Hissing after eating?

[Kratos'Mom]

I adopted a 3 year old rescue dragon about 3 weeks ago. She is pretty skinny but I've been working on her diet and getting her to eat better. However, every time she eats something she will make a very light hissing sound and slightly puff her beard in and out for about 1-2 minutes. Then she will either go back to basking or eat some more and do the hissing/pushing out air thing again. This happens every time she eats anything. She poops normally and her temps are good. Is this normal behavior? Thanks!


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[mxw0rld]

Was she housed with another beardie? That sounds like behavior to fight off another beardie.

Hissing is a sign of aggression /defensive behavior or if they are being threatened.

 

[Kratos'Mom]

She's alone now and at the rescue she was housed alone. She was surrendered to the rescue supposedly from a breader so I suppose it is possible she was housed with other dragons. Do you think that this is for sure a sign of defense/aggression? Not some issue she has with swallowing/eating?
I'm just nervous something could be wrong!
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it!!


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[Anthony Radford]

Yes, hissing IS a defensive and/or aggressive action. Even a quick google search will confirm that. The advice above is correct, it could be due to rescue stress, "learned" behavior from previous conditions/environments, etc. If it was an issue with eating or swallowing, she would maybe more likely be gulping or something like that

 

[RaeAnn]

I'm sorry to hear this. The above responses are spot on, hissing is a sign of aggression. It sounds as if she is use to keeping her guard up and competing for food
Is she looking at you when she does this? Or Can she see her reflection in her Viv glass?


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[mxw0rld]

I'm sorry to hear this. The above responses are spot on, hissing is a sign of aggression. It sounds as if she is use to keeping her guard up and competing for food
Is she looking at you when she does this? Or Can she see her reflection in her Viv glass?


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Good question! I didn't think about her reflection!

 

[Eavlynn]

My girl Ruth did this exact same thing. After every roach I gave her, she would puff up and hiss at me. I was totally baffled until I realized that she was able to see a slight reflection of herself in the glass. I thought she was mad at me for some reason, but she was just being a jerk to herself haha. Now I make sure she's in a reflection free area and she's as happy as can be.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Yep sounds like behavioral to me as well. A good idea would be getting some non adhesive shelf liner on the bottom quarter they even make like a opac clear like...
I had to put up liner that looks like a bunch of pebbles of sand around 3 sides of my males enclosure as he was seeing himself and getting all worked up...

 

[PatsyB]

If he is doing it while he's eating it could just be normal eating behavior. When Dexter eats too much too fast she will sometimes just stop and push air out her mouth and nose, it makes a noise and sometimes you can see bubbles blow out the side of her mouth. One she pauses and takes a few breathes, she's ready to start eating again.

 

[Kratos'Mom]

If he is doing it while he's eating it could just be normal eating behavior. When Dexter eats too much too fast she will sometimes just stop and push air out her mouth and nose, it makes a noise and sometimes you can see bubbles blow out the side of her mouth. One she pauses and takes a few breathes, she's ready to start eating again.

This is exactly what Kratos does! It's not exactly hissing I guess, more like pushing air out and its only after she eats. Not before when she's looking for the food.


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