Oooppps! I housed two balls together!!!

Wow, don't I fell stupid....
My friend gave me her two ball pythons about 5 years ago when they were babies, in the same cage. I was told that they were male and female (never had them probed, although I think I will), and that they are fine together. Of course, I did research on them ,and gave them a beautiful home with proper heating, humidity, water, substrate, ect., but never once did I come across this information about not having 2 together......... so now It's 5 years and about 4 feet later...... what do I do????????

I always thought ::they like eachother:: cause they curl up together and whenever I take them out they go towards eachother. *smacks forehead*

*****For the last week, they haven't been interacting or sleeping together, and I thought something was wrong (thats what brought me here). Then I found out about this.......
Please help, and please please don't critisize me....I don't want to feel any more stupid than I already feel....thanks

found out...?????

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Originally Posted by PJ FF

found out...?????

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Yeah, as in "came across the information." I mean, I'm just guessing here, but it doesn't seem too hard to grasp ahold of the notion.

Well, a quick solution is to go out to WalMart and get a Rubbermaid or Sterilite tub for one of them, and get it set up as a separate enclosure. I picked up a couple for $8 each. Then I got a $5 solder wand and put ventilation holes in it all around and also got some plastic bowls from the Dollar Store and used the solder wand to melt out a doorway in each bowl (one for warm side, one for cool side) and will be getting flexwatt for the heating and thermostat to regulate the temps. Oh yeah, and I picked up a few $11 AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometers at WalMart too (I'm getting a few more snakes - LOL)

That way you can get them separated. Give the one that goes in the new enclosure time to acclimate to it. I'd recommend getting it set up and regulate the temps and humidity before introducing the snake to it.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Well, a quick solution is to go out to WalMart and get a Rubbermaid or Sterilite tub for one of them, and get it set up as a separate enclosure. I picked up a couple for $8 each. Then I got a $5 solder wand and put ventilation holes in it all around and also got some plastic bowls from the Dollar Store and used the solder wand to melt out a doorway in each bowl (one for warm side, one for cool side) and will be getting flexwatt for the heating and thermostat to regulate the temps. Oh yeah, and I picked up a few $11 AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometers at WalMart too (I'm getting a few more snakes - LOL)

That way you can get them separated. Give the one that goes in the new enclosure time to acclimate to it. I'd recommend getting it set up and regulate the temps and humidity before introducing the snake to it.

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Swing by a dollar store or two in your area, also. They often times have comparable goods, if not identical, at even cheaper prices. Besides, you never know what you'll find at a dollar store that you can use later - I recently filled up a shopping cart with Sterilite shoeboxes, no-name tupperware dishes (for water, feed, etc.) and miscellaneous items for just over $25. I don't use them all now, but the second I may need something, my closet's full of goodies :D

OKay, so Im guessing with your replies that there is no possible way that these 2 snakes have gotten used to eachother, and would be harmed by seperation, and (obviously) benefit from it. I was worried because I got the feeling from them that they were feeling stressed, or something was wrong.


I really appreciate your help guys :O) It's my first time here, and you are very nice (unlike some forums I've been to, who can be nasty!!)
Thanks

Hi!

I'm glad you've realized your mistake and are taking measures to correct it!

Trust me, they won't 'miss' eachother at all when you separate them.

We hope you stick around, and I'm sure everyone would enjoy seeing pics of your babies. ;)

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Originally Posted by adizziedoll

OKay, so Im guessing with your replies that there is no possible way that these 2 snakes have gotten used to eachother, and would be harmed by seperation, and (obviously) benefit from it.

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Seperating the snakes won't cause any harm. While we can't know for sure whether your snakes have some sort of emotional and/or psychological bond with one another, the experienced breeders and hobbyists here will tell you (and on good grounds) that they should be in seperate enclosures entirely. It's been said before that while you do see them "snuggling," you can't really know for sure what's happening while you're sleeping and they're being active at night - snakes dominate their territory, just like dogs or cats, and one of them isn't going to be a happy camper.

Sorry if this bursts your bubble - the experienced people here are constantly bursting the bubbles of us not-so-experienced users :P

lucky for u nothing horrible has happened. they've been known to go hannibal on each other sometimes. like the others have said a sterilite or rubbermaid works great as an enclosure

the best of luck to u and ur snakes!

oh isn't this a great place for information!!! i know i love the way everyone gently tells me what i'm doing "not so right" and then lead me in the "more right" direction :)

welcome to bp :)

in light,
Aleesha

Thank you so much everyone, I am delighted at your patience, kindness, and understanding!

