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Behavior General topics or questions concerning the way your cornsnake may be acting.

Will a corn snake eat other snakes?
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Old 04-13-2011, 11:59 PM   #11
boabass6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypancistrus View Post
The cost of keeping snakes correctly, in single tubs or vivs, is so minimal compared to the cost of keeping other animals correctly that it literally boggles my mind why people even consider cohabbing their snakes.

We are adopting a horse that was sent to slaughter early last year and rescued by a local horse group. Here are the costs:
- $400 rescue fee
- $150-200 to purchase the fencing wire to repaire/strengthen to draft standards the pasture she will be in
- $60 for posts
- $400+ to have her hauled to Virginia (or twice that much to repair the inlaws trailer)
- $40-70 a month to feed her
- $30 every 2 months to have a farrier visit
- Vet bills, as needed

We have two juvenile rabbits. The purchase cost of them was $40-$50 a piece. The neuter surgery and pre-neuter exam will total $119. The spay and pre-spay exam will total $145. Their cage was purchased new a few years back for about $100 bucks. Food? $30 a month. Hay? $40 a month.

Let's not even get into dogs and cats, with their required immunizations and high health care and feed costs.

So given how expensive other animals can be to purchase and maintain, why would we bother to cry about the cost of purchasing individual housing for our snakes??

The only reasons to house snakes together are because it's more convenient or interesting for the person keeping them. There are no valid, good reasons to house the snakes together for the snakes sake. They do not readily choose to live in close confines in the wild-- and they don't "like" to associate in captivity.

Couple this with the fact that very real and valid health risks are possible, including but not limited to egg-binding from an unplanned breeding, transfer of parasites, regurge issues and canibalization, and you've got a situation that works right up until the point that it doesn't work, and your snakes life and health are forefeit because you chose to make a decision that appealed to you without considering what is best for the animal.

That is the height of irresponsible animal ownership.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0


I should point out that I did an experiment. I put two heat sources under the bull snake enclosure and I broke up the snakes. They are curled up together at the back end of the cage. My boas also curl together. They are hardly ever separated. If they hated each other, I believe the first thing they'd do is try to get away from one another, but they don't.

Here is what snakes do:
Hunt, Eat, Sleep, Defecate, Mate, and repeat. Snakes get stressed if they can't move around enough in captivity, or if they think something is a predator about to eat them. There is no psychology I know of about snakes hating one another. I believe there are some species of snakes which are more aggressive than others, but I do not think they hate other snakes or get too stressed out in captivity because they are in one cage. I don't believe they care. If the snakes were too stressed out then they would likely show it by trying to find a way out all the time but they don't.
 
Old 04-14-2011, 12:26 AM   #12
ZoologyGirl
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan803 View Post
Some snakes have lived long, happy lives with another of the same size, species, and sex.
And some people live long happy lives smoking cigarettes, but it's not worth the risk (to me at least).
 
Old 04-14-2011, 12:30 AM   #13
reptile65
Quote:
Originally Posted by boabass6 View Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0


I should point out that I did an experiment. I put two heat sources under the bull snake enclosure and I broke up the snakes. They are curled up together at the back end of the cage. My boas also curl together. They are hardly ever separated. If they hated each other, I believe the first thing they'd do is try to get away from one another, but they don't.

Here is what snakes do:
Hunt, Eat, Sleep, Defecate, Mate, and repeat. Snakes get stressed if they can't move around enough in captivity, or if they think something is a predator about to eat them. There is no psychology I know of about snakes hating one another. I believe there are some species of snakes which are more aggressive than others, but I do not think they hate other snakes or get too stressed out in captivity because they are in one cage. I don't believe they care. If the snakes were too stressed out then they would likely show it by trying to find a way out all the time but they don't.
If you already think this is what's best for your snakes, and you're just going to argue your point despite what advice people give you, why even ask in the first place?
 
Old 04-14-2011, 12:36 AM   #14
OkeeteeMom
Quote:
Originally Posted by boabass6 View Post
The question lies in the title.
Will a corn snake eat another snake...given the right opportunity, "yes".
 
