2 snanks one tank

heres one for everyone- were getting two ball pythons and one encosure- they have been in the same enclosure since they were bought 4-5 yeats ago. Because we dont atm have two more tubs with heating, we were gonna leave the snakes in that enclosure untill we do. the ppl we are getting them from most likely got them from petco so pretty much they have been together all their life (they are also male and female) they did not tell us if they had eggs before but i would think not, since they would have just now gotten to breeding age ( and also perhaps they are not male and female..) would there still be a danger of aggression in this case?

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Re: 2 snanks one tank

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BP's should be kept 1 per enclosure. As for Snanks, I'm not sure how many of those can live together... :rofl:

Petco is the worse example you could use for correct animal husbandry.
Multiple snakes per enclosure increases the probability of problems significantly. I wouldnt reccomend it. The first snake I ever got was from a pet store and housed with multiple snakes. It ended up having mites, ticks, dehydrated and malnourished.

Just because an animal survives in a certain situation doesnt mean its good for them.

I know someone who survived a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp but I wouldnt reccomend those living conditions to anyone.

Just sayin.

im not suggestion that its a good idea- im just asking weather or not they will be ok for a little while longer in the same enclosure? just untill we get them tubs and heat tape

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Originally Posted by LaFilleClochette

im not suggestion that its a good idea- im just asking weather or not they will be ok for a little while longer in the same enclosure? just untill we get them tubs and heat tape

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If you don't have the proper husbandy, don't take the new snakes on. If for whatever reason you don't have the funds for a couple new tubs, then you don't need new snakes right now. :). Just my .02.

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Originally Posted by minij83

if you don't have the proper husbandy, don't take the new snakes on. If for whatever reason you don't have the funds for a couple new tubs, then you don't need new snakes right now. :). Just my .02.

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x2.

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Originally Posted by LaFilleClochette

im not suggestion that its a good idea- im just asking weather or not they will be ok for a little while longer in the same enclosure? just untill we get them tubs and heat tape

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You answered your own question. They have been "ok" for years, chances are they will be "ok" for a few more days. Just know that you are taking a chance every day you leave them together. Some people get lucky and never have issues, others end up with 1 bigger snake. People on this site tend to get serious about the 1 BP per enclosure. The reason they do is pretty simple. They would much rather harp on you for having two snakes in one cage in an effort to get you to split them up then to post an "I told you so" when you post about your snakes going off food, or much much worse.

Every pet store owner in creation has their ball pythons and corns sharing tanks. And while those animals are often poorly quarantined etc. etc., except in the cases of actual disease and poor husbandly, they generally eat just fine and are, if anything, less stressed by human handling. (Though presumably living in a pet store means they also get handled more than the average ball python.)

Seriously, someone should actually study this. I've seen research on certain species rattlesnakes that share denning space, and prefer to hang with their siblings, even if they've been separated most of their lives.

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Originally Posted by loonunit

Every pet store owner in creation has their ball pythons and corns sharing tanks. And while those animals are often poorly quarantined etc. etc., except in the cases of actual disease and poor husbandly, they generally eat just fine and are, if anything, less stressed by human handling. (Though presumably living in a pet store means they also get handled more than the average ball python.)

Seriously, someone should actually study this. I've seen research on certain species rattlesnakes that share denning space, and prefer to hang with their siblings, even if they've been separated most of their lives.

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Every pet store I have ever been too has atrocious husbandry. Its been my experience that they generally do not eat just fine. I have heard on many occasions that all BP's are force fed, and most BP's I have seen are underweight to severely underweight or have a sign saying not ready for sale. That tells me they just got the snake in and are trying to do the right thing and make sure it eats before they sell it. At my local pet stores I can watch the BP's get skinner week by week. Pet stores should never be used as an example of what to do.

Many snakes species share denning space because secure dens with good temps are hard to find. I do not believe they prefer to hang out with their siblings. I believe the prefer the temp and security and tolerate their siblings. Again what animals will do in the wild is not necessarily a good rule of what they should do in your home. BP's will curl up in a ball and let predators attack their less vital regions. Does that mean its ok to leave a live rodent unattended in their cage? After all in the wild they get bit and survive just fine.

Evidence of social networking in rattlesnakes: Sibling Recognition

Yes, I know it's just one paper, but I'm in a hurry....

EDIT: Oops, the above link doesn't allow non-members to read the full article. Here's a place where you can: Yay.