Can i put 2 male bps in the same tank without problems?

i am kinda still a lil ignorant on owning more then one bp but i just have one question can i mix 2 male bps in the same tank if it is big enough for 2 bps?

no. you never want to put 2 snakes together. each needs it's own enclosure. if you do have a big tank, you could put a divider... some people on here have done that.

so i cant put 2 males in the same tank? when i bought the first one from the pet store they had 3 in there? if they are still small can i put them together? the one i have now is like 22 inches

there are lots of reasons why they should never be housed together;

one will dominate the other and stress him/her out

unexpected/unwanted clutches

cannibalism (it does happen from time to time)

if one gets sick, they both get sick (double vet bills)

It's just over all not a good idea to house more than one snake together. Pet stores don't ususally have the best husbandry for their animals, and so it's not usually a good idea to go by what they do. They are just trying to sell the animals, not raise them into healthy individuals.

When housed together it's inevitable that one snake is going to be dominate over the other. They with "fight" for the best hide spots, heat spots, and what ever else they can take from each other. I don't think they usually actually physically "fight", but one snake will lay on top of, or coil around the less dominate snake. The snake that doesn't end up on top of the packing order can have major issues with stress and not eating.

Also, if one snake gets sick, so will the other, and that's double the vet bill. If there is something funny with one animals stool or urates, you don't know who is having problems until the problems get worse.

In some very severe cases there has been can issues with cannibalism. I know it has been brought up in this kind of thread before. You might use the search feature (which is now much easier to use! :D ) and look up other threads conserning houseing multiple snakes together. Snakes aren't social creatures....they don't live together in the wild, and they shouldn't live together in your house ^_^

**I got beat to posting b/c I talk entierly too much....oh well!! :P **

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Originally Posted by aksledneck907

i am kinda still a lil ignorant on owning more then one bp but i just have one question can i mix 2 male bps in the same tank if it is big enough for 2 bps?

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i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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Originally Posted by aksledneck907

so i cant put 2 males in the same tank? when i bought the first one from the pet store they had 3 in there? if they are still small can i put them together? the one i have now is like 22 inches

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The reason pet stores keep bunches of snakes together in the same tank is because they dont plan on having them thier long. Not because thats how your supposed to do it. You will really want to concider keeping the snakes seperate.for a poop load of reasons.:gj:

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Originally Posted by plummer

i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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No problems that you "know" of.:gj:

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Originally Posted by aksledneck907

so i cant put 2 males in the same tank? when i bought the first one from the pet store they had 3 in there? if they are still small can i put them together? the one i have now is like 22 inches

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Never design your own husbandry based on what most pet stores do. Well unless you want to have underweight, stressed, poorly shedding, covered in mites snakes that is.

There are a very few stores that are good but they tend to specialize in reptiles rather than be general "pet stores". You're blessed if you live somewhere near Zoo Creatures for instance.

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Originally Posted by plummer

i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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I'm sure a couple people have managed to house them together, but I've learned from being on this site (for almost 3 years) that a lot of newbies say this and then in a month or a year almost all have come back and recanted.

Snakes get no benefits from housing them together, and they thrive exceptionally well apart. Why would you even want to risk it? I look at the big breeders and successful small time breeders, who house their animals separately. If it was such a great thing we would see them reduce their cost for housing by housing multiple snakes together, but they don't.

can it be done? yes. people do it all the time. do i think it is a good idea when all you need to do to set two up is got to wal mart and buy 2 12 qt tubs and set them up that way. NO for only around 20 bucks you could set two up nice. get some heat tape some aspen some water bowls some hides and boom you are done.

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

I'm sure a couple people have managed to house them together, but I've learned from being on this site (for almost 3 years) that a lot of newbies say this and then in a month or a year almost all have come back and recanted.

Snakes get no benefits from housing them together, and they thrive exceptionally well apart. Why would you even want to risk it? I look at the big breeders and successful small time breeders, who house their animals separately. If it was such a great thing we would see them reduce their cost for housing by housing multiple snakes together, but they don't.

