2 Snakes same cage

Wat is the reason for not being able to keep 2 snakes in the same cage???

The number one reply to my same question.... STRESS
I guess stress can cause your snake to go off feeding. And in general not be happy!

1. Cannablism
2. Stress, one snake will dominate the other.
3. If you have one sick snake, you will have 2 sick snakes.
4. If one is male and one is female there is a chance they would mate, if they weren't the proper age and weight the female could die as a result.

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Originally Posted by Air23Jordan

Wat is the reason for not being able to keep 2 snakes in the same cage???

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Snakes are solitary animals. They live alone except to breed. Also, kingsnakes can be canibalistic.

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Originally Posted by Air23Jordan

Wat is the reason for not being able to keep 2 snakes in the same cage???

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Use the search function of the site, there ARE plenty of threads on this exact topic. This is a topic that is "hot" so to speak.


Here are 2 threads to get you started:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...le+snakes+cage

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...le+snakes+cage

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Originally Posted by Air23Jordan

Wat is the reason for not being able to keep 2 snakes in the same cage???

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There are more consequences then rewards associated with keeping two snakes in the same enclosure. Read that thread in the breeding section called "Without a clue about snake eggs". She housed her two "females" together, and got a pile of eggs.

you know this subject was brought up on another forum except for it was a monitor forum where everybody that had snakes kept them in huge display enclosures with multiple snakes per cage. i was trying to explain that they were not supposed to keep them together and one of them brought up an interesting point. has anyone ever seen that movie or seen the link on the internet? i think it was ball pythons in the wild? well they brought up how a large female was found with two smaller males in a burrow but she had already laid her eggs. does anyone know why 3 snakes would be in the same burrow like that if the female had already laid her eggs?

im not saying by any meens to house them together, im just interested in why they were together like that.

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Originally Posted by mr~python

you know this subject was brought up on another forum except for it was a monitor forum where everybody that had snakes kept them in huge display enclosures with multiple snakes per cage. i was trying to explain that they were not supposed to keep them together and one of them brought up an interesting point. has anyone ever seen that movie or seen the link on the internet? i think it was ball pythons in the wild? well they brought up how a large female was found with two smaller males in a burrow but she had already laid her eggs. does anyone know why 3 snakes would be in the same burrow like that if the female had already laid her eggs?

im not saying by any meens to house them together, im just interested in why they were together like that.

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She party's hard, even after she has kids.

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Originally Posted by mr~python

you know this subject was brought up on another forum except for it was a monitor forum where everybody that had snakes kept them in huge display enclosures with multiple snakes per cage. i was trying to explain that they were not supposed to keep them together and one of them brought up an interesting point. has anyone ever seen that movie or seen the link on the internet? i think it was ball pythons in the wild? well they brought up how a large female was found with two smaller males in a burrow but she had already laid her eggs. does anyone know why 3 snakes would be in the same burrow like that if the female had already laid her eggs?

im not saying by any meens to house them together, im just interested in why they were together like that.

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Those two males were there to hide!

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Originally Posted by shhhli

She party's hard, even after she has kids.

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LOL :)

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

Those two males were there to hide!

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i know they could find another whole in the ground other then the one that already had another male and a female.

They had a threesome and fell asleep ;)

My guess is coincidence, I'm sure if you went back a week later those three snakes wouldn't be together anymore. Social animals tend to move and stay in packs all their lifetimes. Wolves, Lions, Elephants etc.

fair enough. ive found rattlesnakes 10 feet from eachother while they were coming out of there winter "dens", which was actually just a large concave rock with a pocket underneath it for shelter. the second one scared the CRAP out ofmy dad and i :rofl:

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Originally Posted by mr~python

i know they could find another whole in the ground other then the one that already had another male and a female.

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Why find another hole when you are already in one?

I have not seen much in the way of research on ball pythons in the wild. It could be a common thing. Who knows!

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

1. Cannablism
2. Stress, one snake will dominate the other.
3. If you have one sick snake, you will have 2 sick snakes.
4. If one is male and one is female there is a chance they would mate, if they weren't the proper age and weight the female could die as a result.

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Spaniard is right on. #4 should be really "could result in unintended pregnancies, which could be unhealthy for the female and may not result in offspring."

The reason why we stick to these rules with our animals in captivity is that we decide how they live and we restrict their living space...it is proven that housing multiple snakes together in captivity causes stress, eating disorders, dominance, and pregnancy.

Case in point, look at Sheree's VBBs. Housed together before they came to Sheree, the female completely dominated the male, who showed many signs of stress, irregular eating habits and it's taking Sheree and Karen a long time to slowly coax the male out of his agressive behavior. At same time, the female was most likely pregnant and has probably reabsorbed the eggs, an unintended and most likely terminated pregnancy which may have been due to cohabitation stress.

Snakes in the wild have much more space to decide where to live...

I'm suprised no one has brought this point up- *Captivity is NOT the wild!*

You can't make fair comparisons between the two. The difference between those three snakes in the hole in the wild is that at any point in time any of them have the free will to leave and find another place if they are choose to. In no way does that observation justify confining 2 snakes in the same cage on a permanent basis. If you put 2 snakes in one cage overnight, sure, nothing may happen. Its the LONG-TERM effects of this practice is what we are concerned about.

