First pet snake

[Sweetiesnake]

I've done a lot of research before I bought my caramel burmese, which was 2 years ago, shes now 8' long and still growing, have her in a very big enclosure, and i handle her as iften as i can, but she is very "hissy" whenever I pick her up or try to put her in her tank. She is tap trained and she has never struck at me or bitten me. What i want to know is why she is so hissy and why she doesn't like her enclosure. She actually prefers to he out of the tank, which is 85 warm end and 70 cool end relative humidity is above 60%.

[Sylphie]

I'm not a pro at giant pythons so I can't talk about the enclosure issues, but...

I once bought 8yo russian rat snake female, she was calm and not aggressive at all, but very, VERY hissy. We soon realized that that was her way of telling us to "go to hell and leave me alone", but since she wasn't striking or anything we just kept handling her. After half year she was as calm as our other snakes and not a single hiss since then, so don't worry :) Some snakes are just vocal too, one of ours will puff and huff if we don't let him where he wants to go. Since yours is not aggressive too I wouldn't worry too much.

[Andy_G]

Is that not a bit cool for a burm? Could it be wheezing that is being heard and not hissing?

[bigsnakegirl785]

As far as I know Burms are just hissy, and their regular breathing can sound like hissing as they get bigger.

The temps are cool but I'd be surprised if it caused an RI. Check your Burm's mouth for signs of redness and mucus just in case. If the mouth is clear I wouldn't worry. (And bump those temps up, too.)

[Sweetiesnake]

As far as I know Burms are just hissy, and their regular breathing can sound like hissing as they get bigger.

The temps are cool but I'd be surprised if it caused an RI. Check your Burm's mouth for signs of redness and mucus just in case. If the mouth is clear I wouldn't worry. (And bump those temps up, too.)

Mouth is fine, no redness or mucus, but where would you set the temps at? Also, could the Temps be why she doesn't like her house?

[bigsnakegirl785]

Mouth is fine, no redness or mucus, but where would you set the temps at? Also, could the Temps be why she doesn't like her house?

I'd have a basking spot of 90F, and ambients of 75-80F. If you're keeping her in a small enclosure without room for a proper gradient as per the standard, I'd probably have the cool end at 80F. Any Burm keepers can pitch in, most of the snakes I keep don't like a sudden jump from 75F to 90F, but it may not bother Burms, and I keep my retic in an enclosure big enough to allow her spots to sit at differing degrees.

[Albert Clark]

I agree to bump up the temperature. Husbandry is one of the main starting points in a attempt to figure out a reptiles behavior. Also, remember reptiles don't really enjoy being held they just tolerate it. Some tolerate it more than others contrary to popular belief.

[dave himself]

As already said you need to bump your temps up, a hot-spot of around 90 works best for them to help them digest their food :). As for this hissing our two are very vocal right from the second we open the viv doors to get them out until we put them back in, so I wouldn't let that worry you to much :)

[macandchz]

what size tank do you use for a 8ft. long and still growing snake?

[stevo-d]

I'm not a pro at giant pythons so I can't talk about the enclosure issues, but...

I once bought 8yo russian rat snake female, she was calm and not aggressive at all, but very, VERY hissy. We soon realized that that was her way of telling us to "go to hell and leave me alone", but since she wasn't striking or anything we just kept handling her. After half year she was as calm as our other snakes and not a single hiss since then, so don't worry :) Some snakes are just vocal too, one of ours will puff and huff if we don't let him where he wants to go. Since yours is not aggressive too I wouldn't worry too much.

I had a 6ft bullsnake for 12 years and I just couldn't tame it. She'd hiss strike and was fast as a cheetah . Even out the tank she'd hiss and just try to get away. The only person it didn't bite was my mother.??????. I'm just back from Tenerife and held a 10 foot burm, a 6 foot burm and a 4ft burm, all calm and tame absolute beautiful animals. My girlfriend friend said she wants one and it's always been my dream to get one so I've just got to find a new house that can hold an 8 foot tank. I'll post pictures when I get back from the gym I can't wait to get one honestly ever since I seen Jake the snake Roberts with Damien I have dreamt of it.