keeping 2 different kinds of snakes together

[dfitzsim]

I was wondering if anyone keeps two different kinds of snakes in the same enclosure? I saw a really nice corn that I wanted to buy but until I move in about 2 months I wont have space to keep it so do you think it would be a problem to keep it with my baby ball python for the next few months?

[Christina]

these two snakes have very diffrent requirments so the answer to your question is no.
As a matter of fact i dont even suggest keeping two of the same spieces to gether unless your mating then up to breed.
Also there are always lots of very nice corn snakes available so i would suggest that you wait until you have enough space before purchacing. It will be better for you and your snakes.

Jason

[marisa]

Agree with Christina.

Ball Pythons come from VERY different places than cornsnakes. The requirements are NOT the same, so you could not keep them together without endangering either ones health.

Ball Pythons are also much mroe shy and secretive than cornsnakes, and your snake will be more than annoyed by the corsnakes presence in the same cage. And although corns aren't as easily upset you coudl say, it will most certainly be stressed out by the Ball Python. This could cause any number of problems for either snake.

I would pass up the corn. They can be had easily, and fairly cheap all the time.

Marisa

[Thomas]

yeh, thats what I would say too, its a bad idea!

[Pixie]

I second the other members opinions, it is a very bad idea!

Not only mentionning the different husbandry needs and the stress factor on both snakes, there is also the possibility of one snake making the other sick by introducing bacteria that the other is not acclimated to. Ball pythons are native to Africa and corns to North America, who knows what each species natural bacteria flora is and how it can affect the other species.

I would also be worried about one snake eating the other depending on the size difference. Snakes are opportunistic feeders and some are known to eat lizards and other snakes. I don't think you'd be very happy to find only one snake left in the tank and very fat!!! That would be a pretty expensive meal!

Wait until you can afford setting up a second enclosure.

Pixie

[Invictus]

I disagree with a lot of members here as far as housing snakes of the SAME species together. There is nothing at all wrong with housing several corns, or a couple of boas, etc. in the same enclosure, as long as they all have room to move. But housing a ball with a corn would be very very bad.

[Colonel SB]

You should NEVER house to seperate species together it's just not safe, corns & BP's don't even have the same requirements. Tupperware is not that expensive!

[marisa]

Invictus how can you say there is "nothing wrong at all with housing several corns, or a couple of boas, etc in the same enclosure" /// smae species housing together...I agree it doesnt come with the problems different species being houses together would but the same species housing has a list of problems all its own.

Nothing wrong? Things go wrong for people who do this EVERYDAY!!!! I am just suprised you are endorsing this without even mentioning the risks people take doing so, and encouraging it.

There are COUNTLESS numbers of accounts, with photos, that show hatchling cornsnakes eating each other. Does it happen all the time? No. Can it happen? Certainly!!! That classifies as a problem if you ask me.

And what about even MENTIONING to this new person that early breeding can cause death for the female? I am not expert on Boas and Balls but I am going to assume the effects on the female when she is housed with a male cagemate, breed to early, are similar.

I am not saying they CAN'T be housed together, I am expressing concern that people may be getting informed that nothing bad can happen as a result of housing snakes together. Which is clearly wrong.

I am not trying to offend you at all. Please don't be. But I am concnered with people reading advice here, and seeing "no problem at all" when in fact there ARE problems. And a half a dozen more than the two I described above.

Another point I'd like to mention is, while I can type all day to those of you who are reading about why you shouldn't house snakes together...it might not make a differance. But..think about this last point....with all the reasons NOT to house together, are there any feasible reasons TO house snakes together? Not really. That answers the question right there for me on its own.

Marisa

[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

[Invictus]

Marisa / BoidKeeper:

I posted this in another thread, but I'll reiterate it here. I have 3 corns housed together, and they have been together since they were very young. When the previous owner tried to separate out the female (he didn't want her breeding), she would not eat for weeks, and was VERY aggressive. So were the males who no longer had their female cage mate. Once they were all back together again, the aggression stopped, and the feeding resumed.

