a few questions

can you have 2 ball pythons together? is it a bad idea to do this? and if it isnt a bad idea how big of an enclosure would you need for 2ball pythons to live together comfortably?

i have one ball python at the moment and he/she is awesome and he is in a small enclosure at the moment but was looking to upgrade him eventually to something a little bigger as he seems to love exploring and climbing all over his/her current enclosure

but had put thought into if it was possible to have mulitple together and not and figured what better place to find out than to ask here.

thanks

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...r/IMAG0071.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...r/IMAG0072.jpg

I wouldnt recommend it

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...g+ball+pythons

I wouldn't recommend it for any newer keeper either.

BTW I found those analog thermometers are wildly inaccurate for measuring temps and humidity levels.

Nobody here is going to suggest you do that. I'm not currently suggesting you do that.

You COULD do that, though.

If you do, make sure the snakes are the same gender and that there are more hiding spots so they can keep away from each other when they want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...g+ball+pythons

I wouldn't recommend it for any newer keeper either.

BTW I found those analog thermometers are wildly inaccurate for measuring temps and humidity levels.

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ya since that picture i have upgraded to digital versions, in that picture the round one didnt even work i just left it in there cause he loved climbing on it lol

ok so i wont put 2 together, but now 1 more question i was reading in places that to big of an enclosure can stress out a ball python and i wanted to upgrade him to an exo-terra that is 36x18x18 pretty soon he is about 16 inches at the moment would this cage be alright for him and any idea how long this will work for him?

thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mantra

ya since that picture i have upgraded to digital versions, in that picture the round one didnt even work i just left it in there cause he loved climbing on it lol

ok so i wont put 2 together, but now 1 more question i was reading in places that to big of an enclosure can stress out a ball python and i wanted to upgrade him to an exo-terra that is 36x18x18 pretty soon he is about 16 inches at the moment would this cage be alright for him and any idea how long this will work for him?

thanks

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My mind doesn't think in length (unless speaking of giants or boas) so how many grams is he right now? From the pics you posted that cage looks very big and open for him already.

Most of the answers here are going to be "no".

Is it possible? Sure it is! But it isn't going to be a cake walk either.

Let me start first by addressing your current setup.

It looks pretty good, but I see you are using those stick on circle thermometers. Let me be the one to tell you that they are garbage. Throw them away. They are seriously useless. Go out and get some digital thermometers with probes. If you don't want to pay pet store prices (I don't blame you) then head to the home depot, lowes, or walmart and look in their indoor/outdoor thermometer section for a basic probed thermometer. Accurite is a popular brand.

Ball pythons are heavy bodied ground dwellers. While the babies will enjoy an occasional climb, adults don't really do any climbing. They aren't very good at it either and will often fall.

The size of your cage looks enormous for a baby ball python. They actually prefer tight cramped spaces because it mimics their natural environment: Abandoned rodent burrows and termite mounds. I find that my ball pythons do better in smaller enclosures. Not super tiny, but just enough room for a couple hides, water bowl, and a little extra wiggle room.

Your snake climbing around might actually be a sign of stress. A happy ball python is a hiding ball python. I rarely see my snakes move during the day, and sometimes I don't even see them move at night! They hide 99% of the time and they eat and poo regularly. I'd say they are happy!


Alright, back to cohabitation. Yes, it can be done, but there are some things to consider before doing so. You need a big tank (which I assume you are prepared for) but along with this big tank is the need to control the heat in humidity of a very large space. This can be very difficult, especially for new owners. Not to mention cleaning said tank would be a chore. I personally hate cleaning tanks.

If you plan on getting another snake to house with your current one, you need to have an adequate quarantine period to ensure the health of the new animal and to make sure it won't infect your current snake. This can be anywhere from 1 month to a year depending on opinion and preference. This means you will need an extra house for the new snake anyway.

Once they are together, you need to watch them very carefully for the first few weeks. Look for signs of stress, track eating, shedding and weight. Poop would be very hard to track unless you catch them in the act. Remember, roaming constantly is a sign of stress. If the snake is eating regularly (and enough) and is still roaming, it is probably stressed out from being in such close proximity to another snake.

These are not social animals. They don't "enjoy" company from others of their species. I assure you they are much happier on their own.

Cohabitation is a big decision. Don't take it lightly and be prepared for the worst. My personal opinion is that ball pythons should be housed separately. Not everyone shares that opinion, but there is a good reason why the vast majority agree with me.

I hope you enjoyed my essay XD

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mantra

ya since that picture i have upgraded to digital versions, in that picture the round one didnt even work i just left it in there cause he loved climbing on it lol

ok so i wont put 2 together, but now 1 more question i was reading in places that to big of an enclosure can stress out a ball python and i wanted to upgrade him to an exo-terra that is 36x18x18 pretty soon he is about 16 inches at the moment would this cage be alright for him and any idea how long this will work for him?

thanks

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The cage you have now is suitable for your snake for at least another year, maybe more. In my opinion, a 3' cage is overkill for a ball python that spends 99% of its time in its hides.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

My mind doesn't think in length (unless speaking of giants or boas) so how many grams is he right now? From the pics you posted that cage looks very big and open for him already.

