When two become one

I want to introduce another bp into my 55 gallon tank. Any ideas? Or perhaps its an all around bad idea.

introduce for what reason?

I introduced a male to a female last night and they're....getting to know each other. Breeding is the only reason they should be put together...even then, a max of just a few days.

One snake just isn't enough excitement for me I guess. I've read that it's ok to mix two if they're the same species, if they have plenty of room, and if you feed them separately.

"Okay" is a variable word.
Can they live that way? Sure.
Is it the best thing for them? Nope, not at all.

Find your excitement in a second enclosure. :-)

Hi,

There are varying opinions but it doesn't have any advantages to the snake and several disadvantages to both the snake and owner.


dr del

what are the disadvantages?

two sick snakes. if one gets sick, the other definately is sick.
if its one male one female, an early breeding could kill your female

Then it's settled. If I do come across two males (I don't yet know if mine is male or female) could I keep them together? What are the risks with getting sick, etc?

stress caused by dominance, inability to determine which animal passed that worm laden faeces, spread of disease, cannibalism, premature breeding of undersized females, if the equipment malfunctions it kills more animals, you have to feed in a seperate enclosure which can cause problems if they turn out to be easily stressed shy eaters.


I'm sure other will list more that's just the ones that sprung to mind immediately.

Oh and the only advantage to you? It saves you about $90 on averadge. Possibly.


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

Find your excitement in a second enclosure. :-)

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:rofl:

i mean dude. they are your snakes. if you want them housed together, then do it. but be warned by what we are saying.

I just thought it would be more exciting than having two different tanks but of course my main concern is the health of the animals.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BlindNsect

I just thought it would be more exciting than having two different tanks but of course my main concern is the health of the animals.

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Its awesome to hear you say that. That statement reveals the type of responsible person who should be owning animals. :)

I'd echo the statements of those more wise in the way of BPs than I; if you want a second snake (which is completely understandable!) than invest in a second enclosure. It is all-around better for the health (both physical and mental) of the snake.

If you find yourself one day owning several BPs, you can always invest in a rack system for your collection while keeping your first BP in a 'display oriented' enclosure.

While you are here, don't forget to check out the Ball Python Care Sheet! It is packed full of oodles (yes, oodles!) of good tips.

I had my babies in a decent aquarium setup, both female, and once one got bigger than the other, the smaller one stopped eating until I got them in seperate tubs. They are now both thriving. Don't do more than one per tank, its not worth it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BlindNsect

One snake just isn't enough excitement for me I guess. I've read that it's ok to mix two if they're the same species, if they have plenty of room, and if you feed them separately.

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You've read very wrong information.