General question on snakes interacting with one another

[elevatethis]

I've been reading a lot of posts and seeing pictures of snakes in the same enclosures. It makes me wonder. It is known that bps are not social creatures, and would generally just prefer to be completely left alone. However, they are also not territorial and don't fight with other ball pythons. They even share very close knit quarters with other snakes with no hostility whatsoever.

What is it about the nature of snakes in regard to this? Even on shows like fear factor, when they have snakes on, they'll have hundreds of snakes just crawling all over each other like it isn't a thing at all...?

[JLC]

It may have something to do with energy conservation. It would take a lot of energy to fight over a particular warm spot or favorite hide...so rather than expend all that energy for an uncertain outcome, they will simply tolerate and curl up with whatever else is there. Male bp's WILL fight each other when they both reach sexual maturity. But overall, snakes tend to be very slow-moving, deliberate creatures. "Fighting" amongst themselves isn't a high priority. ...just the way God made them.

[Marla]

And the way male ball pythons "fight" each other isn't injurious -- it's a matter of the highest head winning, so they stretch and push each other down.

[JLC]

And the way male ball pythons "fight" each other isn't injurious -- it's a matter of the highest head winning, so they stretch and push each other down.

That's cool, Marla! I'd only ever read that they "fight"...not exactly how they went about it.

Of course, there are those snakes that have no qualms about eating other snakes. That may or may not fall into the category of "fighting" but should definitely be considered before ever dropping two snakes into the same container, even temporarily.

[Marla]

Oh, yes, absolutely don't throw a kingsnake in with your cute little corn or what have you. But I wouldn't worry much about one ball python hurting another, just about passing parasites and diseases and such. They just have to "one-up" each other to show dominance.

[Smulkin]

Hehe - tell you what - I even go NEAR our Cali King after having touched ANY other snake he goes nuts snapping at me.

[JLC]

Hehe - tell you what - I even go NEAR our Cali King after having touched ANY other snake he goes nuts snapping at me.

LOL! I can picture the little bugger going into a feeding frenzy with Neph nearby! Kind of like that little chihuahua we all know who gets all fierce around the great dane!