Hissing Baby Boa

[dbacker65]

Sometimes when I remove the cover to Warren's enclosure, he will hiss at me when I move my hand down toward him. He hasn't tried to bite yet. I think he is nervous about me coming from above. I try to pat him when I reach in so he knows it is me. I will sometimes let him crawl onto a small sterilite cover then bring him up out of his cage that way. He then moves onto my hand no problem. He is fine when he is out. I will be happier when I have a new cage that opens from the front on his level. Especially when he is bigger. I would guess that in time he will stop hissing as he doesn't do it everytime. I handle him daily except for the 48 hours following his weekly feeding. He is a month old and I have had him 2 weeks now. I have noticed he has grown already.

[Pythons_N_Boas]

hello, my 5 foot male BCI is hissy also. but you have to pick them up quick. dont try to pet them. when mines out of the cage, he is nice as can be

good luck

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[Dbutton]

He is just young and scared. He will calm down in a short time and stop hissing at all. Neither of my pair of BCI's ever make any kind of noise at me and have never even gone into a defensive posture either. Alot of it depends on you. If you are nervous and jerky it will make him the same. My burms on the other hand, at 12 and 13 feet respectivly they make horrible noises any time sombody comes into the room. I just ignore the noise and reach right in and start petting them like I don't even notice. This foils their mock agression and they quickly calm down and jsut lay there while I clean or change their water. Sometimes my female just keeps right on hissing and I keep right on doing what I am in there to do.
My point to this is to just ignore her mock agressivness and she will quit it after a short while. With a little one like you have you will probably get bitten a couple of times, but so what, you won't even notice it. Just keep right on doing what you are doing and ignore him. I have done this for 25 years and it works. Confidence is the key. It took me the first five years of keeping snakes to realize it though. Have a good one.

David

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[lethargiic]

Luckily my boa hasnt hissed or anything when i pick her up and she's a lil babe herself..but keep in mind that you ARE bigger than your boa and they may see you as a threat because baby boas in the wild are very vulnerable to "big predators" but after a while and getting used to you bein in his cage he'll calm down like David said..just ignore the noise and relax, snakes have the ability to sense your nerves/fear..but best of luck!!

[Stormyva]

Even if it doesnt stop hissing, hissing is normally a bluff. Like Dbutton said, reach in and take the snake out of the enclosure and it will more than likely settle down once it's out. My Hog Island females hiss like crazy when you reach in the cage, but they have yet to do any more than just hiss. No posturing or lunging, just a lot of noise.

	Hog Island Boa hogg

[dbacker65]

Thanks everyone. I figured he was just scared. Once I pick him up he is fine. I will just make a nice even motion to pick him up and not make any hesitations.

[Pythons_N_Boas]

glad to hear you got it all figured out