some short handling sessions with her, as I'm pretty sure she wasn't handled much before I got her. I'll open up her tub and remove her hide, and she'll start hissing. I just reach on in and get her.

I've noticed more recently that now she'll give a little half hearted hiss - like - "hiss....oh, it's you - it doesn't work - never mind"

However, I do respect their boundaries. I'll take her out for about 5 minutes every few days (not day after day) until she relaxes and then put her back. I don't know if her hissing is cutting down because she's learning that it's not stopping the big bad human from picking her up, or if she's starting to make associations that nothing bad has happened to her when I've picked her up. Who knows what goes on in those little snakey heads? LOL

[Ginevive]

My male hisses; does it right before you lift him out of his cage, but then once he is out he cools off. I just got him this year and am not sure if his previous owner handled him a lot or not...? I would just be careful not to get bitten, as sometimes a hiss is a prelude to a bite.