Keeping snakes communally

[Hairless]

Originally Posted by razeraze

How ever introducing two adults with out prior interaction often ends in fatal consequences.

I strongly dissagree with this statement.....When adult snakes are properly seasoned and then introduced; rarely are there problems and even more rare would a fatality result. Even when not done properly this introduction will rarely lead to a fight let alone a fatality.

[razeraze]

I strongly dissagree with this statement.....When adult snakes are properly seasoned and then introduced; rarely are there problems and even more rare would a fatality result. Even when not done properly this introduction will rarely lead to a fight let alone a fatality.

Well since I do not breed animals, I can only relay what breeders have told me. Many have had retics that left nasty wounds on each other which led to infection and sometimes death, kingsnakes and king cobras have eaten their partners, boa and ball pythons have given minor injuries to their mates, African rocks have left nasty wounds on mates and burms have left mild wounds on mates.
All of these snakes were introduced and not housed together, but perhaps they were all doing it wrong.

[Hairless]

My issue is with your choice of words: "often". I don't believe it happens often. If you posted a poll, how many people would have first hand knowledge of an introduction leading to a fatality? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I don't know anyone (in person) that has had this happen and it isn't very often I 'hear' of it happening....

[razeraze]

You're right it may not be as common in snakes as it is in monitors or crocodilians, but I am comparing it to housing together two snakes properly. From the people I know who do both, more incidents have occurred from introducing than housing together with snakes.

With monitors and crocodilians about equal attacks happen regardless of introduction or housing together.

[FANG]

Why Mix Them Up? If You Dont Have Enough Space For Your Pets Well Maby You Got To Many!!!!

[DavidD]

I have room but I and many zoos house snakes together. I posted the same thread on another site with good results. I firmly belive snakes can live together. General - Housing snakes together? - Reptilicious Reptile Forum

[danktat]

From your forum

WE keep corns and have 3 in one viv and 2 in the other. The larger corns have always bene togetther sicne day 1 and are now over 2 yrs old - thought we had 1 M 2 F but turns out they are 3 Females. Always take them out and put in tubs for feeding then spray then and put them back after feeding. Same with the other 2 corns Theyve lived happily together since we got the 2nd one and again are fed in seperate tubs, sprayed and put back after feeding. We have foudn that if the larger corns are seperated to long, they are looking for each other and spend most of their times together huddled up.
David i had a very bad time on an american forum about this about 2 yrs ago - it got so bad that it wasnt me they were digging at but my son - telling him he knew nothing about snakes and it got real nasty! at the time he may we have noyl be 13-14 BUT was working in a reptile shop and knows his stuff. I found it absolutly disgusting they way so called ADULTS spoke to both me and George. Never visited the site again!
There are risks, but then there are risks in life you just have to be sensible about it and monitor them.

The other side from here...

Corn Snake Care Sheet

Enclosure requirements: It is easy and pretty affordable to provide enclosures for corn snakes. Babies (8 to 10 inches) to juveniles (10"-20") can be housed in Kritter Keepers or in 5½g aquariums (16"x8"x10"). When herpetoculturists start amassing large amounts of corn snakes they obtain racks and keep their small corns in shoe-sized plastic containers. I would always house them in their own cage; cannibalism, though rare, does happen at times. It is also dangerous to feed multiple snakes in the same cage.

and a pic to prove it....

CornSnakes.com Forums - View Single Post - Introducing A New Adult Corn to My Current Adult Corn

I know you really are looking for support on this but the risks are too great for me to say it is a good idea. Sorry.

[Botis]

I dont see the point in a communal setup for snakes.

They dont feel joy, pleasure, or companionship... argue this point all you want but they dont. Simple medical fact. There brains dont have higher functions like this. They cant be happy together.

So why house them together permanently?

It boils down to either you cant afford an extra cage, dont have room for one, or you think that the snakes are 'happy together.'

So why do people argue this endlessly?

[rocketcrotch]

You know, I wouldnt house two together, ever. But, I do a lot of my community service at the zoo here in my town, and every single non venomous snake is kept with as many as 4 other snakes of the same species. I wonder why a zoo, who is supposedly an authority on animals, would do this knowing the risks and inconveniences?

[danktat]

Zoos don't always do what is "best" for the animals that reside there. They do what is best for that zoo, it's spacial issues, and disply purposes. IE: The Philadelphia Zoo has two dumerils housed together. If each had the large space that is in that single enclosure they couldn't get as many animals in the reptile house. That would be one less space for another exhibit.