Housing snakes together?
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Jacknifejimmy
Active Member
Best advice is don't do it. For many reasons spoken about on many threads here.
Should also think about downsizing the enclosure for a snake that small...
Should also think about downsizing the enclosure for a snake that small...
Jacknifejimmy
Active Member
Generally speaking, smaller snakes feel a lot more comfortable in smaller, more confined spaces, a 4x5x2.5 is something you'd have for a full grown 6ft+ sized snake, but everyone has their opinions I guess...
One of the main reasons against housing pairs together you intend to breed full time, is that they often become disinterested in breeding due to familiarity...
caliherp
Well-Known Member
I agree with you for the most part. I put a adult Ball Python in a 100 gallon display tank over 4 years ago and it has done great in there. never misses a feed. It seems happy in there. I do have two large water bowls in there to make shure it can always reach water from one of its MANY hides. I strongley feel you should never put a hatchling or a juvie in a larger then advised enclosure. I understand doing this experiment with only one snake doent prove anything and shureley doesnt draw up any conclusive evidence supporting my theory, but I have talked to others who have done this whith other Python and Boa species with similar results. On the flip side I have heard horror stories about hatchlings, juvies and a few adults whoes health and general well being started to deteriorate in larger enclosures.
longqi
Very Well-Known Member
dont ever believe for 0ne second that any snake needs a smaller viv under the conditions you have described
so long as any snake has plenty of hides; as yours has; it will thrive
only time anyone has to have smaller enclosures is if they dont provide enough hidey holes
planet earth is a great big viv
wild snakes seem to do ok
If you are not worried about breeding there are advantages in cohabiting
2 females will normally live together in perfect harmony
In saying that there are a few unbreakable rules
Always have similarly sized snakes together
Never feed them together inside the enclosure
always remove one and feed separately
always wipe them down after a feed to remove prey scent from where they wrapped
best to keep them separate for a few hours after a feed
easy to do if you can close off the hides so one is apart from the other
keep them well fed
the interaction between similarly sized snakes is pretty interesting
Jacknifejimmy
Active Member
See, you'll always have different people giving different opinions on same subjects.
Do what you feel is comfortable and safe for you and your snakes...
Do what you feel is comfortable and safe for you and your snakes...
Sleazy.P.Martini
Well-Known Member
It can be done, however it is generally unnecessary and there are risks involved. Also should be absolutely no need to downsize enclosure. If enough hides are provided etc it'll be fine, in a large enclosure without adequate hides will stress a snake and this had led people to believe its because of the large enclosure, when in fact it was their own husbandry mistakes.
Jacknifejimmy
Active Member
This is what I meant by downsizing...
A loaded up large enclosure with plenty of hiding spots and coverage is fine...
Sleazy.P.Martini
Well-Known Member
The op said there was plenty of hides and plants, you said they should downsize the enclosure. Adding sufficient hides to a large enclosure and downsizing an enclosure are two different things.
Jacknifejimmy
Active Member
They are.
S
Snowman
Guest
I keep two snakes in a few of my vivs. Each to their own.
JrFear
Very Well-Known Member
im keeping mine together at the moment as i build them new enclosures! they nip each other around feeding time but nothing full on yet!
i have a bucket of water just in case haha
i have a bucket of water just in case haha
S
Snowman
Guest
Oh. I seperate them for feeding.
JrFear
Very Well-Known Member
i forgot to mention i also seperate them for feeding! but they are so worked up and covered in rat scented water it happens every now and then!
sanna
Not so new Member
I'd love to get another female stimson python to put with my girl. But I've heard that ants can be cannibolisitc :/ If I followed all these guidelines strictly and kept a good eye on them for a while, would it most likely be okay?
Wrightpython
Well-Known Member
I have seven childreni and stimmis in one enclosure and feed them all hanging out of enclosure then every two weeks they all get pulled out and put in tub together while I clean out there viv never had a prob I also have woma yearlings in together and diamonds in outside enclosure all together all of my vens are in pairs or trios. In one aviary outside I have 4 diamonds 2 coastals 4 blueys 6 ewds 4 long neck turtles and 1 really old gippsland water that has to be handfed because he's to lazy and I have had no probs with ant of them years ago we had rbb in there as well and even they caused no trouble. Keep ya animals well fed and you don't have trouble
CaptainRatbag
Very Well-Known Member
If the new one is about the same size and same breed I would say it should be ok. I have my 2 macs together and feed them together, but I sit with a hook and watch them til they are both finished eating.... if one finishes first then starts showing interest in the other ones num nums, I just keep it away with the hook. As soon as the food has disappeared, there is no drama at all.
I dont go along with all this hoo ha about little snakes being 'stressed' in a large enclosure
Why do they escape then? If they were 'stressed' in anything bigger than a click clack.... why would they escape from it into a great big room? Plenty of hides is the key, just like the op has.
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