Hissing?

[sweatshirt]

I just went to hold Magenta, and she's under her half log (warm side), so I picked it up, and she struck (didn't hit, luckily. I don't want to join that club yet :P) and started hissing like crazy, full mouthed!

I obviously carefully put the half log back on top of her and left her alone... but I'm sitting on a couch near her enclosure (not in her line of vision) and she's been hissing for a few minutes now. I checked her eyes, they're not blue... is this something I should be concerned about? I've never seen her like this, that's why I'm concerned... she's the most calm snake ever (usually lol).

Does she just not want to be held? Do your snakes hiss when they don't?

Her temps: Warm side is 86.7, cool side is 78.5. Humidity is 59%.

P.S. She ate about 36 hours ago. I meant to take her out to measure her, not take her outside or anything. Maybe that's why? It wasn't a larger than normal meal or anything... good size. The lump is gone.

[Mikoh4792]

Is 86f the hottest temperature in the enclosure? I thought most bci were supposed have access to hotter temps.

I'm just speculating but I am guessing that your boa thinks "something" is still outside of her hide. Maybe she still feels threatened since you lifted her hiding spot.

Or maybe she's just having a bad day lol. Sometimes my cay caulker would hiss and I would just leave it alone.

[sweatshirt]

Oh... should I turn up the thermostat?

Yeah I'll just leave her alone and attempt to hold her further in the week... I hope she isn't sick or something :(

[Mikoh4792]

Oh... should I turn up the thermostat? :P

Yeah I'll just leave her alone and attempt to hold her further in the week... I hope she isn't sick or something :(

I'd would try a few degrees higher. Not that I'm implying it has anything to do with the hissing, just to give it more options in thermoregulating.

[sweatshirt]

Can you tell more about the cay caulker though? When did you attempt to handle it again after it hissed? Did it ever seem distressed when it did?

I know I sound dumbfounded but it nearly gave me a heart attack when she started hissing..

She's stopped hissing by now, obviously, but.. wow.

[Mikoh4792]

Can you tell more about the cay caulker though? When did you attempt to handle it again after it hissed? Did it ever seem distressed when it did?

I know I sound dumbfounded but it nearly gave me a heart attack when she started hissing..

She's stopped hissing by now, obviously, but.. wow.

Basically, one day I lifted up her hide just like you and when I went to pick it up, it tensed up and started hissing.

I think it was just startled and scared. To be resting in a place that it thinks is secure and then all of a sudden the roof is lifted above it's head.

I left her alone for a few hours and I picked her up again when she was drinking from her water bowl. She didn't hiss anymore.

[formica]

imo you shouldnt pull her out of her hide, ever, unless you think there is something wrong, its important she feels secure in her enclosure, can you imagine if someone dragged you out of bed by your feet in the middle of the night? ;) wait till she comes out by herself before you handle her

[sweatshirt]

She's been in that hide for about 20 hours now. It's weird because this is only her second or third time in the time since I've had her in that hide.

She's usually either on top of it, in her other hide on the cool side, or in the small hide in the neutral area. Or hiding in the corner lol.

Maybe I'll just wait until she's out of that hide.

Formica... understood :P

[strictaz]

Totally normal. A lot of boas tend to have bad days here and there. I wouldn't be worried.

[formica]

She's been in that hide for about 20 hours now. It's weird because this is only her second or third time in the time since I've had her in that hide.

She's usually either on top of it, in her other hide on the cool side, or in the small hide in the neutral area. Or hiding in the corner lol.

Maybe I'll just wait until she's out of that hide.

Formica... understood :P

sounds like she could be about to shed, either that or she's sulking :) but yeah, leave her to it

[Concept9]

First off, Come join the club. :)

I wouldn't really worry about.

You probably just woke her up and now she is cranky. My two nip me once in a while when I don't let them know I coming. :)

I would increase your hot spot a little to 90-92, she is probably still digesting her meal.

Give her a couple days and she will be back to normal I bet.

OR, she may be in pre-shed as well, didn't she shed about a month ago ?

[sweatshirt]

She MIGHT be in pre-shed. She may have been in the blue while digesting... I haven't held her for about 3 days so maybe she was in blue and it's gone now. Her colors did look 'duller' than normal.