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well i had my Bp for almost 3 years now.. and nothing happend. and ther perfectly fine. some people can have them together some cant.

some think its bad.. some think its ok. its just what people like to do

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Originally Posted by plummer

well i had my Bp for almost 3 years now.. and nothing happend. and ther perfectly fine. some people can have them together some cant.

some think its bad.. some think its ok. its just what people like to do

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I'm sorry but i think you need a little more experience before you give it out on this subject! keeping two snake together doesn't seem like the thing to do, with all of the risks involved. I'm no expert but i know i'm not going to put any of my snake in danger, and you can ask almost anybody that has been in the business and they will tell you, this is not a good idea.


but i have a question for you, ............can you properly probe or pop snake to determine they're sex....because in this thread http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=54762
you want some info on how to breed, so if you can't tell the sex of the snakes you are housing together, they could possible breed to early, and you could you kill your animals

Speaking from a pet stores point of view. I hate the fact that we have 3 balls in one enlcosure. I talked to my boss about it and what happened was, there was an order error so instead of getting 1 we got 3. We normally only get enough snakes to put one in each enclosure. But as soon as we sell a critter we will put one of the balls in there.

And some people do what pleases them, rather than doing what's best for their animals.

I could keep my dog in a closet all day long, feed her, take her out for walks and put her back in the closet and she'd be fine. Should I? No.

Just because you "can" do something doesn't mean that you have the best interest of the animal in mind.

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Originally Posted by plummer

well i had my Bp for almost 3 years now.. and nothing happend. and ther perfectly fine. some people can have them together some cant.

some think its bad.. some think its ok. its just what people like to do

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Really! You have housed how many BP's for three years in the same tank?


Because in this thread you have 3 snakes--- 2 that are 1 year of age and one thats only two

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=54759

Please be careful of the info your giving out! Maybe you should also research this subject a little!

Males can start combat if housed together. It could happen when you are not home, and lead to serious injuries; not to mention the stress.
If you have a problem with one snake housed together with another, then you can figure that your other snake has that problem also. Parasites; respiratory infections, the like. I would strongly advise against housing bps together at anytime other than a planned breeding of two healthy snakes that are up to weight and ready.

Housing any snakes together is not a good idea unless it is for breeding purposes only. As others have said, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Think of the needs of your animal rather than what is more convenient for you. I have ball pythons that live in the same tub BUT those tubs are divided with an opaque board. Dividing a tank is not hard or a long process. Take a bit out of your day and do the right thing for your animals.

To the OP, I would just ask, why take the risk? Regardless of if some people do, if there is proof that problems can and have occured in numerous instances, is there really a need to tempt fate? :confuzd:

Save yourself some trouble. Get a couple Sterilite tubs.

seperate them asap!! and the bins make things soooo much easier

I also find it interesting that 1 out of 14 people in this thread say it's all right to house them together. Bad odds... maybe you should think about that before you say "Some people do..."

Seems like most people... DON'T.

'Scuse, me... 1 in 15... I'm the 14th person saying "Not a good idea!"


It's not the brightest idea to keep them together... but you have to have dull crayons too, I guess. But why come to a site for BP experts when you're just going to fight their advice?

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Originally Posted by plummer

some people can have them together some cant.

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What exactly does that even mean?

some can? some can't?

Or do you mean some can and do and some can and WON'T.

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Originally Posted by plummer

some think its bad.. some think its ok. its just what people like to do

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Most...think it is a bad!

and It doesn't really matter what YOU like to do...You should do what is BEST for your bp.

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Originally Posted by plummer

i say you can with out issues.

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I say you are wrong.

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

'Scuse, me... 1 in 15... I'm the 14th person saying "Not a good idea!"

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Make that.....1 in 16.

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Originally Posted by plummer

i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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i thought the same thing when i was still naive bout snakes. when these kind people here told me it wasn't a good idea, i separated them. i noticed the change immediately. they both looked and acted healthier and GREW LIKE WEEDS!!! i thought they were growing fast already but wow!

please take the majority advice! your snakes will be SO much healthier in the long run!

