Opinions are always going to change, especially with the web. We are able to better share information now thanks to the internet.
I have books on ball python care that go all the way back to 1989 that tell me every ball python I find is going to be wild caught, sick and infested with parasites and I just got into ball pythons last year.
Our knowledge of their care has greatly expanded in the past few years which is how we have arrived at the opinion that you shouldn't house two snakes together. It stresses them out. Honestly you listed the caveats to housing them together, so why would you want to even chance it?
Technically they can be housed together, but no one recommends that any more because of the risks involved. Zoos and pet stores also aren't the best examples to look at. They both have lots of problems that I don't feel like going into right now, suffice to say they run on procedures that were written years ago and they aren't willing to change. I recently read an article about a zoo keeper who was fired for killing a corn snake on accident because of their feeding procedures.
I don't know what videos you have seen, but some breeders will keep baby snakes together until they shed for the first time which is different than permanently housing them together. Housing snakes together at shows is also different because it's temporary.
At the end of the day it's ultimately your choice on what you want to do in regards to your snakes, but I don't know anyone here who would recommend you house any snake together.
Reply With Quote