More then one?

[Kordie]

I just recevied a text asking if i would want another ball python. I was wondering if I could keep two in the same cage or if they have to be seperate? They are about the same size. And if i can house them together, what size cage would they need? I have my girl in a 55 gal. Thanks

[Daybreaker]

I would separate them, best for the snakes IMO.

[Kordie]

I will know if the lady is gonna give it to me tomorrow. do you think they will be ok for about a week in the same tank. so i can build a new tank

[AK907]

I will know if the lady is gonna give it to me tomorrow. do you think they will be ok for about a week in the same tank. so i can build a new tank

I wouldn't! You are asking for trouble by doing that. You should read the thread about quarantining new arrivals.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...antine-process

[decensored]

technically, they are okay temporarily housed together, they will be stressed, but they will live... however,

I would never do what you are suggesting for the following reasons.

1) Quarantine: Your putting your own animal at risk by potentially exposing it to mites, and diseases which can be potentially life threatening. You should always quarantine for at least 3 months before introducing a new animal to your collection.

2) Unnecessary stress: Sometimes you can't avoid housing your animals together, however this should be very temporary and only under extreme circumstance. For example; I had my place fumigated as a precaution thanks to my neighbors :@ but I had to bring ALL of my ball pythons to a friends house. I had to fit 9 BP's in a 5 bin rack so unfortunately some of the girls got to share a bin for 24 hours. If your just looking to acquire a new pet, I don't consider that an extreme circumstance, or an emergency.

3) Inexperience: I don't want to be "that guy," but I am assuming that your a novice owner. Ball pythons are great pets for beginners because they are very easy to care for, and are quite forgiving.. However, you should do more research and learn as much as you can before deciding to bring more snakes into your collection. You should have things like basic husbandry memorized, as owning multiple reptiles takes a greater commitment and knowledge base. You run the risk of bringing contagions and ailments into the equation that you may not be equipped to handle.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, or make you feel like I'm lecturing. But you should not bring another animal into that enclosure. It's not fair to either of the snakes.

Best of luck,

Chris.

[1nstinct]

deff read the quarantining thread ak posted. as for the 55 how big is you female? after you have done the quarantining process you could always make a divider for the 55 so you have 2 tanks in one saving space and money until you can build 2 different cages. ball stress easily so keep them separate. some snakes do good in a pair housing(carpets).
tom

[Kordie]

thanks for all the advice. I have had my ball for a little under a year. it has taken me 6 years to convince my wife to let me get a snake. the 6 yrs i have been doing alot of searching online and at reptile shows learning how to take care of balls. i am no expert by any means, but i do have basic knowledge. i am in the process of trying to grow my collection, but as i mention, its hard getting past the wife. lol. thanks once again for the advice and i will keep you posted on what i do.

[decensored]

thanks for all the advice. I have had my ball for a little under a year. it has taken me 6 years to convince my wife to let me get a snake. the 6 yrs i have been doing alot of searching online and at reptile shows learning how to take care of balls. i am no expert by any means, but i do have basic knowledge. i am in the process of trying to grow my collection, but as i mention, its hard getting past the wife. lol. thanks once again for the advice and i will keep you posted on what i do.

Cheers,

I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong way.

Best of luck!

[TheSnakeGuy]

A couple years ago I enjoyed having a pair of healthy normal ball pythons. One was about 30 inches and the other was about 35. I obtained them at different times from different people and after a quarantine period of 6 weeks I housed them together in a 55 gallon terrarium, which was perfect size for the two of them. I never did find out their sexes but they coexisted quite nicely. Including spending most of the days wrapped up in each other inside my upside down clay pot hide. I fed them separately in another container and they never skipped more than one meal once in a while. I never had any ill effects and my setup was all the more beautiful because there were 2 snakes. Someday I will like do this again. But for now I'm trying to simply find a single young python with 20 gallon terrarium to begin the journey again. thx

[rabernet]

You would be heart broken if you took this snake, and put them together without quarantine - and then something happened to your first one.

Can they be housed together? Yes - if you're experienced enough to read the subtle signs of stress. Ball pythons don't cuddle - they compete for the perceived best spot in the tank - when "cuddled", one is being dominant, and one is being stressed by being dominated. Even when given huge enclosures - when they're "cuddling", they're competing - kinda like two kids playing - one kid doesn't even realize he wants to play with a particular toy, until the other kid decides to play with it - then suddenly - it's the best toy in the room.

Do we recommend that someone new (and just a year is new) to ball pythons do it? No - not really.

Think about it - wouldn't breeders save space if they could house multiple ball pythons in one enclosure? Do breeders do it? Nope. We prefer to keep them one to an enclosure, except when pairing for breeding. And then, it's only for a few days at a time.