Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,084

0 members and 3,084 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,490
Posts: 2,568,453
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2010
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    Hello.

    I currently have 2 normals in a 125gal tank. They have lived in the same tank for nearly a decade and seem to be fine with it. In fact, the female has even had a few 'children', so stress isn't really a problem. she eats large rats, and he eats medium.

    I'd like to get another, bumblebee, ball python. Once the new girl is around 1500-2000 grams, would be be ok to put them all together?

  2. #2
    Royal Morphz Maker Royal Morphz's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-20-2008
    Location
    West Covina,CA
    Posts
    2,674
    Thanks
    1,734
    Thanked 622 Times in 470 Posts
    Images: 5

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    Can they yes, do most recommend it no. Housing multiple BP's together creates numerous problems 1 being a feeding issue. Bps are nervous feeders so if you remove them before feeding they may not eat also feeding them and then moving them is a no no that can cause a BP to regurgitate their meal and can stress out the snake. At no time shoulf you feed 2 or more snakes together that could be very bad.
    Tim Johnson

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2010
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    They are fed in a different tank, where they remain for a few hours before they are re-introduced into the large tank. At this time, they also get cleaned with a warm cloth (which they love).
    Over the past 10 years with these 2 snakes, we've had good feeding periods and bad, but they are healthy and could probably go 6 months without eating and remain healthy. I'm hoping to get the new girl nice and large (1500-2000 grams) before putting them together. I feel, at that point, they'll be less stressed... and if they do get stressed, it'll buy me 6 months to get them 'un-stressed'....

    thoughts?

  4. #4
    in evinco persecutus dr del's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-20-2006
    Location
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Posts
    24,527
    Thanks
    9,263
    Thanked 6,788 Times in 4,306 Posts
    Images: 93

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    Hi,

    When I first joined I too kept a few snakes in one large enclosure and it took a good while for people to talk me into trying one snake one cage.

    I will never go back to multiple BP's in the same enclosure again.

    Since you are going to have to use at least two enclosures in order to get your new snake up to size and to stand a chance at having even basic quarantine proceedures I really would suggest you try adding another and keeping all the animals seperate.

    This also means you can feed in their enclosure to try that out at the same time.

    Once they have settled into their new routines I don't think you will go back either.

    Also if you cut the food down to small rats every 7 days you should find that ( in conjunction with the new housing situation ) their feeding record improves dramatically - I know mine did.

    You also have a lot more ability to observe each animal to check for problems and have a great deal more control about the whole breeding thing.


    dr del
    Derek

    7 adult Royals (2.5), 1.0 COS Pastel, 1.0 Enchi, 1.1 Lesser platty Royal python, 1.1 Black pastel Royal python, 0.1 Blue eyed leucistic ( Super lesser), 0.1 Piebald Royal python, 1.0 Sinaloan milk snake 1.0 crested gecko and 1 bad case of ETS. no wife, no surprise.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to dr del For This Useful Post:

    Kyle@theHeathertoft (08-14-2010)

  6. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2010
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    what are the pros and cons though?? Say I choose to follow through with them being in the same tank a year from now. What bad things could happen? I have heard people say it may become stressed and wont feed properly. other then that, what are the negatives?

  7. #6
    in evinco persecutus dr del's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-20-2006
    Location
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Posts
    24,527
    Thanks
    9,263
    Thanked 6,788 Times in 4,306 Posts
    Images: 93

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    Hi,

    Well there are a few possible problems.

    Stress through competition for resources ( hot spots, hides etc ) this is quite subtle to our eyes but can have a major effect on the snakes themselves in regards to appetite and immune system.

    Illness and cross contamination. If one snake becomes sick then there is a greater chance that all snakes will become sick - and even if they don't you will probably need to treat all of them to prevent it which means triple the vets bills.

    If one snake regurges or has a worrying stool how do you find out which one it is?

    Cannibalism it happens.

    Breeding complications. One school of thought says that a female who is not in condition will not breed. But one who is just up to weight/ condition would be more likely to do better in the long term if she was given an extra year - this is easy to do in single snake housing but impossible in mixed housing. I've never seen a snake chastity belt.

    And, to be somewhat blunt, if you are willing to spend the money on a female bumblebee you should definately not want to keep it in a substandard environment.

    And, just to be clear, from the snakes point of view there are no pros - the only pro is you might save a little money. But to be honest if you build your own rack you wouldn't be saving all that much money at all by keeping them together.


    dr del
    Last edited by dr del; 08-14-2010 at 02:16 PM.
    Derek

    7 adult Royals (2.5), 1.0 COS Pastel, 1.0 Enchi, 1.1 Lesser platty Royal python, 1.1 Black pastel Royal python, 0.1 Blue eyed leucistic ( Super lesser), 0.1 Piebald Royal python, 1.0 Sinaloan milk snake 1.0 crested gecko and 1 bad case of ETS. no wife, no surprise.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to dr del For This Useful Post:

    Kyle@theHeathertoft (08-14-2010)

  9. #7
    BPnet Veteran Bellabob's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-08-2010
    Location
    TX
    Posts
    478
    Thanks
    6
    Thanked 63 Times in 51 Posts

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    I think so, I have heard of people dong that. Just make sure you don't put a male with a male.

  10. #8
    BPnet Lifer mainbutter's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-30-2008
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Posts
    5,690
    Thanks
    269
    Thanked 1,374 Times in 1,053 Posts
    Images: 7

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    It can be done, but to do it 'right' requires way more space, time, and money than you'll be interested in.

    a 55 gallon tank with proper heating, a few hides, a water bowl, and substrate doesn't come close to providing enough variety in an enclosed environment for the snakes to avoid each other if they chose to do so.

  11. #9
    Registered User Kyle@theHeathertoft's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-17-2009
    Location
    Muskegon, Mi
    Posts
    258
    Thanks
    93
    Thanked 50 Times in 43 Posts

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    Tanks suck. I love my tubs. SERIOUSLY. I will never go back to tubs and will never house snakes together unless they're temporarily paired for breeding. SO much easier to take proper care of everybody.
    1.1 Mojave BP ("Caffè Macchiato;" name pending)
    1.0 Cinnamon BP ("Jayne")
    1.0 Pastel BP ("Elliot")
    0.1 Normal BP ("Biscotti")
    0.1 Spider BP (name pending)
    0.1 Apricot Pueblan Milksnake ("Bowline")
    1.0 Dumeril Boa ("Julien")
    0.1 Super-Dwarf Reticulated Python ("Temperance")

  12. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2010
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Re: Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

    thanks everyone for your opinions. I've decided that I'm going to stick with the 2 that I have and leave it at that. I realize a rack and tub system is the best, but I enjoy having a tank that mimics the wild environment. They have plenty of space to hide, the entire tank is full of them. I built an acrylic top for it, and it helps me keep the humidity exactly where I want it, within 1 or 2 %, from room RH to 100%. The snakes really don't seem to be bothered, and aside for when she is preggo, both snakes always eat, and LOVE to eat. For now I'm going to stick with just these 2, but maybe one day I'll get the third and leave updates on here on how they are doing with feeding etc. Once again, Thanks for your help!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1