Housing 2 juveniles together?

[alex_33]

Hello everyone, I have a quick question that I've been wondering about for a little bit. Is it okay to house 2 juvenile corns together, if they're not the same size? I thought that it might be okay because i dont think they're canabalistic like kings and milks.

Thanks In Advance,
Alex

[stevesemerko]

I house all my snakes juvenile and adults seperately for all my species. I have seen 2 corns die because one tried to steal the other's food and swallowed half of him and died and the other died in the process. I haven't seen it since then but it is better to be safe then sorry.

Hope this helps

Steve

[jncoclub]

But if you fed them in separate containers (like I thought you were supposd to do with all snakes), I don't think it would be a problem. How big of a size difference are you talking?

[Tim and Julie B]

I have kept them together with no problems. Just seperate them at feeding time!

[drewlowe]

if they are not the same size i do not recommend it. corns can be canabalistic check out corn_utopia.com and there is a pic of a corn eating himself and he is in a ball and you can tell his tail is folded in his stomach. it's rare but they can be.

And always make sure you feed them seperatly. so they don't attack the same prey and eat the other snake. cause they could both die.

[eyespy]

Even when feeding separately, the one who has just been fed will smell of the prey item and could be the victim of a feeding strike. For that and the reasons listed above separate caging is recommended. Also, snakes don't generally congregate except when hibernating and they see cagemates as competitors rather than company. They will have a higher stress level and a slower growth rate than snakes caged alone.

If you're short on space for caging, just put in a divider. They won't have the stress of competition and you won't have to worry.

[drewlowe]

i agree completely with eyespy.

[marisa]

Put it this way if you house together you are inviting problems in. If you house seperatly then those problems have no chance of arising. I think the answr is clear.

So many problems could happen that its not worth it. Disease transmission, cannabilisim, stress, early breeding...etc.

Some corns DO get along fine together, but snakes are a solitary creature and its best to just get enough enclosures so each one has its own.

Marisa

[Vanan]

Juvenile corns have been known to be cannibalistic even when it's not feeding time.

[alex_33]

okay, thanks everyone, i will probably only get one corn for now anyways.

[BoidKeeper]

In my opinion, which I'm basing on things I've read and things that I know large breeders do, I feel that snakes should never be housed together. Here are some points that I keep in mind and reasons why I do not house snakes together.
1. The presence of another animal in their space represents competition, competition leads to stress.
2. Stress leads to loss of appetite and or disease.
3. If one sick gets sick they can both get sick.
4. How do you know who is defecating and who is not?
5. Snakes are not social animals so although captivity its self is not natural forcing two animals to live together is even more unnatural.
Now keeping two different species together can open up a whole new kettle of fish. Different species can be more susceptible to different diseases. Also they can differ in heat and humidity requirements.
Cheers,
Trevor

[stretch]

My advice is that if you are gonna keep juveniles together they have to be about the same size. Or else the snake will get stressed and might stop eating.

[Herpkingdom]

I had 4 hatchling Amel/Snow corns and 1 hatchling Reverse Ok/Snow corn last year. I put them together in a 10 gallon tank for a hour while cleaning their cages, adn low and behold I ended up with just 4 snakes, 1 of which seemed to put on some weight :)

So, housing yung corns together isn't a good idea, they are cannibalistic and will devour another corn snake.

[rustie]

i raised 2 males together for 2 years in the same tank. never had a problem. i am getting some females soon and heard that females usually have no problems together. also that males only have problems if a females are involved (competition). well i also keep those males in a 100+ gal. tank so they definatly have room. lots of hiding places.

i wonder about those juvies and canabalism. i may have gotten lucky, but u guys need to see that pic at corn-utopia. its wild.

[drewlowe]

ya rustie you talking about the one where the corn ate his own tail and he is in a complete circle. That pic is wild. i showed everyone i could that pic.
http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Utopia%20on%20the%20Web/Photo%20&%20Image%20Stockpile%20-%20CornUtopia/WEB%20-%20cannibal%20corn

For those of you who may not of seen it.

[Darlene]

I house 3 juvie girls together. However they are in a LARGE enclosure with lots of hides & climbs. They also have NEVER been fed in their enclosure & are fed seperate & kept seperate for hours after eating. They are in a room all their own , too.These 3 girls are also the same size & are the only ones I let stay together.

[wyz]

What you're all saying makes sense.. BUT...

I've had 2 corns 1.1 living together for a year now with one double the size of the other one.

I simply feed them separately and I don't put them back together 'till the prey is fully in the stomach and I never had any problems.

Might be luck.. but I won't change their setup, they are allways rolled up close together.


WYZ

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1185microbe_baktery-med.jpg