But but but Brad, I did say that! *whimper!* :P

We were typing/posting at the same time. I yield full credit to you, cass!

since most of you have no clue of what goes on in the wild, ball pythons are regularly found huddled together in the same hide. when exporters and poachers catch the ball pythons they find them in large or small groups of numerous snakes...regularly. THIS is what makes the business of exporting so lucrative, easy to catch in large numbers, easy to sell in large numbers as well.

but in regards to keeping snakes in captivity, it is much more beneficial to the snake overall health to keep it in its own separate cage because of the many reasons already listed.

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Originally Posted by Slithers

since most of you have no clue of what goes on in the wild, ball pythons are regularly found huddled together in the same hide. when exporters and poachers catch the ball pythons they find them in large or small groups of numerous snakes...regularly. THIS is what makes the business of exporting so lucrative, easy to catch in large numbers, easy to sell in large numbers as well.

but in regards to keeping snakes in captivity, it is much more beneficial to the snake overall health to keep it in its own separate cage because of the many reasons already listed.

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Has this always been the case?

Or is the space available to them decreasing and their population increasing?

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Originally Posted by Slithers

since most of you have no clue of what goes on in the wild, ball pythons are regularly found huddled together in the same hide. when exporters and poachers catch the ball pythons they find them in large or small groups of numerous snakes...regularly. THIS is what makes the business of exporting so lucrative, easy to catch in large numbers, easy to sell in large numbers as well.

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I would like to know where you get your information...

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Originally Posted by mr~python

you know this subject was brought up on another forum except for it was a monitor forum where everybody that had snakes kept them in huge display enclosures with multiple snakes per cage. i was trying to explain that they were not supposed to keep them together and one of them brought up an interesting point. has anyone ever seen that movie or seen the link on the internet? i think it was ball pythons in the wild? well they brought up how a large female was found with two smaller males in a burrow but she had already laid her eggs. does anyone know why 3 snakes would be in the same burrow like that if the female had already laid her eggs?

im not saying by any meens to house them together, im just interested in why they were together like that.

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I think the point is in the wild if one snake is "stressing" another it can leave and go somewhere else. Not possible in captivity.

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

I think the point is in the wild if one snake is "stressing" another it can leave and go somewhere else. Not possible in captivity.

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Already said, thats what I get for not reading it all first. :fishslap:

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Originally Posted by Slithers

but in regards to keeping snakes in captivity, it is much more beneficial to the snake overall health to keep it in its own separate cage because of the many reasons already listed.

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Completely agree.

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Originally Posted by Slithers

since most of you have no clue of what goes on in the wild, ball pythons are regularly found huddled together in the same hide. when exporters and poachers catch the ball pythons they find them in large or small groups of numerous snakes...regularly. THIS is what makes the business of exporting so lucrative, easy to catch in large numbers, easy to sell in large numbers as well.

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Be very careful making these kinds of statements on a message board, especially this one. We are all very weary of where people get their info/experience/etc. You could be a teenager with an internet connection or a expert who's done many studies on ball pythons in the wild and we'd never know the difference.

FYI...most of the ball pythons you claim that are "caught in large numbers" are actually obtained by collecting relatively fewer gravid females from the wild and hatching out her eggs en masse on a ball python "farm." This is what we refer to as CH or Captive Hatched.

Ball pythons may be found in close proximity to one another in the wild, but in no way does that make them a communal species, which, correct me if I'm wrong, your post seems to hint at.

I'm just confused because those two statements you made seem to contradict one another.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I'm just confused because those two statements you made seem to contradict one another.

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No, no...I really like pie. No contradiction there...

*:partyon: parties on with the non-Daytona attendees :banana:*

Where is the contradiction.... or maybe I have not had enough coffee :)

In one breath you said that snakes benefit from being solitary in captivity. The next thing you said about snakes in the wild mentioned how you think that they are found together very often. Maybe you could clarify...

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Originally Posted by cassandra

No, no...I really like pie. No contradiction there...

*:partyon: parties on with the non-Daytona attendees :banana:*

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I'm really starting to want pie..........here I am cleaning Vaughn's tubs while he lives it up at the beach with the ball python world's finest! :irkd:

jp I hope y'all are having fun.....

They are collected from the wild in groups, but for reasons already stated, they are better kept single in captivity.... makes sense to me. Oh well... off to start a pot of coffee :)

How do you know they are collected from the wild in groups?

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

How do you know they are collected from the wild in groups?

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How do you know they weren't? Who's up for Strawberry creame pie and chocolate velvet coffee :)

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

How do you know they weren't? Who's up for Strawberry creame pie and chocolate velvet coffee :)

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I see your velvet coffee and raise you a Kahlua Kream Pie!

BYaaaa!

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Originally Posted by Smulkin

I see your velvet coffee and raise you a Kahlua Kream Pie!

BYaaaa!

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Awesome, maybe we can do a little slice trading..... :fest:

Excellent! To heck with that place in Florida, we gots our own party happenin'!

