What animals can be in a BP cage?

[lintz69]

I want to make my new "HUGE" cage more like a Habitat. I was wandering if ANY animals can be put in with the snake? Turtles, frogs, spiders, ANYTHING? What would leave each other alone? Thanks for yal's help.

[BoidKeeper]

I would not mix anything with a BP they are too easy to stress out. There are certain geckos that can live with anoles and tree frogs and stuff like that but as for balls they don't do in a large cage or with room mates.
Cheers,
Trevor

[lintz69]

The cage TOTAL will be 6' long, by 5' tall, and 2' in depth. But it will be sectioned off 2'tall by 6' long, by 2' deep. And the 6' long will be down for it's swimming area. So it's a LARGE cage, BUT, for the 2 snakes will only be 6'X2X2. And a 2' swimming pool. But NO animals can be in with the Python, or the Boa? What about the Scorpion or tarantula? Can ANY have "Friends"

[BoidKeeper]

They are all lolitary creatures in the wild they, don't need or want friends. They "want" privacy and security.
Trevor

[mykee]

What wasn't mentioned, is that ball pythons also like a small environment, the dimensions that you gave are WAY too large even for a giant adult female ball. If you have an environment that large, consider a different snake.

[ButterBall]

OMG, you're not serious are you?!?! A spider or scorpion? Maybe you should get some tropical fish. Those can be mixed, not reptiles.

[lintz69]

NOOOO Not the spider and scorpion WITH them. I am going to have the cage made with wooden dividers. So they can't see nor smell each other. I can SEE all 4 animals from the FRONT, but they will be divided. I was told fish have parasites the boa can get....???"

[eyespy]

Any animal carries bacteria and possibly parasites that can be transferred to other animals. No matter how large the cage, mixing species is not a good idea. We don't have the cleansing winds and rains that Mother Nature provides, nor the easy getaway options of the great outdoors so that the animals can avoid each other.

Animals can most definitely smell each other through dividers, and bacteria, viruses and fungi can be airborne.

[reptilez]

My friend is keeping his to boas with a ball python and they are all dong fine.(all snakes are relativly the same size)

[marisa]

How do you know they are doing fine? Your friend is introducing animals from different continents. THat is some serious possible contamination from one ot the other. And unless you or your friend is a vet you would have no idea whats going on inside them.

Why people insist on keeping animals from DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD together I will never understand. Would you keep a Amazon Parrot in the same cage as a budgie or cockatiel? Would you keep a leopard gecko with a Crested Gecko? Its irresponsible and cheap to do so IMHO.

Marisa

[ButterBall]

I totally agree with Marisa. Keeping a boa and a ball together is not only irresponsible but irrational. Why is he doing this? Its definitely not for a natural community tank, as balls are from Africa and boas hail from South America. Most of the time people cram animals together simply for lack of space for more cages. Not a good idea no matter how you look at it. This is not my opinion, its a FACT.

[dm101081]

Actually, alot of balls and boa's are from Canada/USA not their native contries. CB specimens are not going to be carrying diseases or parisites that can be given to other animals. I'm not saying that it is OK to keep them together, but the country thing just doesn't make sense. We keep lot's of African people with European people with Indian people, with Chinese people.

[SnowFoxx]

The difference in home country effects every aspect of their care - temps, setup, humidity, photo period, habits, everything! Different species of snakes can't be compared to different races of people. A Ball Python and a Columbian Boa aren't two races of the same species...they are completely different species. That's like saying that you can keep a dove and a raptor in the same cage, with the same setup, and feed them the same food, because they are both birds. It just doesn't work that way.

And yes, captive bred animals still can and do carry diseases and parasites, no matter how well they are cared for by the breeder.

- Victoria :w

[fateamber]

I know! other bps! (sorry in stupid mode)

[dm101081]

Originally posted by SnowFoxx
The difference in home country effects every aspect of their care - temps, setup, humidity, photo period, habits, everything! Different species of snakes can't be compared to different races of people. A Ball Python and a Columbian Boa aren't two races of the same species...they are completely different species. That's like saying that you can keep a dove and a raptor in the same cage, with the same setup, and feed them the same food, because they are both birds. It just doesn't work that way.

And yes, captive bred animals still can and do carry diseases and parasites, no matter how well they are cared for by the breeder.

- Victoria :w

I said in my post that I do not think that it is OK, but not for the reason that they are from different locales. Ball pythons and columbian boa's eat the same food, and have the same setup. It's the size differance that causes the problem, not the "temps, setup, humidity, photo period, habits, everything"

[eyespy]

I think the fact that they are from different continents makes a huge difference. Each species has evolved with different tolerances for bacteria and have very different beneficial bacteria in their digestive systems. Mixing the two can adversely affect the digestion of both animals, if not outright making them ill.

[ButterBall]

Every species has a naturally-occurring set of internal-microfauna and it doesn't matter if they are CB or not. Reptiles, especially snakes should not be mixed with other animals by amateur keepers. Like I said before, if you want animals you can mix, get some tropical fish.

[SnowFoxx]

You'll notice the original question was if he could keep turtles, frogs or spiders with his Ball. I've seen people on various forums asking if they can keep corns with boas, box turtles with balls, iguanas with geckos (I kid you not), and even red-eared sliders with beta fish. Just trying to head things off before they get *really* bad.

But also...maybe my snakes are special, but my BPs like their cages hotter and drier than my boa. When the humidity in my older BP girl's cage crept up to the level that my boa likes it, she got RI.

- Victoria :w

[BoidKeeper]

It's the size differance that causes the problem, not the "temps, setup, humidity, photo period, habits, everything
Does that mean that you keep balls at boa temps or boas at ball temps?

When the humidity in my older BP girl's cage crept up to the level that my boa likes it, she got RI.

Low temps and low humidity give balls RI, NOT excess humidity.
Trevor