Keeping Ball Pythons together

[Jorshaw]

I am thinking i may put two of my ball pythons together. I already feed them outside their cages so that is not going to be a problem. Also they are both healthy and parasite free. I have raised them both from babies and know thier history quite well. Also they are of the same size almost excatly. The cage is a custom built cage that is 4 foot long X 3 foot deep X 3 foot tall. Will they be ok?

[charliegirl]

Wow, that is a very big enclosure. If kept in cages too big, they can become stressed out. Also, don't you find it difficult to regulate temps/humidity with something that big? There's been debate about whether you should house multiple BP's together if you're not breeding, but if you do, if one gets sick, the other most likely will too. Same with mites... Also, it might stress one of or both the snakes out living with another snake. My neighbor has 2 BPs and keeps them in the same tank. There are 3 hides, but they both like this ONE hide (no matter where it is placed in the tank), so they fight over it. I'm not saying this would happen if you choose to keep yours in the same tank, but it is a possibility. Anyway, my two cents.

[nixer]

I am thinking i may put two of my ball pythons together. I already feed them outside their cages so that is not going to be a problem. Also they are both healthy and parasite free. I have raised them both from babies and know thier history quite well. Also they are of the same size almost excatly. The cage is a custom built cage that is 4 foot long X 3 foot deep X 3 foot tall. Will they be ok?

no they should not be housed together!
that cage is way too big for a ball python!

There's been debate about whether you should house multiple BP's together if you're not breeding, but if you do, if one gets sick, the other most likely will too. Same with mites... Also, it might stress one of or both the snakes out living with another snake. My neighbor has 2 BPs and keeps them in the same tank. There are 3 hides, but they both like this ONE hide (no matter where it is placed in the tank), so they fight over it. I'm not saying this would happen if you choose to keep yours in the same tank, but it is a possibility. Anyway, my two cents.

debate? where? i have yet to see anything that said its ok to keep them together.

[snakecharmer3638]

Is there any way you can split that cage so that they each have their own separate space?

[JKExotics]

No debate you really shouldn't. I haven't read anything that states it's ok to house them together, it's just NOT a good idea.

[charliegirl]

I'm not saying I recommend it, just stating that there has been debate.

http://www.vareptilerescue.org/ballpyth.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...6163736AAeTiT2

Also, here's one from our own ball-pythons.net forum:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=16607

(I personally don't recommend it for risks I stated above.)

[irock_2006]

Is there any way you can split that cage so that they each have their own separate space?

AWESOME IDEA...mad props to you! Lol...
I was just in Home Depot the other day, nice big sheet of Acrylic (Plexiglass) can be found in the doors/windows section. Less than $20, would be easy to split that big enclosure in two!

Will still need alot of "clutter" in each side though..