# Why do snakes hiss?



## atothej09 (Mar 28, 2011)

Last night when handling my Jungle Python, he let out a small hiss. He was not aggressive or anything, but it got me thinking...why do snakes hiss.
A bit of research seemed to point towards venomous snakes as a sign of warning before striking. Others say they hiss when stressed and some say they just hiss for the hell of it.

Does your snake hiss? And why?


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## gillsy (Mar 28, 2011)

Why do dogs bark.


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## guzzo (Mar 28, 2011)

Well I can say for sure with one wild Darwin (which I a removed a tick from his eye) hissed because it was pissed at me. I confirmed this diagnosis when it bit me straight afterwards. Perhaps they might have a different hiss for different occasions hahah but this was deffinately an angry hiss.


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## pythons73 (Mar 28, 2011)

I had a adult coastal about 8ft that hissed at me all the time,yet she was a gentle giant,never struck at me.IMO its just a noise to let ya no whos boss...


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## ezekiel86 (Mar 28, 2011)

well they dont do it because they are happy


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## guzzo (Mar 28, 2011)

ezekiel86 said:


> well they dont do it because they are happy


 
Haha I tend to agree


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## Waterrat (Mar 28, 2011)

It just shows how little we know about communication in snakes.
No doubt hissing is an audible warning signal just like rattlers use their tails. The hiss frequency is different in different species of snakes and differs depending on the snake's "mood". An interesting concept.


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## Mace699 (Mar 28, 2011)

Its a good Question. Do adult snakes hiss at each other when fighting? My MD girl lets out a hiss every now and then she will do it when she's being left alone to explore the house or yard even so i can assume that its not soleley linked to aggression or stress. maybe theres more to it. butother than a defense mechanism why do it as other snakes cant hear it so its not as if there wold be any way they would use it to communicate between themselves.


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## scorps (Mar 28, 2011)

Nearly all of my bhp's huff and puff at you but never bite


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## Snakewoman (Mar 28, 2011)

My Bredli and adult coastal will hiss when I'm getting them out of their enclosures, but after that they're fine. Having the coastal hiss at me was scary when I first got her, she's the only large snake I have, all my others are 2 years old and younger. She doesn't get into the strike position while hissing, and doesn't show any other defensive behaviour. Some of my snakes also hiss when they're fed.


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## Asharee133 (Mar 28, 2011)

my bredli is a grumblebum. he hisses lol. its so cute. he sounds like a squeaky toy


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## sookie (Mar 30, 2011)

My jungle girl makes a kind of sneezing noise when she is asleep in my ear,she does like an excited little hiss whenever i pick her up and cuddle her and i get a kinda sloppy sounding hiss when she is happy wrapped around me.
at least i hope thats what her hisses mean!!!


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## tashigirl (Mar 30, 2011)

My carpet makes a sound like when you push air out your nose short and fast, but it's when she's exploring around, i only hear it when she's near my face - it seems like a content sound, an exploring sound i guess... P.S. I love seeing her yawn. She has hissed angrily at me once and she was definitely pissed.


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## Chris1 (Mar 30, 2011)

its the closest they can get to saying pssssssssssssssssss off, lol,...


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## Renenet (Mar 30, 2011)

Good question. I've been wondering about the snake's hiss myself. I can't offer any insights because my stimmie hatchling hasn't made a sound since I got her, at least not that I can hear. I'd certainly be interested if someone else has any info.


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## cement (Mar 30, 2011)

sookie said:


> My jungle girl makes a kind of sneezing noise when she is asleep in my ear,she
> !



Huh?? you let her sleep in your ear?


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## MathewB (Mar 30, 2011)

I don't have a snake but sometimes when I lift up my Blueys hide he flattens himself and hisses like hell! So I think it means, when done for a reason, mean 'Sod Off!'


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## Renenet (Mar 30, 2011)

MathewB said:


> I don't have a snake but sometimes when I lift up my Blueys hide he flattens himself and hisses like hell! So I think it means, when done for a reason, mean 'Sod Off!'



One very warm day I was trying to get a bluey off the road. He or she was not appreciative of my efforts and expressed displeasure with a loud, painfully sharp hiss. No inter-species translators required there...


