housing?

[lik3n]

so i have a 3 and a half foot ball python in a 44 gallon tank, very nice setup, i think. but my roommate just got a baby ball python yesterday, and i was curious if he could put that one in with mine. i meant to ask my boss at work today since he's reptile master in my town, but i forgot. this may sound like a n00b question, but i wasn't sure.

thanks

[iceman25]

Hi lik3n and welcome to the forums. I would advice against putting the newcomer in the same enclosure as the adult. I would recomend that the new comer be quarantied for a period of time to see if he/she has any parasites or diseases that could be spread to the adult. Also remember to wash hands after you handle the small one, as this is would prevent the transmission of the aforementioned to the adult. Once again welcome to the forums. Please feel free to use the search function, as this is an invaluable tool on the net. Welcome to the best Ball Python community in the world

[Anonymous]

well I am still new but I have read that it is a bad idea even if the snakes are the same size.


good luck
JR

[iceman25]

Size does not matter. I would advice against mixing smal, big, medium, large unless they have been quarantined for a period of time.

[Marla]

It's best to house your ball pythons separately on a permanent basis so that they don't have to compete for space, security, or thermoregulation, but at the very least it is advisable to do as Raj suggested and quarantine for an adequate period (MINIMUM 30 days, 90 is better).

By the way, as far as almost all of us are concerned, n00b questions are WELCOMED here. We would far rather you ask questions and learn than not ask and risk making a dangerous mistake. Your roommate should look into setting up a Sterilite setup, as they're inexpensive to set up and easy to maintain, and may be a good choice for him.

[Smynx]

Welcome to the forum!

It's generally not a good idea to keep two snakes in the same enclosure regardless of their size. For health and wellbeing, it's best to give snakes their own space. They are not "social" creatures, so they won't benefit from interacting with each other. And for your own purposes, it's much better to have them housed separately. For instance, if you see some funky looking poo in the enclosure, you'll want to know who it came from in order to make sure there are no health problems like internal or external parasites.

We're photo junkies here, so post some pics of your snakes and your enclosures when you get a chance.

[JLC]

Welcome to the forums! Like Marla said, we're here to answer every newbish question we can get our hands on! :wink:

[lik3n]

thanks for answering my question. i figured it would be a bad idea, but i just wanted to make sure before i DIDN'T do it.

[green_man]

Dont be afraid to ask lots of questions! There are no stupid questions when it comes to the well-being of herps! The more you ask the more you learn!
I hope ya find this site helpfull!
cya round