BP living with a venomous snake

[MasonC2K]

Shocked when I saw it but kinda makes sense whe I think about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqFITWQwaAc

Quote from the author:

"The Ball was a gift and currently lives with the Squamiger. They occupy different nitches in the cage but do interact. As I mentioned, the Ball has in the past taken mice right out of the mouth of the Squam. Other than that one incident they get along fine. Many Zoo's are now setting up mixed environments as long as the species get along."

[dr del]

Hmm.


Just sounds damned idiotic to me. Why would this be considered advantageous for either species?


dr del

[joepythons]

Hmm.


Just sounds damned idiotic to me. Why would this be considered advantageous for either species?


dr del

I second this!! Someone should place those people in a cage with a lion and see how the feel .

[Mendel's Balls]

Quote from the author:

"The Ball was a gift and currently lives with the Squamiger. They occupy different nitches in the cage but do interact. As I mentioned, the Ball has in the past taken mice right out of the mouth of the Squam. Other than that one incident they get along fine. Many Zoo's are now setting up mixed environments as long as the species get along."

And what exactly are those two different niches? Looks like they are both eating dead rodents provided by the keeper to me. Kind of hard to even occupy a niche let alone two when you have none of the basic components of a self-sufficient ecosystem in play.

Do these species ranges even overlap in the wild? Is there any chance of the two meeting due to the introduction of one of them as an exotic species?

The fact that the bp stole a rodent from the Squamiger demonstrates quite simplely that they are competitors.

While I could maybe stretch my mind to see a few reasons to house the two together for a controlled experiment, I don't think this is what the the video producer has in mind. Furthermore, such experiments would be crude and are unlikely to meet experimental animal care guidelines.

[jhall1468]

Shocked when I saw it but kinda makes sense whe I think about it.

No it doesn't. Zoo's mix animals that regularly cohabitate... as in, they would comfortable be around each other in the wild. A Ball Python is NOT going to be chilling around a bush viper.

Poor husbandry from someone that doesn't know what he's doing (at the very least, with the ball).

[jhall1468]

Do these species ranges even overlap in the wild? Is there any chance of the two meeting due to the introduction of one of them as an exotic species?

They might overlap, but only barely as BV's are typically found further east than Ghana. However, interaction at that close is unlikely (or if it would occur, would be short-lived) since BV's are aboreal. Suffice to say, the habbitat they share is completely unlike that which may occur in the wild. The quarters are simply too close.

[Mendel's Balls]

They might overlap, but only barely as BV's are typically found further east than Ghana. However, interaction at that close is unlikely (or if it would occur, would be short-lived) since BV's are aboreal. Suffice to say, the habbitat they share is completely unlike that which may occur in the wild. The quarters are simply too close.

Exactly!

[steveo]

i just cant belive what i saw in that vid :eek:

[Earl]

Poor husbandry from someone that doesn't know what he's doing (at the very least, with the ball).

I've seen that guys videos on youtube before and I don't like what he does at all. When he handles his snakes with a hook he appears clumsy and he had one video where he let a Gaboon Viper roam around the room which seemed small and cluttered. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets bit one day.

[MasonC2K]

I assumed by "niche" he meant the BP was ground dweller and the other a tree dweller, thus not competing for the same space. Ican wrap my mind around that idea but I do think feeding them together is a no-no.