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Originally Posted by python.princess

i thought the same thing when i was still naive bout snakes. when these kind people here told me it wasn't a good idea, i separated them. i noticed the change immediately. they both looked and acted healthier and GREW LIKE WEEDS!!! i thought they were growing fast already but wow!

please take the majority advice! your snakes will be SO much healthier in the long run!

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i second that...i too was a noob and had two bps in one tank and while they did ok together, they did 100x better when they were seperated. The people here that have EXPERIENCE and know what they're talking about...listen to them, i check this forum every day multiple times a day without fail and i'm always learning something new

yeah when i was a newbie, i would've housed my ball and blood together.but instead of acting out of my own will and housing together and just cuz they "get along just fine",i asked here and they gave me more than enough reasons why they shouldnt be housed together.by housing them separately, i saw that they did fine on their own,a lot better actually, and they've been like that since. since i work at petco, i have to deal with ignorant people who say its ok to house 2 BP's together because they're "cool with each other" or "they're friends" and all kinds of other stupid reasons.

P.S. make that 1 out of 17!!!

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Originally Posted by aksledneck907

i am kinda still a lil ignorant on owning more then one bp but i just have one question can i mix 2 male bps in the same tank if it is big enough for 2 bps?

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There is absolutely no benefit in housing multiple snakes together however it can create problems such as stress, going of feed, spreading of diseases and/or parasites, premature breeding, you are also at risk for serious injuries, death and even cannibalism which has been documented.

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Originally Posted by aksledneck907

so i cant put 2 males in the same tank? when i bought the first one from the pet store they had 3 in there? if they are still small can i put them together? the one i have now is like 22 inches

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That is because a pet store try to maximize their profit (1 enclosure is cheaper than several), they also try to save space why house 1 BP in one tank when you can put 10 in one tank. Because pet stores do it does not mean it is ok and you should do it.

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Originally Posted by plummer

some people can have them together some cant.

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:confuzd: what is that suppose to mean.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

And some people do what pleases them, rather than doing what's best for their animals.

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Exactly and this is sad.

Now to those who house their BP together explain to me why are you doing it?
Give me some GOOD reasons that can justify multiple housing?
What benefit do they get from it?

That should be interesting :rolleyes:

The best thing to do is to divide the tank if it is big enough to do so. I am a newbie but I still know that they need to be seperated do to stress levels. I have a 55 gallon tank that is divided and have two bp's. They are not able to see each other. They both have two hiding places, and warm and cold areas, with plenty of plants for them to move around without being seen. If I already didn't have the 55 gal tank I would have gotten either a rack system or two seperate 20gal tanks. Never never follow what you see at a pet store. My girlfriend worked at Petsmart and all of their setups were wrong. When she tried to tell them they need to change their setups the managers told here they have no say in the setups. All the orders came from higher up, through corporate.

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Originally Posted by kk1020man

When she tried to tell them they need to change their setups the managers told here they have no say in the setups. All the orders came from higher up, through corporate.

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which is exactly why i cant do anything about changing the setups at the petco where i work at. cuz that's how corporate wants them to be setup.

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Originally Posted by plummer

i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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Go take a look at plummers pics of his snakes before you decide you want to listen to anything he says.

Second go to you ube and search for ball pythons fighting and watch the video you find of them combating. That will change any ideas you have about housing them together.

1 in 19

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Originally Posted by reediculous

Really! You have housed how many BP's for three years in the same tank?


Because in this thread you have 3 snakes--- 2 that are 1 year of age and one thats only two

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=54759

Please be careful of the info your giving out! Maybe you should also research this subject a little!