I'm sure I will be here again,
Ginger

ya these ppl rock! They're so nice :)

Everyone makes mistakes! Heck, Lord knows I made my share in the early stages of snake keeping. You have definately come to the right place for understanding people who will help you in the right way. We just appreciate it when some one wants to do the right thing.

Please don't feel stupid, you genuinely didn't know and as soon as you found out you're taking action to correct the problem. Sounds pretty smart to me. :)

Count me among people who make mistakes - I had exactly the same thing with 2 corns I took in from some people who "always kept them together" - and like your BPs they would cuddle up together. My biggest mistake ever was to get a parrot without researching first what they could be like - I was under the (erroneous) impression that if you got a parrot as a hand-reared baby they would always stay that way - boy, did I learn the hard way ... Anyways, welcome to the forum (I'm still relatively new myself) - but these people are great :)

Definately take them to get probed for their sex. Females can be housed with eachother fine, but males with males=NOO!!! and male with female should only be done while mating. Oh, and even housing a female with a female can be risky with the canabalistic factor.
-Colin

Just to be clear ...

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Originally Posted by lucky08

Females can be housed with eachother fine

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... is not true.

-adam

The ONLY time two snakes should be housed together is for mating purposes. Period. No exceptions.

"Oh, and even housing a female with a female can be risky"

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Originally Posted by lucky08

"Oh, and even housing a female with a female can be risky"

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So which is it?

-adam

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Originally Posted by lucky08

Females can be housed with eachother fine [...] housing a female with a female can be risky with the canabalistic factor.
-Colin

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I have an idea here - stop giving advice.

If it's "risky," then it isn't "fine."

ooops..... my bad...... and calm down

We bought two lionhead bunnies a couple weeks ago and thought they were both girls. They can be housed together and like being in pairs, as long as there's two girls or a fixed boy and girl. Well, my wife looked over at their cage the other night and said, "What are they doing?" We now know reason for the saying, "####ing like bunnies".

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Originally Posted by bait4snake

We bought two lionhead bunnies a couple weeks ago and thought they were both girls. They can be housed together and like being in pairs, as long as there's two girls or a fixed boy and girl. Well, my wife looked over at their cage the other night and said, "What are they doing?" We now know reason for the saying, "####ing like bunnies".

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ok, maybe it's because I'm just having too much fun here tonight, but I can't help but think in my head a million different jokes with the subject of why your wife had to ask what the bunnies were doing ... sorry Ken, I'm just twisted like that. :P

-adam

LOL
It was a rhetorical question, and I gave an answer she didn't want to hear either that I didn't want to repeat on the forum... but if you've seen the Southpark when Stan's gay dog went to "kick" the other dog's butt, you'll know.

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Originally Posted by bait4snake

LOL
It was a rhetorical question, and I gave an answer she didn't want to hear either that I didn't want to repeat on the forum... but if you've seen the Southpark when Stan's gay dog went to "kick" the other dog's butt, you'll know.

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LMAO! ... you're good to go Ken ... I like that!

-adam

SPARKY! BAD DOG!

So I guess we're going to have baby lionheads... and for us genetic freaks, one is a double-maned lionhead (homozygous for lionhead so it's really poofy) and the other is single-maned lionhead (heterozygous) so that'll mean hopefully a 50/50 shot of more double-manes!! Don't you love co-doms?

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Originally Posted by bait4snake

SPARKY! BAD DOG!

So I guess we're going to have baby lionheads... and for us genetic freaks, one is a double-maned lionhead (homozygous for lionhead so it's really poofy) and the other is single-maned lionhead (heterozygous) so that'll mean hopefully a 50/50 shot of more double-manes!! Don't you love co-doms?

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You don't even want to know what happened to the last rabbits that I was around. ;)

-adam

Don't be gay Sparky!! Don't be gay!

I know Adam... whenever I walk by them I tease them saying, "Hello my little snake food! If you weren't so cute you'd be dead!"

"Maybe he went shopping for some leather pants" *PUNCH* "OW!"

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

oh isn't this a great place for information!!! i know i love the way everyone gently tells me what i'm doing "not so right" and then lead me in the "more right" direction :)

Aleesha

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I just joined yesterday after leaving redtailboa.net, where the people will critize your opinions in everyway.After only 3 days there, i had enough and someone there told me to come here and it is great so far!