Will I get away with two snakes in the same enclosure?

[Stuart91]

lol, I think my snakes are just weird. Neither of them calmed down for a while after I separated them but both still accepted a feed. When I put the smaller one in the larger one's enclosure she coiled up in front of the hide nosing her to come out. They're sleeping happily together in the same hide now. Thinking about keeping them together now as there's no signs of hostility or discomfort.

Thanks for all your help!

Picture is of Monty waiting for her friend to come out.

 

[Ramsayi]

I have an atherton and a darwin in together at the moment (been together for 9 months). No probs so far. I went on advice given to me by two trusted people who are both employed in animal husbandry (one with a museum and one with a well known victorian zoo) and have kept herps for many years. Both snakes seem fine and always share the same hide regardless of where it is placed (several hides are on offer to them). I guess things can go wrong, but I have never seen it (at least, not with the same species) and both people who gave me advice claim they have never had a problem either. I find it hard to believe Melbourne Zoo, Healesville, etc. would put suitable snakes in the same enclosure if there was a consiberable risk of things going wrong.

I guess things can go awry, but it can happen with any two animals placed together. I also leave my two dogs home with each other despite the many cases of one dog killing another.

Big difference between dogs and snakes.Dogs are pack animals,snakes are as has already been said for the best part SOLITARY animals.

 

[christo]

Big difference between dogs and snakes.Dogs are pack animals,snakes are as has already been said for the best part SOLITARY animals.

I think you would find that pack animals are pretty good at killing each other. The fact that pythons are solitary animals does not make them prone to killing each other. Likewise, the fact that dogs are social animals does not make them unlikely to kill each other. I have never heard of a snake killing another to improve their position in the social heirachy, something dogs will do from time to time in the wild.

My point was that snakes are not known to kill each other any more commonly than dogs do, yet most of us would be happy to keep two dogs together. So long as the snakes are a similar size, preferably both females, and of a species not known to be usually cannibalistic, I can't see a problem with keeping two snakes together. I wouldn't keep a pit-bull with a maltese terrier, or keep a large olive python with a hatchling carpet. Common sense.

Granted, I probably didný make that point very well, if at all.

 

[Australis]

.My point was that snakes are not known to kill each other any more commonly than dogs do....

Snakes eat other snakes ALL the time, its what they do.

Put the shovel down.. step away from this thread.

 

[christo]

Snakes eat other snakes ALL the time, its what they do.

Put the shovel down.. step away from this thread.

"All the time" is probably a bit over the top, but yeah, it happens sometimes. As I said, dogs kill dogs quite commonly too. If you are sensible about it, the risks of snake eating snake are apparently very small. In any case, I trust the people I know who are far more experienced than me and are professionals. I have kept snakes for about 4 years, so I am far from an expert. I will take their advice over people I do not know anything about on a web forum.

The shovel is down, backing away now....

 

[Emzie]

has anyone personally had a snake eat another? i hear lots of people say they keep together with no problems and the other say they KNOW of someone whos snake ate the other one

 

[tomcat88]

atm i am keeping a male jungle and female jungle that are the same size (nearing two foot) in a 4 foot long, 2.5 foot high, 3 foot wide enclosure. however when they mature i will be taking them out and housing them seperately and getting a single adult snake for this enclosure. or multiple lizards yet to be decided.

if you are going to do it might i give this advice:
- only male and female of the same size, female female pairing of the same size, two males will combat/eat each other
-make sure the enclosure is large enough to house two snakes
- have multiple hides at hot/cool ends as well as multiple basking areas i.e two branches under heat source
- DO NOT FEED IN ENCLOSURE - take them out and feed seperatley, was a thread the other day of someone who fed two diamonds at once and one bit the others head, luckily it stopped at one bite and didnt decide to continue eating.

 

[christo]

if you are going to do it might i give this advice:
- only male and female of the same size, female female pairing of the same size, two males will combat/eat each other
-make sure the enclosure is large enough to house two snakes
- have multiple hides at hot/cool ends as well as multiple basking areas i.e two branches under heat source
- DO NOT FEED IN ENCLOSURE - take them out and feed seperatley, was a thread the other day of someone who fed two diamonds at once and one bit the others head, luckily it stopped at one bite and didnt decide to continue eating.

Similar to the advice I have been given and go by.

 

[ad]

How much do you value your pythons?

Very experienced herpers have explained on this thread that pythons DO eat each other,
Re-read bigguy's post - he probably has more experience than everyone elso on this thread combined,

What is it - Cost - too cheap to buy another enclosure?
Space - havent got the room - dont buy another snake then
Lazy - you still have to clean up after 2 snakes,

I cant understand the reasoning - you have a risk - you have assessed it and declined worrying about it - your snakes are worth how much to you?
Of course we will never ever hear about it if one of your snakes are eaten will we btw its always the nice one that gets eaten by the ugly one - and it usually dies from the overfeed, best of luck with that.