together or seperate

[mitch2724]

I have 3 BPs 2 female and one male, all three are living together in the same 75 gallon tank. They are all heathy and happy they eat regularly they shed perfectly ( all in one piece including eyes ). when i take them out to clean the tank (twice a month) they all explore the house together, almost like a pack . But i have had people telling me lately that housing them together is a bad idea. Obviously when they feed i seperate them but other than that they seem to be good. Any advice?

[xdeus]

The consesus is to keep them separate. Ball pythons, like most reptiles, lead solitary lives and will get easily stressed if they have to share space with another animal. Although they have been known to eat their cagemates, it is not very common. However, they are more likely to go off feed because of stress.

Also, if one gets sick for whatever reason, it might be difficult to determine which snake is sick (runny stool) or they could easily transmit the illness to the other snakes.

You'll be doing your snakes a big favor if you would separate them into their own enclosures.

[mitch2724]

i did seperate them for 2 or 3 days and both of the females sat in the striking pose for about a day, they almost seemed lonely. when they are all together they all huddle together in the same hiding spot

[Pythons Rock]

This is usually a no no to do as sometimes they will eat eachother.



Now on the flip side I have two recent 1.1 BP rescues that are 800-1000g and have been living together for three years with no problems. Do I trust that they will be okay together, truthfully I don't want to find out so I separated them. In the wild they are a solitary animal and could probably go there whole lives without seeing another BP. IMO except for breeding I would keep them separated, also if one gets sick it can transfer to the others causing uneeded vet bills and stress on tha animal. Sounds like you have some beautiful healthy snakes but if it were me I would separate them.

[mitch2724]

yeah they are beutiful, i will be putting pictures up soon, the male is the biggest BP i have ever seen, if it wasnt for his colors you would think he was a young columbian.....lol

[rabernet]

i did seperate them for 2 or 3 days and both of the females sat in the striking pose for about a day, they almost seemed lonely. when they are all together they all huddle together in the same hiding spot

That's because they're all competing for the best spot - not because they love each other. Honestly - it really is better for them to be separated.

[tigerlily]

I can't think of any pros for housing snakes together, except for the keeper.(and pleny of cons, several which are already listed) These are not social creatures, and don't benefit by the company. I vote for keeping them separate.