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I'm sure he meant that his snakes have a combined life experience of 3 years.:)

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Originally Posted by python.princess

there are lots of reasons why they should never be housed together;

one will dominate the other and stress him/her out

unexpected/unwanted clutches

cannibalism (it does happen from time to time)

if one gets sick, they both get sick (double vet bills)

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what is unexpected/unwanted clutches? that is a new term for me

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Originally Posted by plummer

i have no problem wit my male BP in the same tank they dont fight dont stress each other out. they mind there own buisness. also they are good eaters for bing in the same tank.

i say you can with out issues.

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I have my 2 BP's together in a 50 gallon tank. The larger (newest of them) seems to have a nasty attitude - out of character for this species of snake from what i've read - he seems to be much calmer with the smaller snake in with him. They appear to me (and that's not saying much) to be very happy. They share the same cave almost all the time even though there are 2 caves in the tank. They seem to really follow each other around. I see no signs that either of them is being dominated.

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Originally Posted by plummer

well i had my Bp for almost 3 years now.. and nothing happend. and ther perfectly fine. some people can have them together some cant.

some think its bad.. some think its ok. its just what people like to do

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this topic, like every other, is divided. I really think to some degree you just have to use common sense and observe. I'm sure that just like people, some snakes can roommate and some can't.

Hell, we're human ... we can't possibly know what goes on in their heads, I'm not going to try to figure it out.

If I notice that mine don't seem so happy down the road I'll seperate mine, but for the time being it seems to be benefiting one particularly well.

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

I also find it interesting that 1 out of 14 people in this thread say it's all right to house them together. Bad odds... maybe you should think about that before you say "Some people do..."

Seems like most people... DON'T.

'Scuse, me... 1 in 15... I'm the 14th person saying "Not a good idea!"


It's not the brightest idea to keep them together... but you have to have dull crayons too, I guess. But why come to a site for BP experts when you're just going to fight their advice?

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wow - comparing people to dull crayons now. How polite. As a college graduate, I was always under the impression that the best way to solve a problem is to discuss it. Sometimes (not always but more than never), while discussing/debating/arguing (whatever u wanna call it), something new can be learned.

We are dealing with snakes here. Of course anything is possible ... just like with everything else in life. Do snakes occasionally hurt or kill each other? Yes. Do people occasionally hurt or kill each other? ummm ... yes. Does that mean we shouldn't live together?

Just because something is possible doesn't make it the rule.

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Originally Posted by GA_Ball_Pythons

There is absolutely no benefit in housing multiple snakes together however it can create problems such as stress, going of feed, spreading of diseases and/or parasites, premature breeding, you are also at risk for serious injuries, death and even cannibalism which has been documented.

That is because a pet store try to maximize their profit (1 enclosure is cheaper than several), they also try to save space why house 1 BP in one tank when you can put 10 in one tank. Because pet stores do it does not mean it is ok and you should do it.
:confuzd: what is that suppose to mean.

Exactly and this is sad.

Now to those who house their BP together explain to me why are you doing it?
Give me some GOOD reasons that can justify multiple housing?
What benefit do they get from it?

That should be interesting :rolleyes:

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Well, what i'd like to know is how many of you who so strongly disagree with housing together are actually vets or herpologists. Anyone?

I actually checked with my vet (who sees my snakes on a regular basis) about housing them together ... The response I got was that if they both got through the quarantine period with a clean bill of health he saw nothing wrong with it. His only recommendation regarding the subject was that I should not feed them together in the same tank because of the possibility of them both simultaneously strike at their food and pose a potential problem.

I think I'm going to take the advise on this subject from someone who sees snakes and other reptiles on regular basis. Oh, yeah, did i mention that my vet has 2 BP housed together? He did strongly suggest that I not house more than 2 though. He also recommended that I take them out of their tank individually for brief periods (30 min to an hour) on a daily basis to allow them a seperation to help prevent the potential for possible incident. But like i said before, every creature (snake, lizard, bird, dog, PEOPLE, etc, has the potential to hurt another of it's species. It is the exception - not the rule. I could drown when I go swimming .... just because of the rare possibility of that happening, am I not going to go?

