sharing

[ptunny]

why is it wrong to put two (or more ) snakes if they are the same size and type, provided they get along in one enclosure surley they need company of thier own kind sometimes besides breeding?

[jason221]

They may appear to get along if they are "snuggled up together", but really they are just competing for the best hiding spot or one is asserting dominance over the other. Also, one may get stressed out and not eat. If one gets sick, most likely the other will get sick. If one regugitates, unless you see it happen, you don't know who it was and do not know who to treat. If one escapes, the other will likely follow the first one's escape route.

Snakes are solitary creatures, and they'd rather be left alone.

[ptunny]

then why when i have my corns out they always stay together even if i get one out and leave the tank open the other one comes out and goes on my lap with the other one ?why

[Spaniard]

This topic always seems to come up in one way or another. Along with the stated reasons above snakes do not have emotions or social needs like we humans due. Often humans get their own emotions intertwined with the snake and in the end do the snake more harm than good. Like I've said in other posts the emotional relationship with a snake is one way...we love them...they think we're gonna eat them, its that simple. Ball Pythons have in rare instinces shown to be canabalistic, if you think a mouse regurge is gross you should see a snake regurge...yuck!

[Spaniard]

then why when i have my corns out they always stay together even if i get one out and leave the tank open the other one comes out and goes on my lap with the other one ?why

I don't own any corns but I would venture to say because you're the warmest thing around.

[Shaun J]

Snakes don't need or want any company.

How are you going to know who threw up? How are you going to know who has parasites?(Runny poop) Why would you stress them out by putting them together?

Snakes are solitary and do NOT cuddle up, they are both trying to get the same spot.

[ptunny]

who amongt us handle thier snakes whatever the variety and if so why ?

[frankykeno]

Paul, think of it this way. How in the world would you begin to determine if the snakes "get along". One hasn't eaten the other...yet?

I can tell you that we often take our BP's out of their seperate enclosures in pairs...one for me...one for the hubby to handle. We've put them down near each other, watching to see how they interact without our interference. I can tell you without fail they either totally ignore each other, one freezes in what appears to me a fearful/defensive posture, or they simply slither over each other and go about their business. We've never seen indicators that would show that given the chance they really want to interact at all other than to satisfy the need to reproduce.

We normally just handle the snakes seperately and do not allow the above to happen, as human interaction is quite stressful enough without the added stress of another snake in close proximity.

Remember snakes are neither pack nor herd animals. They probably have never evolved a need to be together for either safety or to hunt down prey as a "team".

[Spaniard]

I rarely handle my snakes, partly because I don't have time too after I'm done taking care of their necessities and partly because I know it stresses them out. When I do handle them its usually to show someone the snake that otherwise might never see one or would usually be afraid of one. Then there are the times when I just want to hold them for a little while b/c lets face it they're beautiful to look at and amazing to hold. But for whatever reasons I handle I know its for my own satisfaction and not the snakes benefit, which is why I try to limit it. Usually I only handle once a week for maybe 5-10 minutes, if a snake is refusing meals i don't handle at all until they are eating regularly again. To each his own these are my own opinions and feelings on handling.

[Nate]

I too once had this argument. I bought a pair of snakes that were housed together since babies, and figured i'd keep it that way. I was involved in about a 20 page argument on why it's ok to keep them housed together.

Well I had to sell them about a year ago. the female went north east and the male went north west. one year later, I found out the female layed a huge clutch of eggs.

What i'm getting at is I made a mistake housing them together. I could have bred them and had new babies, but since i housed them together they didn't do anything.

The best thing to do is give each ball python its own enclosure. If you're thinking "I can't afford another tank"...don't use tanks. Rubbermaids do a better job.