I'm new without a clue about snake eggs, help!

OMG! Wilson ATE Del! I appologize for (some) of my previous posts BUT some of you have to admit you have been closed minded about this two snake in a tank and owe me a appology as well. In case anyone is wondering, they are not in a 20 gal tank. I understand you guys are trying to help me and that is all fine and good, but my snakes are doing very well, staying active and happy with their lives. You could say I was putting human emotions on a snake--sorry didn't realize not everyone looked at animals as individuals and not just 'pets' like I do. They need love and attention just like a dog or a cat would--or another human. They can not be bought, shoved into a tank and assume they will be happy. Even thought they are wild animals (in heart) they still need to feel a warm body--to not just be owned. A person should have a snake b/c they want it, not just so they can say they own one. And for the person that assumed I would throw the eggs away, I'm new to eggs, not an idiot. I appreciate all the support and people assuming my snakes are going to die. I'll let you know when everything is back to normal in my land and my snakes are fine. You can't tell me that each and every one of you have hatched sucessfully every time--that you didn't do something wrong. But anyway, I will shut up now, thank you for all the wanted, and unwanted information.


Lyndsey

p.s.--all my snakes eat live prey

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Originally Posted by beastmistress

But anyway, I will shut up now, thank you for all the wanted, and unwanted information.

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You mean, NEEDED information...

See what I don't get. Is that people should be wanting to listen to learn about how they can make their animals have a better life.I would listen to everybody, especially since its going to give my snakes a better life. Hard headed people...

:confuzd: :soapbx:

Being that Adam's not here, let me try to fill in for him...

"Wow"

and

"Good luck with that!"

:D

Snakes aren't cats, dogs or people. They don't need emotional warmth, happy thoughts or cuddles! They *need* good husbandry.

You are right that people shoould keep snakes because they want to* but realise that all the emotional stuff is one sided - anything else is anthropomorphism.


You may class this advice as unwanted, but it is good advice, given by people with decades of BP experience - if you truly love your snakes you should think long and hard about why you react so defensively to well meaning, friendly (and true!) help.

(*wanting to isn't enough IMO - you owe any animal a duty of care)

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Originally Posted by beastmistress

p.s.--all my snakes eat live prey

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I won't argue this part of our post. Even though you thought that would "shock" us, most people here do both live an F/T.

:fishslap:

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Being that Adam's not here, let me try to fill in for him...

"Wow"

and

"Good luck with that!"

:D

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BINGO!!! ;)

You can lead a horse to water.....................................

I've been avoiding this thread like the plague, but I really feel compelled to just add my :twocents:

I personify my snakes all the time. I talk to them even though they can't hear me, I cuddle them, I love them to bits as members of my family. They're good for me, and I believe I'm good for them. They aren't just specimens or pretty decorations or trophies. They're living breathing creatures whom I love very much. I totally understand where you're coming from.

That said, I actually don't believe any species of snake should be housed more than one to an enclosure except briefly for breeding purposes. I have several reasons for that. We're not being cold or unsympathetic to your snake's psychological needs, I promise.

First, if one snake gets sick then the chances of the other getting sick is lessened considerably. If someone regurges when you're not home, or has something wrong with his fecal droppings, you'll know for sure which one it was. If they're sharing an enclosure, you can never be sure and have to
pay to take 2 snakes to the vet instead of one! And buying another enclosure is generally way cheaper than vet bills, believe you me.

Second, snakes are solitary creatures by nature. They don't get lonely or like company. What may look like cuddling together is actually dominance behavior and stresses the snakes, which makes them more succeptable to illness and going off feed, etc. They compete for the "best" spots by
piling on top of each other. So even though they might not be biting each other they're still fighting in a way. Usually one snake ends up being the dominant and more healthy one, and the other is the more submissive and ultimately miserable snake. And I like my snakes to be as happy and stress free as possible. My male Blue Beauty is a perfect example of this. It looked like cuddling, but in reality he was being bullied. He's a lot happier now that he has a place to call his own.

And third, but least likely, is the possibility of cannibalism. I've been amazed at how that can happen even with snakes like corns or ball pythons, snakes you'd never expect to eat each other. It's rare, but it can happen even after years of living "happily" together, and I'm an alarmist by nature and prefer to play it safe.

Fourth, unplanned eggs. Sexing can be tricky, so accidents happen.

So, even if you gave them a whole lot of room to run around in you'd likely still find them often in one corner sulking together over who's the top snake, or find you have to take all 3 to the vet over one illness, or very worst case scenerio... find yourself with one very fat snake with somebody else missing. Best case scenerio, the snakes quietly resent each other in the best spots for years and just happen to be good eaters so you never notice a problem.

If something *could* be bad for my snakes, I prefer to avoid the risk altogether. It's safer and easier in the longrun. Vets, like snake book authors, don't always have the most up to date information. That's the beauty of the internet! Information moves so much more quickly, so we can do right by our animals as soon as new things are discovered!

In any case, I just wanted to share from one anthropomorphizing snake mommy to another. I find snakes to be as warm and loving pets as any other, but they speak another language. They're subtle, and hide what's bothering them. Kind of like when I was a kid and wanted my own room but had to share with my little sister. We get along LOTS better now that we live apart! Snakes are like that too, they just can't whine about it like I did.

I think everyone anthropomorphizes their snakes - I certainly do and I love Monty - thats human nature. My point is that you have to remember that is just what it is - snakes don't love you back.

Hey, are they even at their adult size? I would think that if not, it would be very cruel to the female, to have her being bred when not yet fully grown...

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Originally Posted by beastmistress

OMG! Wilson ATE Del!

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hate to say we told you so but WE DID TELL YOU SO.

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I appologize for (some) of my previous posts

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apology excepted.

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BUT some of you have to admit you have been closed minded about this two snake in a tank and owe me a appology as well.

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no, we dont. we tried to help you and you didnt like it so you felt like you were being picked on because you didnt hear what you wanted to hear.

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I understand you guys are trying to help me and that is all fine and good, but my snakes are doing very well, staying active and happy with their lives.

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yeah, they just like to EAT eachother sometimes though.:confused: and how exactly do you know that they're happy with their lives?