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I have my 2 BP's together in a 50 gallon tank. The larger (newest of them) seems to have a nasty attitude - out of character for this species of snake from what i've read - he seems to be much calmer with the smaller snake in with him. They appear to me (and that's not saying much) to be very happy. They share the same cave almost all the time even though there are 2 caves in the tank. They seem to really follow each other around. I see no signs that either of them is being dominated.

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Sharing the same cave is domination - they are competing for the best "perceived" spot in the tank. The one following the other one is dominating the one being followed. I can assure you that they are not cuddling each other.

Just because you can't recognize signs of domination in ball pythons doesn't mean it's not happening.

How long did you quarantine your newest one from your smaller one?

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

Well, what i'd like to know is how many of you who so strongly disagree with housing together are actually vets or herpologists. Anyone?

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How about people who have been working with ball pythons for 20+ years? Those considered the authorities on ball pythons? Those that the top veterinarians in the country have on speed dial? Would you respect their opinion?

Because people like Kevin McCurley of NERD who wrote The Complete Ball Python and Dave and Tracy Barker (who are top renowned herpetologists, btw) and wrote Pythons of the World, Vol II: Ball Pythons all recommend that you do NOT house ball pythons together and see no benefit in doing so.

You may also wish to read this thread that discussed housing together:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=23890

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

what is unexpected/unwanted clutches? that is a new term for me

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What that refers to is people keeping multiple ball pythons together, having not one clue if they are males are females or willingly leaving a male with a female without any plan or concern for matings that will occur. Males become sexually mature far faster than the females and it is not in the female's snakes best interest healthwise to be allowed to be bred too young just because someone can't be bothered to keep her seperate from the attentions of a sexually mature male.

These people then show up on forums screaming for help from us because of their own lack of planning for their snakes in the first place.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I have my 2 BP's together in a 50 gallon tank. The larger (newest of them) seems to have a nasty attitude - out of character for this species of snake from what i've read - he seems to be much calmer with the smaller snake in with him. They appear to me (and that's not saying much) to be very happy. They share the same cave almost all the time even though there are 2 caves in the tank. They seem to really follow each other around. I see no signs that either of them is being dominated..

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This is EXACTLY a few of the signs of domination.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

wow - comparing people to dull crayons now. How polite. As a college graduate, I was always under the impression that the best way to solve a problem is to discuss it. Sometimes (not always but more than never), while discussing/debating/arguing (whatever u wanna call it), something new can be learned.

We are dealing with snakes here. Of course anything is possible ... just like with everything else in life. Do snakes occasionally hurt or kill each other? Yes. Do people occasionally hurt or kill each other? ummm ... yes. Does that mean we shouldn't live together?

Just because something is possible doesn't make it the rule.

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I agree that it's better to discuss this as adults, rather than resort to name calling. You also can't compare humans and snakes, apples and oranges. Also, just because something is possible doesn't make it the best.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

Well, what i'd like to know is how many of you who so strongly disagree with housing together are actually vets or herpologists. Anyone?

I actually checked with my vet (who sees my snakes on a regular basis) about housing them together ... The response I got was that if they both got through the quarantine period with a clean bill of health he saw nothing wrong with it. His only recommendation regarding the subject was that I should not feed them together in the same tank because of the possibility of them both simultaneously strike at their food and pose a potential problem.

I think I'm going to take the advise on this subject from someone who sees snakes and other reptiles on regular basis. Oh, yeah, did i mention that my vet has 2 BP housed together? He did strongly suggest that I not house more than 2 though. He also recommended that I take them out of their tank individually for brief periods (30 min to an hour) on a daily basis to allow them a seperation to help prevent the potential for possible incident. But like i said before, every creature (snake, lizard, bird, dog, PEOPLE, etc, has the potential to hurt another of it's species. It is the exception - not the rule. I could drown when I go swimming .... just because of the rare possibility of that happening, am I not going to go?

