Two snakes one tank?

[Riv]

Okay, so my Female normal is about almost 8 months old. I plan to get a male spider between april and march. My fiance suggested keeping both snakes in one 75gallon tank. Granted they are very large and in my opinion would be more than enough room for two ball pythons. especially because males dont get quite as large. There would be multiple hides of course just in case they didnt want to be around each other. And by the time I get the spider Ill more than likely have the appropriate technology to facilitate a breeding should it occur(though both will still be fairly young). My concern lies in if there would be any danger to either snake having them together all the time. I know there is a chance that it will take a toll on their respective libido, but they wont actually try to hurt each other will they? Another concern is egg binding. The female would only be 12 or 13 months old when he would be introduced(Though he will be introduced at a fairly young age himself so I think by the time the male is sexually maturing she would be pretty close to ready herself) I just thought Id fish for thoughts. See if anyone else had done or tried this and what the result was. Thanks!

[snakesRkewl]

Maybe take some time and read some care sheets, keeping them together would be a bad decision IMO
95% of the ball python community will tell you many reasons for not keeping them together...be prepared....

[onedroplet]

Keeping multiple snakes in one cage is never a good idea except for breeding purposes. There are a lot of people out there that may tell you that they have had success in keeping two snakes together and the snakes were happy. Although nothing terrible happened, that does not mean the snakes were “happy.” There are a few major points to consider before keeping two or more snakes in the same enclosure.

First, there is ALWAYS a possibility of cannibalism. With the exception of a few species, it’s not a normal behavior for most snakes to eat other snakes. However, it does happen. I’ve heard so many stories of pet owners coming home and finding one of their snakes missing and the other with a funny bulge in it’s belly. It’s impossible to sit the cage on your desk and force yourself to keep one eye on email and online bingo and another on the snakes inside the cage, twenty-four hours a day: eventually, something may happen, and if they’re kept together, it’s a risk the owner takes. The owners are always shocked because the snakes had been living “happily” together for months, even years. Then all of a sudden one, or both snakes, are dead. You can’t predict it, and you won’t be there to stop it if it happens.

Another reason to house snakes individually is that they are solitary animals. For most species of snakes, they only get together to mate. Then they move on as soon as the deed is done. They don’t like being around other animals, even if they are the same species. It makes them nervous and stresses them out. You must realize that you are forcing this animal to live in captivity. It does not have a choice. It can’t tell you that it doesn’t like it’s roommate. All it can do is accept the conditions you are forcing upon it. Try to make those conditions as comfortable as possible for it. The only reason you have to keep more than one snake in a cage is for your own convenience, or your inaccurate perception that your pet needs a friend. It doesn’t need, nor want any friends.

The last major reason to not keep 2 snakes in an enclosure is that if one gets sick. They both get sick. So if you lose one, you lose both. Not fun.

So please remember that you are doing your animals a great disservice by forcing them to live with other snakes in the same cage. It’s not a comfortable or healthy environment for your pets.

[PitOnTheProwl]

It can be done BUT!!!!!!!!!
If you have one sick snake you will wind up with two..........
One or both might go off feed.............
It could stress one or both............
They need to feed separately.......................
If one regurges, who did it??????????

[PitOnTheProwl]

man I'm running slow again

[Riv]

In all fairness this is exactly why I posted here asking. The google results for keeping two snakes in the same enclosure came back very grey. And Im glad I asked. While all of those facts did occur to me I needed validation that it could potentially go very awry. Thank you for your honesty. And I would SO much rather get yelled at for a thread rather than just do it and come back posting "Well that was an awful idea" Thanks for the advice. Ill follow it. Though I will add droplett, that your post had a lot of assumptions in it that didnt go down so well. While you are very on point and very much so correct it halfway felt like a flaming to me.

[SnakeGirl3]

Though I will add droplett, that your post had a lot of assumptions in it that didnt go down so well. While you are very on point and very much so correct it halfway felt like a flaming to me.

Honestly, it did not sound like flaming to me. Onedroplet was merely pointing out the reasons why people do not house their snakes together, and had it been me, I would have likely worded it the same way. Onedroplet was merely considering the sankes' point of view, which in this case is the only way you can consider this. You asked the question (and I am glad to see you asked this question before you did it), and onedroplet gave you the reasons most ball keepers will give you. Perhaps s/he was more direct that some would have been, but again, had it been me replying, I would have been just as direct. No point beating around the bush about something and causing confusion. Might as well be straight to the point. And s/he didn't verbally attack you personally . . . it was merely pointed out that some people have, in the past, housed two snakes togther with disastrous results.

[Riv]

Youre absolutely right. You have my apologies droplett. I know its no excuse, but just before I posted I found out that I had lost my job, and I wasnt in a very good state of mind, taking anything and everything offensively. I am very sorry for my negative reaction to sound advice. statement 100% retracted.

[onedroplet]

It's all good.... sorry if it came across to you as i was yelling or being mean in anyway.... definately was not my intention... sorry to hear about your job

[Riv]

Thanks. I appreciate it. It was a real messed up situation. I should really be happy I dont have to deal with it anymore. Ive got some interviews coming up so hopefully it works itself out quickly. But I really appreciate that you arent holding what I said against me. Heres a genuine than you for the advice you gave me