zoos housing snakes together

[Painted]

:agrees with skip:


Why is is so terrible to house these 2 snakes together?

Using this pic and statements and adding an example: In PA copperheads and timber rattlers live in the same area and have similar husbandry. So in the wild, it is quite possible for these 2 snakes to cross paths without incident and possibly overlap territories. When I was a kid and watched the discovery channel and they would show pictures or video of rhinos, zebras, giraffes, lions, hyhenas etc all drinking from the same water hole at the same time without incident, does that mean the rhinos and zebras kept at the philly zoo should be cohabbed together? There are many animals outside of snakes in the philly zoo which are cohabbed. If their needs are met, then why not? It gives a more natural veiwing of how these animals would intereact in the wild.

I will agree some enclosures should/could be set up bigger or better, IMO. Most of the time, they fit the need(s) of the animal/animals kept their in.


Sometimes studying our animals/pets instead of "keeping" them can open our minds to greater capacity for thinking, viewing, and understanding.

Timbers and coppers live together in Kentucky as well. I have seen them huddled together in dens or underneath fallen trees. In my opinion it is not a bad thing to house animals together in captivity that house themselves together in the wild. As long as they are not predatory against each other or ill from overcrowding and stress.

EDIT: To go off what Bcr229 said, I do think the enclosure was extremely small if it's only 3x3 but then again I wonder if that is only a temporary display and if the animals are moved into larger enclosures away from public eye. I am not picking a side on the debate, because I know nothing of zoo practice. But I think there is a lot to be learned on both sides. The zoo perspective as well as the personal hobbyist or keeper.