I'll keep the humidity up just in case :P

I turned the thermostat up too.

[Kid Boa]

I would agree that this is really nothing to worry about. Just a combination of a couple little things.

87 deg hot spot is a little low, I would keep your hot spot in the low 90s.

[rocknhorse76]

My male Dumeril's hisses at me pretty much every time I pick up his hide, but never strikes. I just give him a couple taps and tell him to knock it off lol. He got really pissed at me the other day when I was trying to measure him.....sat and hissed for like 10 minutes hahaha.

[KORBIN5895]

Next time it happens reach behind it and pick it up. It will learn that hissing makes you go away then it will huff and puff all the time.

As for removing a snake from a hide that is totally acceptable. I remove mine from their hides when ever I desire with no adverse affects.

I would also raise you hot end to the low 90's.

[rocknhorse76]

Next time it happens reach behind it and pick it up. It will learn that hissing makes you go away then it will huff and puff all the time.

As for removing a snake from a hide that is totally acceptable. I remove mine from their hides when ever I desire with no adverse affects.

I would also raise you hot end to the low 90's.

Couldn't agree more. I never let my snakes have their way or let them think they scare me. I only give them a few taps to make sure they're awake before picking them up.

And I remove them from their hides all the time, too.

[Concept9]

Next time it happens reach behind it and pick it up. It will learn that hissing makes you go away then it will huff and puff all the time.

As for removing a snake from a hide that is totally acceptable. I remove mine from their hides when ever I desire with no adverse affects.

I would also raise you hot end to the low 90's.


Very good point Korbin. I forgot that point.

If a snake bits or hisses and you but it back it will learn that doing this will gain its freedom (left along or put back in its enclosure) and may/will continue to do so.

[sweatshirt]

Okay :P Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll try to hold her again later lol. She's on top of her hide now and when I looked in she just sat there.

[sweatshirt]

I just grabbed her. She's a little jumpy... she's not in blue though.

Edit: she's calmed.

Edit 2: The skin by her head is wrinkly... Any ideas why? Her humidity is always high and she has fresh water.

[KORBIN5895]

She is probably mid shed. Also what size prey is she on?

[sweatshirt]

She eats 20-25 gram rat pups. =)

[KORBIN5895]

Do you know her weight? Roughly how big are they compared to her?

[sweatshirt]

I don't have a gram scale yet. They're the right size, I think. They were 2-1.5x the widest part of her body when we first got them, probably 1x now... she's getting a bit big for them. We're getting weanlings at a show on the 10th.

Here's a 2 week old pic of her next to a bill (she's growing rapidly at the moment so she is slightly thicker now):
http://i.imgur.com/tUzTmEG.jpg

[Mikoh4792]

Looks fat! If anything id say cut back on the meals.

[dbassa]

Beautiful little BCI you've got there:)

[sweatshirt]

Thanks dbassa, I think so too :D

[sweatshirt]

I tried to feed her today. I dangled the rat in front of her hide and she kept sticking her snout of the hide hole and smelling it, but I dangled it for a good 15 minutes and she didn't take it so I put the rat out in the woods for the ants :P. She's been in the other hide for 6 days, so I guess she IS shedding haha. I hope she does soon.

[ErikBush97]

I don't have a gram scale yet. They're the right size, I think. They were 2-1.5x the widest part of her body when we first got them, probably 1x now... she's getting a bit big for them. We're getting weanlings at a show on the 10th.

Here's a 2 week old pic of her next to a bill (she's growing rapidly at the moment so she is slightly thicker now):
http://i.imgur.com/tUzTmEG.jpg

I found a scale that measures ounces at my local grocery store, and I just use that. And converting ounces into grams isn't very hard, so you can just do that if you want to keep track of her grams :) It was also a lot cheaper than gram scales.

[sweatshirt]

"Problem"... every time I come near her she hisses. She shed a few days ago, so that's not the problem :( I picked her up a few minutes ago and she hissed the whole time... I put her back after a few because I didn't wanna stress her out. I'm going to an expo Saturday, hopefully they'll have hooks. :(

[guyabano]

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Don't worry about it. She might have been a bit sensitive when you were handling her when she was in shed and she might be remembering that. Handle her regularly and she should go back to normal.