is this actually true?

i know BP's(or any other snakes) arent supposed to be housed together,but is it true that if the BP's are 1+ yrs older they can be housed together as long as they're housed in a large tank, is that actually?

long story short:

yesterday this customer at petco was gonna buy 2 BP's,so the employees told me to give him "tips" for the new BP owner.so i told him the basics which took a few mins (and i accidently held up the line while doing so),first thing i told him is that BP's cannot be housed together. afterwards my team leader came up to me and said that she called the petco "certified reptile specialist" and he said that BP's can be housed together as long as they're 1+ yrs older and that they're housed in a large tank.at the same time she scolded me because im not their certified reptile specialist therefore im not allowed to give info to customers( then why the heck did she tell me to give them tips?).obviously i kept saying it wasnt true but the only excuse she was using is that he's the reptile specialist and im not so basically he's right and im wrong. ok so it wasnt so short but thats the mina portion of the story.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

i know BP's(or any other snakes) arent supposed to be housed together,but is it true that if the BP's are 1+ yrs older they can be housed together as long as they're housed in a large tank, is that actually?

long story short:

yesterday this customer at petco was gonna buy 2 BP's,so the employees told me to give him "tips" for the new BP owner.so i told him the basics which took a few mins (and i accidently held up the line while doing so),first thing i told him is that BP's cannot be housed together. afterwards my team leader came up to me and said that she called the petco "certified reptile specialist" and he said that BP's can be housed together as long as they're 1+ yrs older and that they're housed in a large tank.at the same time she scolded me because im not their certified reptile specialist therefore im not allowed to give info to customers( then why the heck did she tell me to give them tips?).obviously i kept saying it wasnt true but the only excuse she was using is that he's the reptile specialist and im not so basically he's right and im wrong. ok so it wasnt so short but thats the mina portion of the story.

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Pretty sure the answer's gonna be: absolutely NOT true. It's a corporate "let's sell two snakes to a customer who would only be willing to shell out enough cash to house one" kinda thing, I think...

Unfortunately, from other posters here who've worked in corporate pet stores' posts, it sounds like you're just getting a taste of what working there is gonna be like. Doing anything contrary to "company policy" (even if it's wrong) is a big no-no.

yeah im starting to see that their policies are obviously more important than the snake's health.

Looks like its time to give the 2 weeks notice and start a breeding program of your own :)

Sorry to hear about that story, maybe next time tell them its fine to house two together in a huge tank if they buy a cheap tank divider :)

Why don't you call the "certified reptile specialist" and ask why he is saying it is OK. Where did the info come from. and Why is he considered certified?


You cannot fight the system till you understand it.

I've actually been in a petco recently, where there was a little sticky thing on the BP's cage with info--like how old they live, how long they get...and on it, it said that 2 or more BPs can be housed together if they're taken out to be fed seperately.

I know from reading this site that it's absolutely wrong...but Petco felt it was okay enough to get a professional-looking thing printed up for their tanks *shrug*

in order for me to become their reptile specialist i have to take a reptile test and pass it.in the meantime i cant do anything about giving info unless im a "reptile specialist" from petco.so for now whatever he says is right and whatever i say is wrong.

Study up and take and pass the test. Based on the info the "specialist" gives apparently it's not that hard. :rockon:

Yea...I just read the "care sheet" for Balls on Petco.com and it is clearly written from a sell more stuff point of view.


Just a few of the big errors:
No mention of humidity concerns
Says Balls require a photo period - so you need both a daytime and nightime heat lamp
UTH is secondary
Need a branch for the Ball to climb on

I did note it does NOT say anything about housing more than one Ball in the same tank...so again I would try and find out where the "expert" got his info from.

im able to take the test once i've been working there i believe its like amonth and then im allowed to take it.

