multiple snakes

[SkullyB]

are there any precautions i should take in putting a second snake into tank

[purplemuffin]

Well, yes. First off, has the second snake been quarantined? For how long? Sometimes you can't notice a snake is sick until you've had them in your collection for quite a while. That's when you notice the snake is continuing to not eat or is acting strange...

You can spread some nasty diseases to your current snake by adding a 'friend'

Be prepared, I personally would not house two snakes together. Even ball pythons have been documented as cannibalizing each other, and as snake owners know it doesn't take much to confuse a snake into striking and coiling--If you hand smells like rat after brushing against it, imagine how much the fellow snake smells like rat after EATING it.. You don't want to have your snakes kill each other! Even if you do feed separately, there will be a risk.

Not to mention if a snake regurgitates you won't know which snake did it, same goes for weird poo and other problems in the tank. If one gets sick, they both will get sick. That's double the vet bills for ya!

You will also need to make sure both snakes can find hiding places at the different areas of the tank. You don't want them to be forced to be next to each other in a hide, stressing each other out just because they both need to be at that temperature! People may think it looks like cuddling, but it is really more about the snake needing that spot to help thermoregulate!

It can be done, but not without risks. It takes a lot of knowledge and preparation for this sort of thing. It's easiest and safest to have two enclosures...


Anyone who's had to share a room with a sibling or had a roommate in a dorm knows it can be stressful to have someone in the same room with you! Now imagine being trapped in that room, you can't even go out to be alone anywhere! I think that would drive anyone mad. It's important to give a lot of hides when housing multiple snakes.


Like I said, I wouldn't do it. There are so many cons with multiple snakes, and so many pros for keeping them separate, some people can do it, but it takes a bit of extra work, and no matter what you do you will be taking a risk.

[loonunit]

Please be aware everyone's simply going to tell you not to do it.

These are balls? How old are the two snakes, how big are they, and what are their genders? You probably don't want to house snakes together if one is more than twice the size of the other. It's harder for older animals to get used to another snake, especially if they've lived alone for a long time. Younger snakes acclimate to cage mates within a couple weeks, if not immediately. Two males can share space, but if they are over a year old, they are likely to challenge each other. (And once they get over that, I guarantee they will lock with one another. Which is fine, I guess? At least they're happy? I guess?)

And you REALLY don't want to house snakes of opposite gender together if one is a female between 600 and 1200 grams.

... if you've made it past all those ifs ands or buts, the one big rule is: if you house together YOU MUST FEED SEPARATELY. In general, ball pythons won't attack one another, especially once they've acclimated to a cagemate--but if they smell a mouse, all bets are off. Feed them separately, in cardboard boxes, so they never ever associate the shared space with food.

(If they're males, I recommend introducing them for a few days on neutral territory--that is, not in the tank that the established male already lives in. The stress of a new environment will keep them both on slightly better behavior, and then they'll mostly be over the stress of a new snake. But do keep an eye on them for the first several hours anyway.)

[SkullyB]

well i have a small female she just got over 100 grams i was thinking of adding a second female of about the same proportions and i already knew that the new addition will need to be watched for sickness

[Skiploder]

well i have a small female she just got over 100 grams i was thinking of adding a second female of about the same proportions and i already knew that the new addition will need to be watched for sickness

If you can't quarantine the new animals for a minimum of 90 days, don't do it.

Whatever "watching for sickness" entails, it doesn't cut it.

[TheWinWizard]

No way, no how. Not worth it.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Our first two were sisters.
We had them together with no problems for a couple of months.
The only major issue was they were not putting on and weight.
One would eat every 5 days and the other every 10 days.
When we put them in separate tanks they both started eating every 5 days and growing faster.
Dont know if there was stress or what but they seem healthier in their own homes.

[DellaF]

Why do you want to put them together any way?

[masterofdestiny90]

No way, no how. Not worth it.

x2

[Skittles1101]

<waits patiently for the torches and pitchforks...>

Not a good idea, don't be cheap just buy a separate enclosure lol I've heard a million times and live by it:

There are a ton of ways to save money on your ball pythons, but don't save when it comes to their safety.

Ask any of the "bigtime" breeders what they think about housing together, I bet they'll say "sure, if you want ALL of your snakes dead". Sickness doesn't just show up, and once you notice it, it'll be too late and then ALL your snakes will have it.