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i will have to find a way to weigh him when i get home, but reason i was planning to change is wife wanted to put her turtle in that one and figured i might be able to get him into a bigger one since he is always exploring and figured he would need a bigger one eventually anyway lol, but then I read the whole stress issue with to big of an enclosure and didnt want to do it if its gonna cause issues

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mantra

i will have to find a way to weigh him when i get home, but reason i was planning to change is wife wanted to put her turtle in that one and figured i might be able to get him into a bigger one since he is always exploring and figured he would need a bigger one eventually anyway lol, but then I read the whole stress issue with to big of an enclosure and didnt want to do it if its gonna cause issues

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I have a little kitchen digital scale to weigh my snakes, it was only ~$18 at Walmart.

You say he's always out exploring: that may be a sign that he's stressed out and/or hungry. What sized feeder and you feeding him and how often? What are his ambient cage temperatures and his hot side/cold side direct temps? Is his cage in a high traffic area of your house?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I have a little kitchen digital scale to weigh my snakes, it was only ~$18 at Walmart.

You say he's always out exploring: that may be a sign that he's stressed out and/or hungry. What sized feeder and you feeding him and how often? What are his ambient cage temperatures and his hot side/cold side direct temps? Is his cage in a high traffic area of your house?

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i keep the hot side in the low 90's cool side in the low 80's, i feed him one a week, a live mouse from what i read it should be about as thick as his thickest part so i try and size it out as close to that and hes never had a problem eating 1st time i fed him a live mouse i was actually nervous cause i heard if he wasnt used to live he might suck at it but as soon as the mouse walked infront of his hide he had that mouse wrapped up and was swollowing it down shortly after lol

i guess the cage might be in what would be a high traffic area if my house had much traffic lol, but if thats is the problem that will change soon as im planning to move him into the spare room soon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mantra

i keep the hot side in the low 90's cool side in the low 80's, i feed him one a week, a live mouse from what i read it should be about as thick as his thickest part so i try and size it out as close to that and hes never had a problem eating 1st time i fed him a live mouse i was actually nervous cause i heard if he wasnt used to live he might suck at it but as soon as the mouse walked infront of his hide he had that mouse wrapped up and was swollowing it down shortly after lol

i guess the cage might be in what would be a high traffic area if my house had much traffic lol, but if thats is the problem that will change soon as im planning to move him into the spare room soon

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Do you have your digital thermometer with a probe over the hot side? Or how are you measuring direct temps? Are you using an UTH or a heat bulb? If an UTH is it regulated by a thermostat?

If he's eating once a week without refusals that's good, usually stressed balls will go off feed. Maybe you can offer him more cover to see if he calms down? I personally think excessive roaming is a sign of some sort of stress, so maybe for him to calm he needs more foliage to hide in. I use lots of fake plants, but something as simple as crumpled up newspaper can be used too. Also I suggest blacking out the back three sides with construction paper to make it more cave-like, he might feel like he's pretty out in the open with the high transparent walls. Looking at your hides too I like having two identical hides so my snakes can thermo-regulate themselves without favoring a particular hide, I suggest getting two very cave-like hides for the hot and cold side (ie none of those half logs that they sell in stores, but an almost enclosed hide). I use plastic bowls with little entrances cut out of them from Walmart for $1 for 4, and they work great too.

These are just suggestions to maybe give your ball some more security so he's not roaming so much.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Do you have your digital thermometer with a probe over the hot side? Or how are you measuring direct temps? Are you using an UTH or a heat bulb? If an UTH is it regulated by a thermostat?

If he's eating once a week without refusals that's good, usually stressed balls will go off feed. Maybe you can offer him more cover to see if he calms down? I personally think excessive roaming is a sign of some sort of stress, so maybe for him to calm he needs more foliage to hide in. I use lots of fake plants, but something as simple as crumpled up newspaper can be used too. Also I suggest blacking out the back three sides with construction paper to make it more cave-like, he might feel like he's pretty out in the open with the high transparent walls. Looking at your hides too I like having two identical hides so my snakes can thermo-regulate themselves without favoring a particular hide, I suggest getting two very cave-like hides for the hot and cold side (ie none of those half logs that they sell in stores, but an almost enclosed hide). I use plastic bowls with little entrances cut out of them from Walmart for $1 for 4, and they work great too.

These are just suggestions to maybe give your ball some more security so he's not roaming so much.

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i use these http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...hermometer.htm let me know if theres a reason this would be bad.

but dont get me wrong hes not always moving around i guess i might of used to strong of a description as most of the day he is in his hide just especially later in the evening ill catch him for a bit come out and climb around the cage and well being new to snakes i actually thought maybe he needed a bigger space lol but i guess its actually closer to the opposite lol....

i actually don't think he prefers one side to the other he moves over freely but i did switch out the log on the right since then to more of a cave hide closer to the tree hide on the left

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mantra

i use these http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...hermometer.htm let me know if theres a reason this would be bad.

but dont get me wrong hes not always moving around i guess i might of used to strong of a description as most of the day he is in his hide just especially later in the evening ill catch him for a bit come out and climb around the cage and well being new to snakes i actually thought maybe he needed a bigger space lol but i guess its actually closer to the opposite lol....

i actually don't think he prefers one side to the other he moves over freely but i did switch out the log on the right since then to more of a cave hide closer to the tree hide on the left

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I don't have experience with that particular thermometer, I just use the Accurite thermometers so maybe more can chime in to the Zilla one.

If he's not constantly roaming during the daytime and whatnot then he sounds normal - almost all of my snakes are more active in the evenings too.