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It really bothers me, when people start assuming a degree means intelligence. I have a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Zoology, from the University of Maryland. I also have 2 years experience with rehabalitating wildlife (from Robin's to squirrels to hawks and beavers. I also have worked 1.5 years in an Entomology lab and 2 years as a vet technician. But for all that, I still consider myself a complete Newbie (I've only had bps for just under 3 years), and am eager to learn as much as I can. When the top people in the field house their animals individually, when they COULD house together easier just sends a very loud message to me. I just believe that housing together is not the best I can provide for my animals.

The discussion about Plummer's snakes has been split off and moved into Quarantine.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=55715

If you want to discuss his snakes, you need to do it there. Otherwise, please keep this thread on topic. If you don't have access to the Quarantine Room and would like it, please send a request via PM to any of the admins.

Here's my thoughts on this matter...

You wonder if it's OK to keep two ball pythons together. (Supposedly both of them male...hopefully they've been sexed correctly!) And yet...with all the good advice given about why it's a bad idea you persist in insisting that it's "fine" and you're going to do it anyway. Which leads me to believe that you didn't really wonder if it was ok or not...you just wanted to get a rise out of people.

That being said...I believe there are a LOT of good reasons for keeping them separate. And I've yet to hear a single good reason for why they should be kept together. But it's up to each individual to sift through all the responses and decide what they believe is fact and what they believe is nonsense. It's up to each individual to decide who is worth listening to and who is speaking out of ignorance. None of us can make those determinations for you. All we can do is present the facts as we understand them, and offer our opinion on those facts. What you choose to do with them is up to you.

"Keeping a snake of any sort is a matter of recognizing the potential for problems and striving to avoid them whenever possible. It's a matter of probabilities: the more one lowers the chances for problems, the greater the chances that a snake will thrive."
Dave & Tracy Barker

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

Well, what i'd like to know is how many of you who so strongly disagree with housing together are actually vets or herpologists. Anyone?

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I'm not a herpologist, but I do play one on TV. BTW, is a herpologist anything like a herpetologist? :confused:

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I think I'm going to take the advise on this subject from someone who sees snakes and other reptiles on regular basis.

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Would you go to your doctor for advice on raising your children? I'm sure some doctors would give excellent advice, and others would give very poor advice even though they might be excellent medical doctors. So what makes you think that any vet would be able to give you great advice on keeping and raising these snakes? Oh, and that's not to mention that many vets are absolutely clueless about reptiles. I would trust the advice of many people on this site before I trusted a typical vet that primarily sees regular pets such as dogs and cats. There have been stories on this site of vets actually taking the temperature of someone's snake. :rofl: Gee, what do you know... it's the same temperature as the room. What a coincidence!

Personally, I would rather trust the other herpetoculturists on this site for advice on raising Ball Pythons. The people that make their living off of making sure their hundreds or thousands of snakes are thriving and not just doing okay.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I have my 2 BP's together in a 50 gallon tank. The larger (newest of them) seems to have a nasty attitude - out of character for this species of snake from what i've read - he seems to be much calmer with the smaller snake in with him. They appear to me (and that's not saying much) to be very happy. They share the same cave almost all the time even though there are 2 caves in the tank. They seem to really follow each other around. I see no signs that either of them is being dominated.

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Well obviously you are missing something, the fact that they share their hide all the time is DOMINATION.

Also I am curious when you say

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it seems to be benefiting one particularly well.

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What are the benefits? (Somehow you eluded those questions from my previous post)

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Give me some GOOD reasons that can justify multiple housing?
What benefit do they get from it?

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Those questions are still left unanswered

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Well, what i'd like to know is how many of you who so strongly disagree with housing together are actually vets or herpologists. Anyone?

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I think I'm going to take the advise on this subject from someone who sees snakes and other reptiles on regular basis.

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Well how nice, what do you know about the members of this forum? Seems to me that this was your way to tell us "you are idiots what do you know about the subject anyway" :rolleyes: (very intelligent way to do it though)

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I see no signs that either of them is being dominated.

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Wouln't that be a sign?

