Housing together?

[Yvette]

Regarding the Garters. It this normal behavior for them?
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...ter_snakes.jpg
I found the guys together every morining 2 yrs. ago. I did not put them there. Just found them. This is right outside of my front door.

[Monty]

perfectly normal i wish i stil had my old computer i would deff have pics of it up. but once the house got hit by lighting everything electronical got fried and we had to get all new tvs, dvd players, computers, refigerator, washer and dryer. it was no fun

[Argentra]

It is not really different. It is situational.

If you are talking about providing an enclosure large enough with adequate resource, housing more than one snake can be just fine. If you are talking about cramming two snakes in a 20 gallon aquarium because you do not want to spend money on another enclosure.....you do not need to even own one snake. It depends on the situation and the keeper....so to say that you should NEVER keep two snakes together or that it is ALWAY for the keeper's own interests is getting a bit carried away.

In response to the other comment. I see reptiles side by side all the time in the wild. They may not be right on top of each other, but they share the same environment. When they have room to find their own space and do not have to compete over resources....everything is usually just fine.

Naturally. But in the wild, they have enough room to get away from each other when they wish to. Also in the wild, they don't have someone taking care of them who wants to keep track of their sheds, refuse, eating habits and general health.
What I was trying to say with the nature thing is that many snake species hunt, sleep, and generally live alone. Yes they encounter others of their kind and may spend a bit of time with them, but they usually don't habitate together.

It would be wonderful if we all could provide enclosures that were huge and natural... but we do the best we can with what we have. And usually, that best is to lower the risks of problems or fights and keep one snake to an enclosure.

[daniel1983]

Naturally. But in the wild, they have enough room to get away from each other when they wish to.

Who says that they can not have that same opportunity in captivity?

Also in the wild, they don't have someone taking care of them who wants to keep track of their sheds, refuse, eating habits and general health.

I can keep track of sheds, eating habits, general health, etc....even if mulitiple animals are housed together. If someone can not monitor those things or does not wish for the extra work, then they should not house reptiles together. These are keeper dependant conditions......It has nothing to do with the reptile or how they are housed. Personal opinions....not a fact.

What I was trying to say with the nature thing is that many snake species hunt, sleep, and generally live alone. Yes they encounter others of their kind and may spend a bit of time with them, but they usually don't habitate together.

Some do 'habitate' together. They share an common environment. I do not believe that reptiles 'look for company'.....but they do not seem to mind company as long as the others do not infringe upon needed resources.

It would be wonderful if we all could provide enclosures that were huge and natural... but we do the best we can with what we have. And usually, that best is to lower the risks of problems or fights and keep one snake to an enclosure.

What if I can provide a huge natural enclosure and house two snakes together? If I followed the advice given by some in this thread to NEVER house two snakes together....I guess it would not be ok and they would fuss.