why did my bp hiss at me ?? plz help

skunk1 · 06-05-09, 02:10 PM

ok today my bp hissed at me she has never ever done this to me i didnt even know they did that till today . i have had her for two years . she has neverr done this . i was taking her cave out and gonna take her out like i always do and as soon as i touched her she hissed so i tryed to pick her up again and she did it again? i handle her every week . she never got aggreisive or curled up . it just kinda freaked me out ?? should i be worried? help?

**Aaron_S** · 06-05-09, 07:49 PM

One of my ball pythons recently tried to "throw" my hand off him when I went to pick him up. He also hissed. I just figured it was a "bad day" and left him.

mykee · 06-05-09, 08:43 PM

Because he's a snake........

Chu'Wuti · 06-06-09, 10:33 AM

Another possibility is that she may be getting ready to shed; they generally feel more defensive when going into shed. Or you may have smelled funny/unusual--had you been doing something or handling something unusual? Changed body wash?

(I should add that the latter is just joking around, but if you had been handling another animal and failed to wash your hands in between, it is possible that the smell was disturbing your BP)

Will0W783 · 06-06-09, 11:55 AM

It is possible that she is beginning a shed cycle like Chu said, or she may have been asleep/resting and you startled her. All snakes can and do hiss. They have no vocal chords, so the only sound they can make is a hiss. My bp breathes heavily, almost like a slight whistle, when he is out. He has been checked for RI and congestion, and is fine. It is just the way he is. My male carpet breathes LOUDLY when he is out, and also has no RI. At first I thought he was hissing, but it is excitement for him. However, you probably just startled your snake. Pulling a hide off and reaching for the animal quickly can be traumatic. Next time, try slowly removing the hide and giving the snake a minute or two to adjust to the exposure and light before grabbing him. Or wait until he's out of the hide and can see you.

skunk1 · 06-06-09, 12:19 PM

thanks for all ur help guys!! yea i think imma give her a day or two then try again.

mykee · 06-06-09, 05:14 PM

Quote:

"and gonna take her out like i always do and as soon as i touched her she hissed so i tryed to pick her up again and she did it again"

Seems like the lesson she tried to teach you, you didn't pick up on.
Hissing is their way of telling you to leave them alone.

Kmef07 · 06-07-09, 09:51 AM

Im guessing your a guy cuz if you were a girl you would know the answer to this question... Sometimes snakes, like girls, just for no reason want to be left alone and will snap for no reason.

The remedy for this is to just leave it alone and in a couple hours it may be ok again. sometimes it takes a week though. lol

Will0W783 · 06-07-09, 01:14 PM

Lol, Kyle. I know a lot of guys who suffer from sporadic PMS (Pissy Male Syndrome). It isn't just a girl thing. BTW, why do you think we get pissy? It's from having to deal with men...lol. All a woman's problems have to do with men...preMENstrual syndrome, MENstruation, MENopause.....

Chu'Wuti · 06-07-09, 03:23 PM

OMG! ROFLMAO!!! That's great, Kimberly!

WOMEN ROCK!

siz · 06-08-09, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will0W783

All a woman's problems have to do with men...preMENstrual syndrome, MENstruation, MENopause.....

HAHAHAHA excellent!!!!!

mps725 · 07-16-09, 11:06 AM

I had mine out the other day and he was hissing, if he is gonna be a baby thats just too damn bad. I fed him the next day, maybe that will satisfy him. hehe

Will0W783 · 07-16-09, 12:40 PM

That isn't a good attitude to take towards your snake. They hiss when they are surprised, uncomfortable, scared, or otherwise uncool with what is going on. If it hissed when it was picked up, chances are your movements were too sudden. It is always good to move slowly and smoothly around snakes, even ones that are established pets and have never bitten. Remember they aren't like dogs or cats, they don't get bonded to you, they only learn by being conditioned that "the big warm thing that lifts me up" isn't going to hurt them. They aren't "being babies" they are being snakes. I have been hissed at a few times, and I always paid careful attention to what I was doing at the time and tried to correct the problem for next time. Very rarely do I get hissed at now.

mps725 · 07-16-09, 01:35 PM

It was the first time I Had him out since bringing him home, Id imagine being at a reptile show then driving in the car then being placed in a new environment was enough stress for a few weeks. The hissing most likely was him telling me he wasn't ready to be out yet. However, his immediate reaction to an f/t rat the next day made me feel better about him.

Don't mistake my joking nature for a bad attitude towards snakes, I realize they aren't dogs.

Will0W783 · 07-17-09, 09:20 AM

Ok cool. I didn't realize you were joking.