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He has been with me for 4 weeks now and has not eaten. The prior owner said it had been 2-3 weeks since his last feeding when he sold him to me. I am aware that they need proper temp to even digest properly ... could low temp be causing him to not eat and even become rather aggressive - regularly hisses at me when i reach in to handle the youngest snake, seems to always be in strike position and has even run nose first into the glass trying to strike me as i walk past.

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I might be wrong though because what do I know about snakes :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

it seems to be benefiting one particularly well.

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I guess above is one of the benefit you are talking about :confused:

yes, they will most likely live being in an enclosure together but let me ask you a question...

is it okay to just babysit your children their whole lives? or is it better to teach them and spend time with them and nurture them?

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

wow - comparing people to dull crayons now. How polite.

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I actually consider myself a very polite person :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

As a college graduate, I was always under the impression that the best way to solve a problem is to discuss it.

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Is this supposed to impress me? I, too, am a college graduate. So what? I've found that there are many, many, many people out there without college degrees that are about five hundred times smarter than I am.

And yes, I have an English degree, so I think debating is freaking awesome!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

We are dealing with snakes here. Of course anything is possible ... just like with everything else in life. Do snakes occasionally hurt or kill each other? Yes. Do people occasionally hurt or kill each other? ummm ... yes. Does that mean we shouldn't live together?

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Ummm... I think your comparison is slightly off here. Yes, we are dealing with snakes. NOT humans. NOT mammals. Humans are thinking, rational beings. Snakes, while amazing, run completely by instinct. They don't think: "Hey, I can get away with this." They kill because that's what their instinct tells them to do to survive. While people would like to use this excuse for humans, it falls frighteningly flat. Humans do not need to kill to survive. Our instincts do not compell most of us...

Humans make friends. Snakes do NOT. But I won't go any further... others have already explained that the "Friendship" between your kids is actually a dominance display.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

Just because something is possible doesn't make it the rule.

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Huh? But isn't this what you are trying to prove?

BTW, is your vet a licensed herp/exotic vet?

Also, it's interesting that you are siding with a person that keeps his snakes in a deplorable living condition. Do you have pics of your snakes' living conditions?

If you want to discuss Plummer's snakes...there is a link in this thread to take you to that discussion. Anymore posts made here about Plummer's snakes will simply be deleted, rather than moved.

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

I have my 2 BP's together in a 50 gallon tank. The larger (newest of them) seems to have a nasty attitude - out of character for this species of snake from what i've read - he seems to be much calmer with the smaller snake in with him. They appear to me (and that's not saying much) to be very happy. They share the same cave almost all the time even though there are 2 caves in the tank. They seem to really follow each other around. I see no signs that either of them is being dominated.

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So you are allowing a larger and in your words a snake with a "nasty attitude" to be housed with a smaller one. Not a particularily good idea is it. As you've been told the following around is a dominance display. These are not pack or herd animals that trail each other....these are snakes. You make a broad assumption, while admitting you have no real experience, that they are "very happy". What led you to this specific belief?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ksbrneyes30

Hell, we're human ... we can't possibly know what goes on in their heads, I'm not going to try to figure it out.

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But you said yours are happy? So which is it? Are they "happy" as you've previously stated or are you now saying that you aren't able to judge exactly what the situation is for those snakes?

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If I notice that mine don't seem so happy down the road I'll seperate mine, but for the time being it seems to be benefiting one particularly well.

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"One particularily well"??? So the other isn't "particularily well" then? Hmmmm....

ok i dont disagree or nything but you guys are saying if i have my 250 gallon set up i cant put 2 female ball pythons in there ??? that it will actually be more benefitial to put them in rubbermaid containers.... :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by Greenlover

ok i dont disagree or nything but you guys are saying if i have my 250 gallon set up i cant put 2 female ball pythons in there ??? that it will actually be more benefitial to put them in rubbermaid containers.... :rolleye2:

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exactly!

:)

2..seperate...r-maid tubs.

250 gallons is way too big for any bp...and you shouldn't house them together other than for breeding purposes.

edit...i see you said 2 females...so you would have no reason to house them together at all since you can't breed them.