Housing balls together?

So I know not to house balls together and will never do it. That said I have friends that have 2 adult balls that have lived together their entire life and if separated go off feed. Then the other day at the pet store I saw this:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/02/8u2ety2u.jpg

If you can't see it, its 3 balls all laying on top of each other heads stacked up. Its really cute actually. Yes I know this is probably for basking/temperature but still makes me think they may like company? What do you think?

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Pet stores do that all the time just to save space. In the wild.. I'm guessing it would happen sometimes, but they generally don't want to be around eachother unless it's breeding time.

Balls in pet stores don't do very well in general. And get ready for a huge long thread about the pangs of co-habitating ball pythons.

I personally don't think balls "like" company or "get sad" if they become separated.

I would say the ones being separated and going off feed are probably going off feed because there is a drastic change in their environment when they are placed in different containers. Balls will go off feed over just about anything. One of mine won't even consider eating if I've opened his bin at all the day before feeding day.

Snakes do not have the parts of the brain responsible for emotions like affection or sadness. They're not physically capable of experiencing those things.

The image shows two snakes both trying to regulate to the correct temps. Basically they will lay on or over each other to find try to get the best place. Pet stores simply cannot follow what a keeper would consider 'reasonable' practices. Quarantine and perfect temps are next to impossible with the reality of running a business.

It is possible to house two snakes together well and safely. It just is not easy. It should be thought of as an advanced method. Skip here does I believe, he has the experience to do so. I would not suggest this as a way to keep snakes but given enough room and enough space hides hot spots and money it can be done. I cannot address your friend as I have no idea about them. It is unfair to judge until we have facts.

I have a friend whom does keep 3 royals together. His enclosure has a full bioactive substrate system, uv lighting, environmental controls that rival any zoo. Temps are perfect and controls are amazing. People will jump on the 3 snakes but with out knowing anything more. In fact it is the largest enclosure I have ever imagined, he and his wife sit in a bench inside it. The three snakes are in a space that is as large a my 'guest' bedroom is.

They are not enjoying the company, they are competing for the best hot spot.

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Originally Posted by Rob

They are not enjoying the company, they are competing for the best hot spot.

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And how, without a shred of doubt, do you know this?

Pure speculation. I have no idea what most of my snakes think most of the time and I've been doing this for a really long time.

Rob you really could be wrong. Being that is a pet shop the snakes are probably competing for a cool spot. ;)


Kite we need pics of that cage. Sounds pretty cool.

Given an enclosure large enough to provide several spots for thermoregulation, more often than not you will find snakes laying on top of each other. Yes, even when provided ample space to bask or cool off on their own, many will still lay with another snake.

Dominance? No. They feed fine, breed fine and are healthy - which is a fairly good indicator that there isn't anything stressful going on.

Again, you can throw out the competing for thermoregulation zones........so what is it?

Let's try this: let's assume that most of what we read on forums regarding snake behavior is based on opinion - not fact. After we embrace this assumption, observe your own animals, their patterns, their movements, their tendencies. Then observe what throws them off or stresses them out.

Then draw your own conclusions.

There have been extensive observations made on captive snake behavior - specifically narrowing down what causes stress in them. Common behaviors that aren't even discussed on the forums were observed over decades of interactions - mainly at zoos.

These observations were not made after reading an Elsevier Journal article or by parroting what someone else on an internet forum stated. They were made by dedicated keepers paying acute attention to the patterns and tendencies of their charges.

Again, if two snakes will choose to share a basking spot when plenty are available, is that competition?

If two snakes can share a basking spot without stressing each other out, is that dominance?

If two snakes can coexist for years without stress, but become stressed when separated, what does that say about their abilities to accept another animals as a part of their environment?

Think and observe folks, don't parrot. Be less concerned about the opinions of others and be more attuned to common sense and the powers of cognitive observation.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Think and observe folks, don't parrot. Be less concerned about the opinions of others and be more attuned to common sense and the powers of cognitive observation.

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Uh huh...sure... and next you'll be expecting what? Inductive as WELL as deductive reasoning?

Is there no end to your madness???

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