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## Benyo (Mar 30, 2011)

Don't take my word from this since I'm just going by ear here but snakes hiss when they stretch out sometimes.. Like releasing the air from their body to manouvre easier or something along those lines


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## MathewB (Mar 30, 2011)

Renenet said:


> One very warm day I was trying to get a bluey off the road. He or she was not appreciative of my efforts and expressed displeasure with a loud, painfully sharp hiss. No inter-species translators required there...


Haha, Did you still move it?
When I was young and reckless I decided that my Blue-Tongue was being stupid and over reacting I picked him up and he bit me! :S
I have since then never underestimated the power of the hiss. I think the moral of the this thread is; If the snake fiercely hisses at you best be leavin it alone and coming back later!


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## nagini-baby (Mar 30, 2011)

i had my first ever hissy-fit today! my new 1 yr old childrens decided to be in a foul mood.. very out of character as she is usually lovely. 
i was so suprised haha she just kept going and going haha cranky bum. none of my others have ever done it. the bluies on the other hand you can find from 2m away as they start hissing as you get into the outdoor enclosure haha. silly things if they shut up id never find them!!


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## MathewB (Mar 30, 2011)

^Haha yeah Blueys are kinda like that. I guess it kinda like a rattle snakes warning without the venom and death and stuff


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## craig.a.c (Mar 31, 2011)

scorps said:


> Nearly all of my bhp's huff and puff at you but never bite



I wish my BHP was like that. Sure he huffs and puffs then he used to follow it up with a nice bit also. He hasn't tried to bite for some time now though.

My bredli starts hissing when he has had enough of being handled.

My stimmies, i'm yet to here them hiss.


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## Wookie (Mar 31, 2011)

Waterrat said:


> It just shows how little we know about communication in snakes.
> No doubt hissing is an audible warning signal just like rattlers use their tails. The hiss frequency is different in different species of snakes and differs depending on the snake's "mood". An interesting concept.


 
I agree. I often get a hiss from one of my males that doesn't seem to be stress related. No defensive posture or flinching etc but I'm sure it is stress related.


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## Tristan (Mar 31, 2011)

ahh my carpet has never hissed i wanna hear a hiss, he has huffed but that sounded more like effort as he was trying to untwine


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## SYNeR (Mar 31, 2011)

When I first got my Jungle, I'd put in a dirty shirt of mine (to get her used to the scent as suggested by longqi) and she'd coil up in it. If I touched her through the shirt, she'd hiss.
She hasn't really done it since then until I took her to the vet for a general check up on Monday night. The vet thought she seemed quite nice to handle, although every few minutes I could hear her hissing.


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## Bazil (Mar 31, 2011)

I have a non agressive female coastal carpet, and she hisses at will, but never shows any sign of agression.


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## moosenoose (Mar 31, 2011)

Why do cows moo?  and ducks Quack


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## sookie (Mar 31, 2011)

yeh cement her heads sits in my ear and she sleeps.usually while the rest of her hangs onto my ear and ponytail.and only during our cuddle time past 10pm.while im on my laptop working she loves to be with me.she is only 7mths old.


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## atothej09 (Oct 24, 2011)

Some good answers.
My jungle gives off more like a Huff Puff, than hiss now that I think of it.
Anyway, love hearing it.
Thankssssssssssss


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## Tristan (Oct 24, 2011)

tashigirl said:


> My carpet makes a sound like when you push air out your nose short and fast, but it's when she's exploring around, i only hear it when she's near my face - it seems like a content sound, an exploring sound i guess... P.S. I love seeing her yawn. She has hissed angrily at me once and she was definitely pissed.



my SWCP does the same thing, it sounds like the huff of effort as the moves around.the first time she ever hissed was last week and she was a day away from shedding i went to check on her and she gave a pretty clear hiss that i took as piss off, the night after her shed she was happy to be handled and wander around no hissing etc


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## sarah1234 (Oct 24, 2011)

My bhp will his and have a tanty getting her out of her cage with her mouth wide open sometimes but she has never bitten and a total pussycat.


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