housing mutliple bp,s

[sg1trogdor]

i know theres a thread on this but it doesnt specify male/female or male/male etc. i want to buy another female the same age as mine (roughly 10 months to a year) would there be any problems i understand that all snakes are different and what may work for one may not for another but has anyone succesfully done this i want to have 2 females ready to breed in about a year or soo. and would rather raise them myself rather then buy a mature one later down the road i have a rather large tank (75 gal) thanks

[JLC]

One snake...one enclosure. That is, without a doubt, the very BEST way to house your snakes...regardless of sex, age, or size.


Ball pythons can survive together in a single enclosure...but if you truly want your snakes to THRIVE, then they must have their own home.

They are solitary creatures by nature, and do not feel any need for "companionship." In fact, another snake in their territory can feel threatening. One is liable to dominate the other, causing excess stress, which can lead to the snake refusing to eat, and other health issues. If you see runny stool in the cage, you won't know which snake is sick....although....if they're housed together, if one snake gets sick, most likely they BOTH will...double-the-vet-bills. And not to mention...the uncommon, but very possible risk of one snake eating the other.

If you want to do the best thing for your snakes...just plan from the get-go to house them separately.

EDIT: And one more thing to add....there's also the possibility of an unplanned mating, which can lead to a female who is too small to bear healthy eggs having serious complications. Even if you THINK you have the same sex sharing a cage, it's all too easy to mistake sexing a ball python.

[Flagg]

House them separately. If cost is an issue, use sterilite tubs and flexwatt for heat. You can run multiple tubs off the same thermostat or rheostat if the tubs are the same size and the flexwatt or other heat sources are identical.

There is no good reason to house snakes together. None.

[casperca]

House your snakes seperately. Also, a 75 gal. tank is way too big for a BP. 40 breeder is the max size for a full sized ADULT. Juvinilles should be kept in a 20 long. Tubs are much easier to control temps and humidity. I recommend getting two of those.

[AT6CL]

If you really plan on working with what you have, maybe you can just divide the tank in half. Use a UTH at opposite ends of the tank and you should have two separate hab's.

Any one else think this can be done?

[Nate]

yeah some people do divide their tanks. it's a great idea.

If you intend on getting more, than do what's been mentioned and get a rack system (buy or build). they save a ton of space and clean up is so much easier!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Ball pythons are solitary animals and do not require companionship, by housing multiple BP in the same enclosure it will create problems such as stress, going of feed, spreading of diseases, parasites, mites, injuries and sometimes even death. 1 BP = 1 Enclosure

i know theres a thread on this but it doesnt specify male/female or male/male etc. i want to buy another female the same age as mine (roughly 10 months to a year) would there be any problems i understand that all snakes are different and what may work for one may not for another but has anyone succesfully done this i want to have 2 females ready to breed in about a year or soo. and would rather raise them myself rather then buy a mature one later down the road i have a rather large tank (75 gal) thanks

[Stewart_Reptiles]

It could be done but remember it could still stress them if they can see one another, and keep in mind that if you bring in a new BP you must observe strict quarentine and keep your BP in seperate enclosure and room for a minimum of 30 days.

If you really plan on working with what you have, maybe you can just divide the tank in half. Use a UTH at opposite ends of the tank and you should have two separate hab's.

Any one else think this can be done?

[bigballs]

the most costly investment when it comes to reptiles is the enclosure. you can get a bp for $50 but after purchasing the tank, heat lamp, bulbs and all the furnishings the total cost can even triple the cost of the animal or more.

if you cant afford the necessities of keeping the animal alive and healthy, then the animal should be left to someone else who can.

but as stated above there are more cost effective alternatives to glass aquariums and heat lamps...