Ball python cannibalism

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Originally Posted by Sapphire7

Yeah but we're talking about the snake not actually seeing another snake as food. And if a snake was hungry they may see another snake as food even though its not their regular food srouce, like a anaconda or larger snake eating something they're not use to eating. But.. oh well..

I feel like a prickle in the butt. Thanks for answering my questions:)

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You made a comparison of this to a larger snake eating something they are not used to, such as a human child, when in fact they do normally a varied diet of animals similar in size, so a human child WOULD fall into the scope of what they are "used to". However, that's a seperate issue with no relevence to this discussion.

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Originally Posted by Sapphire7

But what happens if the body heat is warm enough to see?

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Each and every species has a unique "heat signature" ... kind of like a finger print in infra-red ... the heat signature of a reptile that has absorbed heat via it's environment does not register to a animal like a ball python that is imprinted with tens of thousands of years of instincts to know what "prey" looks like ... I love the way steak smells, but I'm not going to eat a napkin that smells like a steak because it was laying on top of a t-bone.

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Originally Posted by Sapphire7

Also you said they will feel stressed because they will feel there is no where to go. What if you have a very long tank and multiple hides and plants?

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Won't work ... the dominate animal will claim the entire space as it's own and screw with the weaker animals anyway.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Sapphire7

Oh I know that. But what about the snake latching on and constricting the child and then attempting to eat the child? Like some very large snakes have in the wild. Anaconda and other large snake dont normally eat child but they do rarely however but its not one of their "foods" was this out of stress?

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Actually, a small child could very well be one of their "foods" ... a small childs movements and heat signature could be close enough to a large rodent like a capybura to entice a giant snake.

-adam

after all we humans are just mammals at the end of the day :)

As far as the question said earlier in the thread about having them in a long tank with multiple hides...Does that have any factor as far as the snakes being less stressed? I have 2 yearly's in a 55gal. I have 3 hides, they are fed every 5 or 6 days (obviously doesn't make a difference in the cannibalism but...) and the temperature and humidity is straight on the mark. Now I plan on getting another 55gal anyways so I'm not trying to promote the idea but...does the large tank with multiple hides and optimum temps and humidity help? How often are these cases heard of?


:snake:

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

but...does the large tank with multiple hides and optimum temps and humidity help? How often are these cases heard of?


:snake:

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Just because you have a larger tank, two balls together can and most likely will stress each other out and cannibalism can happen. I don't know of any published figures of how many reported cases of ball python cannibalism occur, say in the US every year, but knowing that housing two together is stressful and can lead to this should be enough to get everyone to house their ball pythons seperately regardless (like you said you were going to do). =)

I hadn't noticed this thread before - those pictures are very WHOA and EWW. Keep'em seperate, folks! :)

I honostly haven't heard of it. I was planning on starting to keep my snakes seperate anyways because I plan on breeding them. I currently have 2 females and plan to get a pastel male this weekend when I go to the tampa expo.
My first reptile show hell yeah!:carrot:

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

I honostly haven't heard of it.

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Well you've heard of it now and seen proof. There are other pictures floating around the internet of ball pythons eating boas, boas eating ball pythons and corn snakes eating corn snakes, just to name a few...

Don't house more than one snake together unless they are breeding! :colbert: :)

I haven't heard of it but I'm not optimistic to it happening.

I am pickin up a 30long this weekend and probably a 20long as well..both from a friend. Anybody in the tampa, florida area in need of baby red tail's my friend has 15 baby's $80 each thats an alright price right? beautiful baby boas

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Anybody in the tampa, florida area in need of baby red tail's my friend has 15 baby's $80 each thats an alright price right? beautiful baby boas

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Try posting this in the "for sale/trade/wanted" forum ;) .