Old 04-14-2011, 12:55 AM   #15
Iguanagirl8662
Quote:
Originally Posted by reptile65 View Post
If you already think this is what's best for your snakes, and you're just going to argue your point despite what advice people give you, why even ask in the first place?
Exactly. If you already have it set in your mind that you are right and you don't want to believe what everyone tells you then go ahead a do it. I feel bad for your animals and hope you never experience a real problem. If something goes wrong don't come crying here because we already told you the proper way to house your snakes that causes the least amount of stress or unnecessary risks but we must all be crazy.
 
Old 04-14-2011, 01:00 AM   #16
Naagas
This has gotten away from the original question.

Yes, there is a chance that the corn will eat another snake. Corns are opportunistic eaters, and they have an instinct to kill and eat warm, moving things.
I wouldn't risk it.

I know very little about cohabbing other species of snakes. I do know that cohabbing corns is dangerous because they have been known to attack each other, even if they have never attacked before.
Who was it on this board who just had two males die from being housed for a week with females? Two males killed inside of a week. I wouldn't house corns with any snakes.

Some people cohab, and they do so with few problems, but attacks and deaths happen too often for my peace of mind.
 
Old 04-14-2011, 01:11 AM   #17
VickyChaiTea
Quote:
Originally Posted by boabass6 View Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0


I should point out that I did an experiment. I put two heat sources under the bull snake enclosure and I broke up the snakes. They are curled up together at the back end of the cage. My boas also curl together. They are hardly ever separated. If they hated each other, I believe the first thing they'd do is try to get away from one another, but they don't.

Here is what snakes do:
Hunt, Eat, Sleep, Defecate, Mate, and repeat. Snakes get stressed if they can't move around enough in captivity, or if they think something is a predator about to eat them. There is no psychology I know of about snakes hating one another. I believe there are some species of snakes which are more aggressive than others, but I do not think they hate other snakes or get too stressed out in captivity because they are in one cage. I don't believe they care. If the snakes were too stressed out then they would likely show it by trying to find a way out all the time but they don't.
No need to be insulting.

Do you think the snakes like each other or something? Just because they are on top of each other all the time? Even if you put two heat sources in the cage, there will always be a better spot. Snakes curl around each other to compete for the best spot. This is just very simple and proven to be true. Imagine the stress that is being caused by constantly competing for the best spot every single day for the rest of your captive life. It works adversly for your snakes and can be very easily avoided.

Your logic seems to lie in the fact that statistically there has to be some time where it does work out. Just like statistically people can smoke their whole lives without developing severe health problems, or people can have sex many times without getting pregnant. You are relying on chance to keep your snakes alive. I think if your truly sit down and think about the risks of cohabitation in snakes, you'll understand and accept the logic presented before you and separate them.

True, your snakes may live their whole lives and be perfectly fine... but there is also the very real risk of them dying because of what you're doing. Is it really worth saving some space?
 
Old 04-14-2011, 01:14 AM   #18
Naagas
Snakes are territorial. They curl up together to fight over territory.
Not out of affection.

Snakes don't feel affection toward each other. They are snakes. Not dogs.

But, that is neither here nor there. Corns will eat snakes.
People will cohab and say that their corns have never eaten each other or other snakes.
It doesn't happen every time. Like Vicky says, it is a game of chance.
 
Old 04-14-2011, 01:48 AM   #19
Allalaskan
So let me get this strait........ you ask if its safe to cohab your corn with your younger snakes, then when told no you argue about it?

What was the point of this Thread again?
 
Old 04-14-2011, 02:11 AM   #20
Naagas
There are always cohabbing threads, and they usually descend into fights. Sigh.

In all fairness, he was asking about the saftey of different species with corns rather than corns with corns or boas with boas.
He is defending same-species cohabbing.

I do get tired of seeing this same argument over and over, though.
In the end, there doesn't seem to be much of a point.

I will agree, however, that some experienced snake keepers decide that it is worth the risk to cohab and they are successful with it. Yay. Not my snakes. My snakes are not risk takers. They are safe as houses.
 

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