Caging discussion

[Nektu]

It was some what brought up in another thread about why you shouldn't keep the same kind of snakes of the same sex in the same enclosure. But why not? Discuss here what your thoughts about this are.

I keep my ball python males together. I seperate them to feed. It was brought up that they wouldn't do this in the wild. That may be true, but this isn't the wild and they weren't brought out of the wild they were captive bred. I know the dangers of keeping them together. If one gets sick the other may too. But as a keeper, isn't it my choice, and yours too, to keep them together if the enclosure is the right size?

I keep an herbavor with a carnivore, lizards, and they cohabitate well. But I also know that there are some lizards you can not do this with. I can not put a geko with anything. So, what is the big deal?

(this discussion is not meant to start any arguments but to be civil in ask manners be it an original post or defending your stance)

[stephanbakir]

It depends allot on the species. I know that my friends olive pythons and burms cant be held together (both needed stitches) (2 burms or 2 olives) but i know allot of people that keep corns, balls and garters together without any issues.
Try to give them 2 hides, both with ideal conditions, that way if they both want to bask but don't want to share they can. And NEVER feed together.

[Nektu]

Absolutely feed separately. Ball pythons, if they get the same rat from different ends, will continue to eat and eat the other snake.

[NennaMeerkat]

I kept 2 corns together for several years. Bought them together, they were from the same clutch, and were the same size. I had a large long aquarium with several hides and plenty of room for them to stay away from one another if they wanted. Often times though they would in the same hide or in the same place where my heating pad was beneath the tank. Never had fights and the snakes never seemed stressed.

Honestly I think it depends on the individual attitude of the snakes in question.

[mykee]

Stress.
Illness.
Cannibalism.
Nice and short.
I've wasted way too many words over the last 10 years trying to convince people to seperate their ball pythons.
You'll end up doing what you want regardless of the compelling reasons not to.

[Damion930]

cannablism in ball python pic - Google Search

[stephanbakir]

pshh one of those is a boa:P not sure what the one the kid is holding is:P

[Nektu]

Yeah, I saw that too.
Honestly, I don't see 2 ball pythons, same age and practically "growing up" together getting to that point unless they are neglected and not fed on a regular basis. I can see the stress aspect also, but only if the enclosure is to small to house them. Illness? If one gets sick because of what you fed it, chances are the other will be also.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Nektu

Yeah, I saw that too.
Honestly, I don't see 2 ball pythons, same age and practically "growing up" together getting to that point unless they are neglected and not fed on a regular basis. I can see the stress aspect also, but only if the enclosure is to small to house them. Illness? If one gets sick because of what you fed it, chances are the other will be also.

The sad part is you wont be able to see it until its to late
They should be separated but there is nothing i can say or do

[reptile65]

Originally Posted by Nektu

I keep an herbavor with a carnivore, lizards, and they cohabitate well. But I also know that there are some lizards you can not do this with. I can not put a geko with anything. So, what is the big deal?

Just out of curiosity, what lizards do you keep together?

[stephanbakir]

I kept Cuban curly tails together before, but in the wild, its not uncommon to see 10-15 of these living together in one piece of coral

[Damion930]

I just don't see what is so kewl about keeping them together. Dosent seem worth the risk. Ther are lots of reasons not to house reptiles together but no real good reasons to put them together. To each ther own realy but not my snakes.

[stephanbakir]

With curly tails, mine got stressed when housed alone. That being said, with any other animal i would never house them together, i have friends who do, but CUBAN curly tails are different, they are really social.

[Damion930]

Those are cool lookin I had to look them up

[stephanbakir]

The one i had ate from my hands, and did this really cool thing where it tilted its head, gave its prey item the one eyed "rape eye" and charged it lol. then flipped me off with its tail and chewed on my finger to ask for more food lol.