For this reason and this reason alone, I find it impossible to believe that snakes are not (or at least cannot become) communal creatures. At least some species, anyway.

Now granted, I was wrong to portray it as 'nothing can ever go wrong.' Of course there is a risk. But I've been talking to a lot of Corn owners who house their snakes together, and I have yet to hear of anyone who has encountered problems with this. Does this mean it's impossible? No, of course not. But from what I can tell, it's very rare.

So, for the record I apologize if I came across as saying nothing can go wrong. That was not my intent. But hey, we're all sharing our experiences here right? In my experience, and that of many corn owners I've talked to, the snakes seem to do very well when housed together. But I can definitely see your points about the risks.

[marisa]

You are taking ONE example and basis further advice given to newbies on this? Again, not trying to offend. But shifting circumstances can case snakes to be aggresive AND go off fed.

I had almost your EXACT situation before except two corns. I though oh they must really like it each other and all that jazz...because when I seperated them (one wasn't doing that great) neither one ate for a month. So by that ONE story could I go around telling people NEVER to house together? Not really. And that above is a true story.

I am not saying you are wrong I am just saying basing all your future advice, AND your beliefs on snake behaviours because your three corns "like" each other, just sounds silly to me. You are saying you believe a creature can "become" communal....I won't even touch that. There is a big differance between "becoming" and "tolerating"

But anyways nice discussion, I realize everyone does things differnetly but I am certainly always up for giving my perspective.

Marisa

[Christina]

Qestion for both sides. when field herping how often do you find a group of snakes together outside of breeding ??

personally I have never. But then again I dont live in africa nor the corn snake range. lol

[djc3674]

i personally would never house two snakes together...but dont get me wrong..I have put my BP and Boa together for a little while and they get along pretty good i think. But only for short periods of time will they be in the same tank..id rather have them both out at the same time and let them play that way :)


Now listen to what my friend did for about two weeks til he finally took my advice. He purchased a baby 0.1 African Rock python...then this guy that owns a pet store..owed him some money and gave him a 0.1 Colombian red-tail. Well he had them sharing a 30 Gal. tank with two seperate hides atleast. Now..i would not have done this..but he did..and it actually worked out okay..i think cause they are both babies..they would actually curl up together and sleep. However, now they are in seperate enclosures they way they should be.
I dont think its the same as just sticking a 10 ft boa with a 15 ft Afrock when they are both used to living alone..that would be asking for trouble! Anyway, its definately better for the animals to have their own enclosures.

[Jeff_Favelle]

BP's need a max hot spot of 95F and corns need a max hotspot of 85F. So even if keeping snakes together was ok (which it isn't) a CORN AND A BP HAVE RADICALLY DIFFERENT CAGING REQUIREMENTS.

So no.

[dfitzsim]

Ok thanks for the info. The money isn't the problem its the space I'm in a condo now and I'm waiting for my house to be finished being built. It's going to be a few more months so I can wait. I also need to stop buying on impulse if I want to keep my wife. lol

[BoidKeeper]

buying on impulse

I've done it and in the end all but two of my impulse buys have been sold. Think long term what will you want to work with down the road. I remember when I first got into this I was talking to Corey Woods about a female ball python. I wanted a female at the time not for breeding just because they got bigger then the males. I remember saying I don't have any plans to do any breeding or anything like that I just want a nice CBB female ball. Well I never did get a ball from him but now I own five 2.3 and I plan to breed all of them in time. This hobby grabs you so my advice is to spend carfully because you focus may shift from what looked good at the time to what you want to concentrate on. I've have colubrids, pythons and boas all in the same snake room and I'm finding it easier to keep mostly boas.
Good luck,
Trevor
PS
I hope that new house is going to have a herp room! If it is don't have it on the second floor, too hot.