Ball Python living with corns

Hey all

Its my birthday in a week and I have been looking for a 2ft corn to live in the same viv as my other 2ft normal corn does. Went to my local Reptial and fish shop to day to see what they had and they had no corns which would live in the same viv wit my other corn. But when I was just about to give up saw a 1 1/2 Ball Python which cost £70. Luckly the guy who breeds most of thesnakes in that shop was there. I talked to him about putting this Python with my 2ft corn and he said that is should be fine because the Python is not bigger than the corn and that the python would only grow to 5ft. So I dicided to get the python next weekend. I know a few people who have Ball Pythons and corns in th same viv so I think i would be ok, but I thought I better ask all of you also.

So please reply telig me what you think.

Thanks

Alex

No, actually it's not ok. Ball pythons do need it hotter and more humid than a corn snake (not to say a corn wouldn't do fine in those conditions, but it would be pushing it), and...
Although the adult lenghts are similar, ball pythons are a lot heavier for their length and could crush a corn. I've read that a large adult corn would be around 700g (the corn snake manual says the largest 6ft corns are only 1000g, and that size is not very common), while the -minimum- breeding size for a female ball python is 1500g!

Ball pythons also are generally more timid and easily stressed than a corn, and an active corn snake cruising around the cage could easily stress it out.

I agree with Pinatamonkey, the needs of these animals are very different.

If you were to keep the two together you would be requiring each to compromise their ideal environment. That would be very unfair to the animals.

Please do some research on Ball Pythons and see if it's the pet for you. I think if you do the research you will see why it's not a good idea to house them together

Good luck and I hope you reconsider.

I agree with the other 2 posters, besides totally different requirements, and the obvious size difference. They are two totally different "types" or species of snakes. I would also be afraid of the BP killing the corn snake. I have 1 BP, he stays in the same room with my corns, but I would never put him in the same viv with them. As the first person said, BP's stress out very easily, and when that happens they usually go off food, and that is a problem you would not want to deal with.
I hope you decide against this, if you want the BP, then get another viv for him to stay in. But like Alicia said, read up on BP care before you decide to purchase. They are alot different to care for than a corn snake. Corns are alot hardier, and more forgiving of mistakes.

With all due respect to the "guy at the petshop" (who might have an alterior motive for telling you that, by the way), I would strongly advise against housing a BP with a corn, for all of the very good reasons given in the above posts.

Your lps dealer probably told you it was ok because he/she wanted to make a sale. I wouldn't do it. Think about this: would you want to live with a gorilla? Not me, it's big hairy and smells bad, that's probably what your corn would be thinking.

Plus wouldn't you feel bad if they did fight and one of them died? Why risk it, just get a rubbermaid tub and seperate them.

yeah this is what I said to Alex he loves this snake so why put it at risk? It really does sound like this 'expert' has no clue as to what he's doing alex, think about it I'm 15 and I realised it would be dumb to put them together so what the heck - this guy calls himself an expert????? And is this the same person that thinks a 23" corn is eatin 2 rat pups??? So anyway if you can't afford a proper vivarium get one of the rubbermaid htings or a plastic carry box and put some heat tape on it or get a corn roughly the same size in the same 1 and as for your eagerness to breed play for time don't rush because if oyu can't ufnd a 2nd vivarium you'll find it VERY hard to fund breeding - sorry but do what you feel and if you do mix the two then good luck to oyu and I'd watch their interaction VERY carefully!



Rach

I agree with everyone, don't house them together. But I'd also like to say ball pythons rock. If you can afford to set it up in it's own cage and are able to do some good research first, I would reccomend a ball as another species to keep besides corns. I have balls and corns and I love my balls for totally different reasons than the corns. They're a nice contrast to own with different personalities and behaviors. If you do decide on the ball, make sure you read up on them as much as possible and if you can, see it eat before you buy it. Also, remember to quarrantine the new snake from the existing one, no matter what type of snake you end up getting. Good luck!

i beg to differ

i have read that the temp for a ball needs to be 80-85 and a 90 basking place. almost the same as a corn snake. the stress it may cause that is different. for example a good freind of mine has a corn and two balls living together he purchased the balls together and the corn a week later the are now almost a year old the only time he seperates them is to feed.
so the choice is yours if it doesnt eat buy a new tank.

Re: i beg to differ

zeek said:

i have read that the temp for a ball needs to be 80-85 and a 90 basking place. almost the same as a corn snake. the stress it may cause that is different. for example a good freind of mine has a corn and two balls living together he purchased the balls together and the corn a week later the are now almost a year old the only time he seperates them is to feed.
so the choice is yours if it doesnt eat buy a new tank.

Click to expand...

Zeek, I beg to differ with you...If his BP' are a year old and he still has a corn in the tank this could be diastrous to the corns...While the temps may be similar, the size is not...Think of this, the average weight of a female breeder sized BP is 1500 grams...The average weight of a good female breeder corn is 300 grams!!!That means an adult BP would weigh almost 5 times the weight of the corn...Take into that, the fact that most females reach this size in 2 yrs...Almost the same time it takes a female corn to reach breeder size...That little corn could get crushed!!!

Just my two cents,

Gregg

Re:

Ok, I've refused to answer before now because I truly feel this is one of those rare "stupid" questions.

