keeping snakes together

[potato matter]

For or againts keeping snakes together

 

[Ozzie Python]

keeping anything together has an element of risk involved, it just is not worth it. I have had bluetongues together and they tried to tear shreds of eachother the one and only time i have/will ever try keep more than one reptile with another.

I know many people keep pairs or even trio's of snakes together which good success, that is their choice. IMO for the price of another enclosure or tub it is just not worth losing an animal. We all carry on about live feeding, imagine your pet being constricted or envenomated, and then possibly losing its partner when trying to consume it. not something i ever want to see with my animals.

 

[solar 17]

Not worth it

I couldn't believe this happened [to me] yesterday a 3 month old spotted ate another one [same age] in the enclosure where l had the clutch and was just about to separate them [literally in 10 minutes time] never ever again...cheers solar 17 [Baden]

 

[christo]

If you're sensible about it (similar size, compatible species, not keeping males together, large enclosure), I think the risks are small. I have two pythons in together at the moment (who have often shared an enclosure over the years) due to an electrical fault rendering one enclosure unusable.

 

[fraser1980]

If it's such a bad thing to do why do you find
them all was in the same hide no matter how
many hides you have never had acproblem in
15 years

 

[Ozzie Python]

perhaps this is a little out there but maybe:

same species, roughly same size get fed roughly the same size feed at the same time are chasing the same conditions at the same time of day, week etc.......

( just a thought to throw out there for conversation, no evidence this may be the case)

might be fine for 15 years, doesn't mean it won't happen, baden has been keeping for a long time from what i understand and he has just lost a snake that was the same size/age as the one that decided a sibling is a good meal.

 

[potato matter]

Just out of curiosity, who voted yes for elapids?

 

[jakethomas]

I but my spotted, 3x diamonds and coastal carpet together their fine.

 

[Origamislice]

i can't beleive anyone would risk it. just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it wont. i considered doing it for a couple of weeks but then as soon as a realised there is a risk in it (even if it is 1 in a million) i decided that i couldn't bear to even think about it. i want the best wellbeing for my animals, there is a reason that these animals dont come together except for mating season. also i've tend to hear even though 2 pythons may not eat each other they one may tend to become dominent to the other and the snake that is not dominent may become stressed and could hide during the whole day and eventually stop eating.

 

[shellfisch]

I couldn't believe this happened [to me] yesterday a 3 month old spotted ate another one [same age] in the enclosure where l had the clutch and was just about to separate them [literally in 10 minutes time] never ever again...cheers solar 17 [Baden]

Thats sucks mate

I don't know why anyone with an ounce of brains and common sense would risk it.....truly :shock:

Because they are too stingy to outlay for an extra enclosure, heat etc?
Because they know better than anyone else? I just don't get it......

 

[meehan05]

i got 2 bhp same age n size yearlings together just till i get the cages set up as well as 2 womas together for same reason

 

[Bushfire]

Now that reptiles are so cheap they are disposable pets now seems people dont care. Its only a $50 snake I can easily buy another one before the end of the day.

P.S For those that dont or cant read between the lines this was a tongue in cheek comment. Anyone keeping non social reptiles (ie. ones that live in a colony) together are just asking for trouble.

 

[ronsnakes]

first year I bred blackheads I put the juvies 2 in a cage, excellent way to get blackheads to eat--- their cage mate --- ever since only childrens and carpets stay together except feed time when I separate them for at least 24 hours, after they have eaten --- never had a problem since

 

[ronsnakes]

To Meehan05
the blackhead that ate her cage mate was a yearling and both snakes were the same age, all I could see when I discovered my best proposed future breeder was missing was a tail pokeing out of her mates mouth, both were the same age--- and if that wasn't the worst of it --- I tried mouth to mouth on the swollowed python but it did not recover and to make my day the cage mate died too ----- DONT KEEP BLACKHEAD OR WOMAS TOGETHER AT ALL EVER -- when I put breeders together now I sit up sometimes for 24 hours to make sure nobody gets eaten --- and when I leave they go back into separate cages--- even though sex between aspidities is supose to turn them off eating --- I dont believe it-- I still keep my eye on both of them

 

[sweetangel]

hmmm interesting! i keep my diamonds together and separate during feeding. then the last time i fed them together, only problem was that i had to distract one while the other finished eating but appart from that they are fine together.

now the woma thing is interesting. i know a few ppl who keep their womas together. and i was intending on doing the same once my male is bigger since he is about half the females size and i figured that was asking for trouble!
but yeah not sure now......

 

[ReptilianGuy]

i have seperate animals and some together. if your sensible with it you wont have a problem. i have 2 female tigers (1 confirmed one not pos but fair idea) that share, 1 small male tiger on his own, 2 female bredli that share, a male and female coastal that are seperate to all and each other till later this year and a yearling bredli on his own, blueys i've never had an isue with and 2 beardies live with our frilled neck. i have never had an issue with this. the snakes get seperated during feeding and are the same size, same with the dragons that share... just got to be aware of how each reacts to one another so forth as well. like we have a large male beardie that goes nuts at the glass if the young ones are running about and tries to eat them if they go check him out...

but then i wouldn't keep specialized feeders of reptiles together unless breeding

 

[hoppyone]

I only keep 1 pair of spotted's together all other seperate but now i'm thinking that might change, Sory to here that solar17

 

[Colletts]

I have a pair of Collett's that have lived together all year for about 4 years now. I separate during feeding and watch them closely after reintroducing the next day because I have had the male (who is very food orientated and can never get enough!) bite the female if he picks up the scent of food on or near her. I just give him a tap on the head with a hook, he lets go and that's it. Apart from saving space and money, I've found another upside of keeping two snakes together just recently- no food wastage! The same pair were fed separately and reintroduced the following morning. I went to check for faeces that afternoon and could smell that over-powering smell of regurgitation. I couldn’t find the rat but found the wet sticky spot and smelt it on the paper, so the male being such a pig had eaten the females second hand rat! It was so gross to think about!

 

[bfg23]

I was always a bit iffy on the subject and never really wanted to put any of my pythons together.
But I have had a female bredli in a 5x5x2.5 tank for a while now and slowly started introducing my slightly smaller male bredli into the tank with her to see how they would react, I have left them together for a week or two now, and the last two days they have been intertwined in the same (normally unused) part of the tank.
I have a cage ready if they ever fight or anything, but so far everything seems to be roses in there.

 

[sarah_m]

The pythons I have now are different species but I wouldnt even keep the same species together.
Have seen too many threads over the last couple of years, some of which included pics, for me to even consider it.
Some people may do it and get away with it, but I just wouldn't take that chance!