Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapphire7
But at the petstore you cannot deny the snakes are not stressed. They are underfed and dehydrated, all shoved in one small tank and have only one half log all compete and shove themselves in there and only fed once a week on small mice. :(
i'm not trying to argue with you about this , but i do wish you would specify a specific petshop as aposed to just a general reference to petshops . granted there are alot of petshops out there that are like you state , but there are also alot of petshops out there that do care about the animals they sell and do take proper care of them . i work at a petshop myself and our animals are kept in the best possible conditions . we quarentine our animals on arrival and wont sell any animals that are not healthy and eating regularly . our reptile department has a staff of 10 to 12 experienced herpers most of whom have been keeping and or breeding retiles of all kinds for years or are young people with a true interest in reptiles and a desire to learn more . we also try our best to make sure the people who come in to buy a reptile know exactly what they are getting into with whatever animal they choose .
sorry for the rant , but i just see to many people out there that throw all petshops into the same catagory regardless of the facts . sapphire , this was not aimed at you , i have had this building for a while .
as far as housing snakes of any kind together , i'm against it for the reasons already stated . the only exception to this i can think of is for breeding purposes . just my 2 cents worth , thanks for letting me blow off some steam .
Re: Ball python cannibalism
That i just sad. I wonder if the one that ate the other one, was still alive, was put down, or died after eating that huge meal..? At any rate, I think it's actually a great set of pictures, to show people why housing together is bad (except for breeding, of course..)
This is just my uneducated-about-BP-cannibalism guess; maybe it was 2 males that had started fighting..?
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapphire7
But is there actual proof that says snakes will eat others if they are stressed out?
Yes, it's been documented. There's an old copy of Reptiles and Amphibians Magazine that actually published an article about the relationship between stresss and cannibalism in ball pythons (the pictures above are scanned images from that article) ... Also, I'm fairly certain that Ross goes over the relationship between stress and cannibalism in "The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons & Boas"
-adam
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Sorry I dont want another debate if I name a specific petshop. But all the ones I've ever went to did house snakes together and if you are a bird expert like myself (had more birds than I can think of) and if you went into any petshop sometimes it makes you want to cry. I try not to visit the birds, and snake areas. I love to visit the rat and squeak at them They'll stop what they're doing and look at me, SOO CUTE! But Im sure there are few petstores out there that actually care for their snakes like they should.
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginevive
This is just my uneducated-about-BP-cannibalism guess; maybe it was 2 males that had started fighting..?
Nope, male to male combat in ball pythons is a ritual directly tied to breeding ... not so much a "fight" as a "contest" ... and nothing that would ever end in cannibalism.
-adam
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki
Yes, it's been documented. There's an old copy of Reptiles and Amphibians Magazine that actually published an article about the relationship between stresss and cannibalism in ball pythons (the pictures above are scanned images from that article) ... Also, I'm fairly certain that Ross goes over the relationship between stress and cannibalism in "The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons & Boas"
-adam
Hmm. Interesting. Im sorry if I sound like a complete dwit sometimes but I never thought they'd eat when stressed. Sounds like they're becomming more and more human to me. LOL. But what if they are completely full would they still kill and try to eat when stressed?
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapphire7
But is there actual proof that says snakes will eat others if they are stressed out? Im not doubting you and will never attempt to house my snakes together. But at the petstore you cannot deny the snakes are not stressed. They are underfed and dehydrated, all shoved in one small tank and have only one half log all compete and shove themselves in there and only fed once a week on small mice. :(
What more proof do you want? Here's a pictures of two snakes that were obviously being housed together and one decided to eat the other one. Even if the chances are 1 in a million of this happening, anyone who gives two flips about the welfare of their animals would be convinced that housing them together is not worth it.
Do you happen to house any of your snakes together????
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapphire7
completely full would they still kill and try to eat when stressed?
Yes ... "full" is not a concept that applies in this case.
-adam
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapphire7
Hmm. Interesting. Im sorry if I sound like a complete dwit sometimes but I never thought they'd eat when stressed. Sounds like they're becomming more and more human to me. LOL. But what if they are completely full would they still kill and try to eat when stressed?
Read what Adam posted above. Hunger is irrelevent. Stress is the factor here.
Re: Ball python cannibalism
Rant on
It amazes me the people that dismiss the experience of long time keepers and still insist on housing together because their snakes are the exception and "love" each other and cuddle. Boggles the mind. Even AFTER seeing the pictures like above and they still think they know better than all the combined experience out there.
Rant off
