Views on keeping more than one bp in an enclosure

[DIAMOND GEEZER]

I thought i would ask what people opinions were of keeping more than one ball in a viv. I have a male and 2 females in a viv together ( all unrelated ). They all get along well together and they all have there own personality. I feed them seperatly in a dark box and there hides are large enough for all 3 to be in at once , to eliminate the chances of compition over a hide. Just thought i would ask and see if any one else does this. Please bear in mind that they are pets and members of the family and not being bred. Although should they breed that would be an added bonus.

[snakesRkewl]

Absolutely no...(this is an opinion)

There's plenty to read about why not to.

[wilomn]

Who's got the hammers? Nails? Ok, good, now, bring those two 12 X 12s over here and we'll get them attached so we can crucify this guy properly.....

[Spaniard]

Recent thread here on same topic...

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...akes+enclosure

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=101096

My personal point of view is that one snake should be housed per enclosure.

[mainbutter]

If your females aren't up to weight, they will VERY POSSIBLY breed before they reach a healthy weight. This poses extreme risks for becoming eggbound among other problems that young reptile mothers encounter.

If you won't listen to the advice of people here and keep your snakes in seperate enclosures, at least remove the male to prevent that one problem from occuring.

[mainbutter]

And here you say that one of your snakes has RI:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=104619

RI is contagious among snakes. If another snake gets it, well I'd say that's another thing to show you why you shouldn't house 'em together.

[Egapal]

Yeah this seems to happen a few times a month. Someone asks if you can keep more than one BP in an enclosure and then the two sides come out swinging. Luckily you have posted some great reasons why you should not keep your 3 snakes together so we can speak to them specifically. Your one snake had a RI. Not good to keep her with the others. Your female is 471 grams. By far too small to be bred and so should not be kept with a male. Your post stating the animals wieght is here http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...32#post1184632

In short people have successfully kept BP's together. Its my honest opinion that you should not.

[DIAMOND GEEZER]

whilst she had the RI she was kept in a separate viv and has now been given the all clear by the vet. when i am confident she is 100% i will be putting her back with the other 2. I check my balls religiously and have kept notes of everything not just feeding and sheding but behavour aswell . I believe i have done my homework when it comes to keeping them together and no one can actually reference any reading material as to why they should not be housed together. I have raised my concerns with them being kept together with my vet who happens to be lance jepson who is professor of exotic species in liverpool university and manchester university. look him up he knows his stuff. if at any point i believe my loved animals to be at any risk to one another they will be seperated. As money for vivs is not an issue

[stratus_020202]

What about the eggbound issue? What did the doc have to say about that?

[derrabe]

My question is why did you ask for advise if you are just going to ignore the experts.