I used to have 2 female rats as pets. I also had 2 snakes, at the time. They were in the same room together. But, they were at opposite ends, if that makes a difference. I handled my rats everyday, after taking a shower, I would handle my snakes. They were still tame as could be. The only time they reacted was during feeding time. I noticed that they had a faster response. Nothing really bad to notice.