I'm really upset...

[Carlene16]

Someone I know through a friend just explained to me that they have 2 ball pythons and one corn snake. I thought well oh, I'll ask a few questions to see how she's doing on her husbandry.

Well as it turns out she keeps ALL THREE, the 2 balls, AND the corn in a 150 gallon tank.

UGH.

I told her she should definitely separate them all from each other, as it could REALLY stress them all out.

this was her response...

"the balls actually really like each other lol they like to be together. and the corn sleeps on the opposite side of the tank they dont bother each other. i did a lot of research before attempting this lol i was worried but it actually works out. the tank is 6 feet long and they all have plenty of room and pretty much stay out of each others way but the balls sleep together."

I don't know how to explain to her nicely that she really needs to change this setup. I did send her the link to this website though

[JLC]

While it's certainly not an ideal situation....it's not a disastrous one, either. There are more risks, of course...but if they have decent temps...hides...humidity...and are fed regularly..... I wouldn't get TOO upset about it.

If you PM me your mailing address, I'll shoot you out a few BP.net brochures that have a full BP caresheet included on them and you can give one to her. And maybe she'll read it...maybe she'll check out the site. Or maybe she won't. The best we can do is offer up the best advice we know...then don't push it. Trying to force it on anyone usually just makes them even more defensive and less likely to want to change.

[Carlene16]

Thank you I know I shouldn't get too upset, but I just know it's not right.
It's just something that I personally look down upon, but I definitely want to be informative, and not criticize her.

I just hope she takes my advice.

[Akren_905]

If you send her a care package of info from a site like this one i think she will listen. Or one day sneek over with 2 peices of plexi glass same dimensions of the tanks inside and make 3 seperate tanks.

[dembonez]

id think the corn would be stressed more than anything

[Carlene16]

She said she will eventually separate the corn from the balls. That is at least a start!

I agree, the poor corn must be really stressed out. And it makes me wonder if they have the right temps, because corns and balls require a slight difference in temps. Well, I think I am going try to talk to her more. She said she wanted another corn, and I said please no, get another tank.

[Powerspythons]

I would tell her to remove her head from her buttocks, put it back on her shoulders, insert a non-ditzy brain...and realize that snakes only like to be togeather when they are going to mate. I mean I can understand housing two snakes of the same species togeather, like the two balls, but a corn with two ball pythons?! Thats just rediculous...

Just my 2cents

[don15681]

she can't hear you until she removes her head, like the above post said. people do keep more than one snake in a enclosure, not a good thing. the 2 balls that are getting along soooo well with each other. NOT, the one on top is showing dominants to the one on the bottom for that one spot in the tank. the one on the bottom is dealing with stress that could be avoided.

[Austin236]

Some people are... how can i put this?....Special! seems to sum it up nicely.

[loonunit]

I agree: I'd get the poor corn out of there. He/she might adjust eventually, and at least there's space to get away from the pythons, but cross-species housing usually does stress everybody out. And there's the potential for diseases to cross, and I can't stop thinking that corns fit pretty neatly inside ball python stomachs.

The balls, I wouldn't worry too much. Make sure she's feeding them separately, and that there's adequate warm and cool hides. (I'm also worried that the balls aren't warm enough, because corns have much lower temperature requirements.)

But they'll probably be okay in there together, as long as they're fed separately. And when they get big they'll like having the space. They'll only use it maybe one hour a day, but that's ball pythons for you...