When housing snake people have to use common sense. There is absolutely no benefit at all when it comes to house BP together regardless of their age. BP are solitary animals and do not require companionship. Housing multiple BP can lead to many problems that have been documented such as stress, going of feed, transmission of parasites, RI, premature breeding, injuries and in some cases death as well as cannibalism.

Now because you can do it and some people do does not mean it should be done.

I would suggest you to tell your reptile specialist to join this forum and read couple of thread such as those

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=35674&highlight=multiple+housing

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23890&highlight=multiple+housing

i'll do that

Those *!$%&! stickers on the aquariums... I have had those associates who don't know crap read the information off of them to me as if it were the word of god. "That's not correct." "Well that's what the sticker says."

Take the test. You will be a benefit to your customers.

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

yeah im starting to see that their policies are obviously more important than the snake's health.

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Glad we have an insider. See to me telling the customer that two snakes in one cage is bad would get you a raise. Why? now they need two of everything, tank, UTH, hides and so on.

Oh please PetCo writes the test and certifies it's own specialists now? That would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. Take their test then quietly give out the correct info even if it's against corporate policy. I just wouldn't do it perhaps so openly. Maybe something like "while it's possible to house two ball pythons together current information now leads us to understand that it's best that they be housed seperately". Sort of walks the company line and preserves your job but gives out the right information.

I feel like the reptile specialist test is going to be impossible. You will need to memorize all the incorrect information. Good luck studying for the exam and getting angry when all the "correct" answers are marked wrong.

Question 1) True or False, two ball pythons can be housed together?
Question 2) True or False, Ball pythons will only eat the T-rex arctic mice we sell.

What a horrible situation :(

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Originally Posted by minotaur

I feel like the reptile specialist test is going to be impossible. You will need to memorize all the incorrect information. Good luck studying for the exam and getting angry when all the "correct" answers are marked wrong.

Question 1) True or False, two ball pythons can be housed together?
Question 2) True or False, Ball pythons will only eat the T-rex arctic mice we sell.

What a horrible situation :(

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Maybe not too tough...just pick the answer with the highest profit margin and you are good to go. :D

Why would you expect the test to be accurate if the so-called reptile specialist who also took the test thinks is ok to house ball pythons communally?

Congrats to your first taste of what its really like to work in a retail pet store!

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Why would you expect the test to be accurate if the so-called reptile specialist who also took the test thinks is ok to house ball pythons communally?

Congrats to your first taste of what its really like to work in a retail pet store!

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You can say that again! I worked at one in high school and jr. college that paid it's sales associates comission! Yup 12%... had to sell like $50 worth of pets and pet supplies an hour to make $6... :( I didn't last long as a sales associate, but went back to work for them as a kennel tech working in the back cleaning everything and tending to the animals... that was fun! (except for seeing all the bad things that go on with pet store pets and what the reactions are like by the pet store owners etc :( just caring for the animals was fun!)

Snakeman, I don't envy you right now... but I do admire you :cool:

well if i heard right, the main manager said that if i pass the test i can do anything i want with the reptiles.which means that i'll be able to re-house them so that they are properly housed and i can give the correct info.

Well likely only "anything" that doesn't cut into the corporate goal of making a big profit hon. PetCo's not in the business of losing one single cent on anything they sell, most big chain pet stores put the bottom dollar well before good husbandry.

Can they be housed together? Sure. Should they? Nope.. I can think of a hundred reasons..
Ask them how they know the sexes of the snakes.. if not, ask them why it'd OK to put two adult animals together that could mate when they are too young.. sigh; stupid people abound. :(

If this "test" you have to pass reflects the things you are learning that they operate by it will be an interesting test...I would like to see it and their "answers" LOL. Keep in mind in order to "pass" you'll likely have to purposefully answer wrong or as they see it correct. I wouldn't put the time into it unless your looking to expose their wrong doing. Like others are saying you will likely have to operate within the corporate guidelines even if you are deemed a "specialist". Thinking you will go against their grain and try provide proper husbandry may not work out the way you hope.