Alex, I agree with everyone else here, that a corn and a BP living in the same viv would not be a good thing to do, for various and well documented reasons. I'm not going to repeat those, because several people have already stated them.

Zeek, I think you need to stop and think for a moment. Just because it's been done once doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Hitler killed millions of people because he felt it was the "right" thing to do from his point of view. Was it right? Hell no.

Just because BP's and corns have relatively the same temperature requirements doesn't mean you can stuff them in together. It'd be like putting chickens and peacocks together. While they eat the same food, have the same general requirements...peacocks will die when kept with chickens due to parasites that chickens carry that peacocks have no resistance to.

So maybe you need to go and re-educate your friend on his irresponsible snake husbandry.

So on that note, adieu.

Zeek you are really far off. I understand wanting to help but maybe you should learn a little more about corn and Ball Python husbandry before posting.

I own both these species. For one Ball Pythons DO NOT need the same temps! They need higher temps. Ambient air temp preferred is around 80 for them with a 90 degree hot spot. This would not give a corn enough of a chance to cool down.

Secondly, Ball Pythons need far more humidity during a shed than a corn, as well as needing a slightly higher ambient all the time than a corn.

Need more reasons? O.k. Ball Pythons are shy snakes, and would be terribly stressed by a corn in the same enclosure. Ball Pythons are calm and laid back while corns are a "travelling" type of snake, WAY more active.

Housing different species can pass different things from snake to snake. While a ball python might be fine with a certain parasite or flora, etc, a corn might die from this and visa versa. I don't know much about this aspect of it but its a fact.

Another reason....THERE IS NO REASON! If you cannot afford another enclosure you cannot afford to maintain another snake. There is NO reason that benefits the animal to house together. Not one. Same species or different species. Same answer.

The guy at the pet store? Full blown idiot. If you want to keep your snakes healthy and alive for as long as possible, and stress free, IGNORE whatever this man says to you from now on. Pet stores are bad, but stupid employees giving advice about subjects they obviously know nothing about is worse.

bmm

ok gregg ill admit when im wrong.
so get a larger tank. i myself plan on purchasing a pb and putting it with my two juvinile corns their 19 n 20 inches long. i have a 60 gallon tank. if it doesnt work i have a extremely large rubbermaid storage contaner. i would suggest you do the same (worst case senario)

i really must say i love this place u guys are mean buy being nice i thank u all 4 re educating me spanx a whole buch with love zeek.

Re:

Gee thanks, Homer.

[sarcasm]I forgot, a bigger tank always makes ANY situation better.[/sarcasm]

It's your money and your snakes, waste it. We've given the complete and honest truth, if you want to do it your way, go right on ahead.

zeek said:

ok gregg ill admit when im wrong.
so get a larger tank. i myself plan on purchasing a pb and putting it with my two juvinile corns their 19 n 20 inches long. i have a 60 gallon tank. if it doesnt work i have a extremely large rubbermaid storage contaner. i would suggest you do the same (worst case senario)

Click to expand...

Zeek,

Even if you get a bigger tank, that will not help...The BP can still smother the corn...How are you going to stop the BP from laying on the corn???As for the my doing the same, I do not house any of my snakes together, for any reason, as I see no point in it...It's not natural and can lead to large amounts of stress...Also Bp's have been known to stress out extremely easy and not eat due to the slightest amount of stress...(Bmm correct me if I am wrong...)

zeek said:

i really must say i love this place u guys are mean buy being nice i thank u all 4 re educating me spanx a whole buch with love zeek.

Click to expand...

We are not being mean just trying to steer a future herper in the right direction...

" WORST CASE SCENARIO" Alex does buy a BP and put's it in the same tank as his corns and one or both die due to parasites,fasting,stress,smothering, etc then he may never get another herp because of a bad experience...

The only thing that us "mean" people are trying to do is give advice...Most of it is based on personal experience, facts, and OPINION...

You are really starting off on the wrnog foot here Zeek.

You need to listen to these people, they are experts as close as you can get! When you are new to this hobby you don't make friends by going against decades of research into these species.

Only cheap, uneducated snake keepers would put a Ball Python with a cornsnake. If that's the kind of keeper you want to be, go ahead. But you won't have many snakes for long.

bmm

you guys are rite i am wrong and i was only joking when i said you were mean no hard feelings and this last piece is for evry one dont listen to evry thing you hear(from me)

Hey All

Sorry if I started an argument.

BTW I kept my bp and the corn together for a week AND THEY WERE FINE TOGETHER but I listened to what you guys said and yesterday I decided to get a second had viv and I put my bp in it. So now the snakes are separate and im going to get another corn in a few months which will live with my other corn.

Thanks for all the help everyone

Alex

Are you an expert on snakes? No? Then how do you know they were fine together? A week? LOL That's not even CLOSE to being long enough to have problems show up. THey were fine you say, why Because no one died? Do you even KNOW the symptoms of stress in a ball python OR a cornsnake?

Look you cannot come and say " they were fine" because frankly, you don't know. Secondly its GREAT you seperated them. It's TERRIBLE for those two that they even had to be together for a week. I am glad they are apart now. Very glad. If you listen to these smart people you will learn something and turn into a *good* snake keeper one day and maybe you will be able to help someone else.

bmm