And Brad, Vaughn owes you big time, methinks.../nod

i agree cass. all us west-coasters should start are own party in vegas every august 28 or whatever date that is:rolleyes: :cool: :partyon:

what? im not jealous!!:psychotic :evileye:

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Originally Posted by mr~python

i agree cass. all us west-coasters should start are own party in vegas every august 28 or whatever date that is:rolleyes: :cool: :partyon:

what? im not jealous!!:psychotic :evileye:

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No, we're all gonna just party down hard at NARBC Anaheim! You comin'? I know Lawrence is coming down for it...

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Originally Posted by cassandra

No, we're all gonna just party down hard at NARBC Anaheim! You comin'? I know Lawrence is coming down for it...

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At least you won't have to worry about hurricanes spoiling the party! :)

The way I figure it is this. What happens in the wild (and since none of us regularily trot over to Ghana and stroll around we don't actually know do we) but whatever happens there makes not one whit of difference.

The fact is we place a living creature, be that a ball python, crested gecko, breeder/feeder rat, whatever in an enclosed environment and hopefully we do that with good research beforehand and a responsible attitude thereafter. That creature is now 100% our responsibility, every day, every minute, for every sip of water it takes and every feeding it consumes. Not when it's convenient or because it's "cool" or we read something on some forum that we didn't bother to verify...every day, every minute we are responsible for it's right to thrive, not just to survive.

Case in point. I keep a breeder/feeder colony of rats. In the wild rats live in garbage dumps, inside walls of abandoned buildings. Does this mean I should let my colony live in filth just because wild rats can survive those conditions. Of course not, I want my rats (as much as the snakes, crestie, etc.) to thrive in our care. So we do our research, we follow the best advice of many people with experience in the area of husbandry we need to know about and we strive provide the best captive life possible for every living thing in our home that is confined by our choice not theirs to a tank or tub.

To do anything less is in my not always very humble opinion, a disservice to the creature and a shame on the human being calling all the shots.

Now did I read something about well brewed coffee and calorie rich food??? :banana:

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Originally Posted by cassandra

No, we're all gonna just party down hard at NARBC Anaheim! You comin'? I know Lawrence is coming down for it...

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Doh! I might not be going after all. :( :irkd: I have a wedding I have to go to on the 23rd. I still might try to make it on that Sunday, though.

<Sigh> The nerve of some people... scheduling their wedding day on the same day as NARBC! Maybe I'll just bring my snakes to the wedding and have my own little expo. :zerb: :snake2:

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Originally Posted by cassandra

No, we're all gonna just party down hard at NARBC Anaheim! You comin'? I know Lawrence is coming down for it...

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i would LOVE to. ive been wanting to go down there for ever. dont they have one every month or so? the thing is my parents just won't fly with a 9 hour drive to see some reptiles:rolleyes: when i get my license though, it on!! just 3 more years. LOL.

EDIT: just talked to my mom. she says next summer we could possibly make an NARBC/Disneyland trip. i dont know. ill see what happens

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

The way I figure it is this. What happens in the wild (and since none of us regularily trot over to Ghana and stroll around we don't actually know do we) but whatever happens there makes not one whit of difference.



Now did I read something about well brewed coffee and calorie rich food??? :banana:

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Exactly, something I have also pointed out before.... we don't live there, so we can only guess. Once in captivity, they are fully reliant on our care 100%

In the wild, they are on their own.


Yeah, calorie rich food.... maybe..... but is that really going to stop you? :P

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Be very careful making these kinds of statements on a message board, especially this one. We are all very weary of where people get their info/experience/etc. You could be a teenager with an internet connection or a expert who's done many studies on ball pythons in the wild and we'd never know the difference.

Ball pythons may be found in close proximity to one another in the wild, but in no way does that make them a communal species, which, correct me if I'm wrong, your post seems to hint at.

I'm just confused because those two statements you made seem to contradict one another.

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Point taken.

I did not intend to hint at Ball Pythons being a 'communal' species. However, they ARE found in groups...not always, but they will definitely choose an occupied hide versus NO hide.
Personally I thought this was common knowledge...but I guess not.

The two statements do not contradict eachother. I stated what occurs in the wild. Then I stated what would be best for in captivity. I agree with you all that it is 100% our job to provide the best possible care for our pets, but forgive me for shedding some light about what really goes on in the wild.

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Originally Posted by mr~python

i would LOVE to. ive been wanting to go down there for ever. dont they have one every month or so? the thing is my parents just won't fly with a 9 hour drive to see some reptiles:rolleyes: when i get my license though, it on!! just 3 more years. LOL.

EDIT: just talked to my mom. she says next summer we could possibly make an NARBC/Disneyland trip. i dont know. ill see what happens

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The show that happens monthly or so isn't NARBC...the name escapes me, but it's not worth coming down for.*

*Not to say it's a bad show...it's just small, mostly local breeders and companies.

NARBC, on the other hand, is a bi-annual show - one in Anaheim and one in Tinley (Chicago), and is worth coming down to...at least for us crazy Left Coast people...

oooh, i was thinking of the smaller one then.

whats the date for the NARBC show next summer if there is one? do you know?