Housing corns together is a question that gets asked on every snake forum on many occasions and it has now got to the stage where I just have a stock answer that I copy and paste for each one which is this:
I think this is the most common question I get asked across the board. For many it is considered hugely controversial and many a heated discussion has ensued in forums across the world as some have very black & white views on this. Oftentimes these opinions are based on their own experiences where mishaps or serious instances have happened which were attributed to shared vivariums.
I have to say, I don't personally advocate one way or another directly. I seriously don't believe that we fully understand even a tiny bit of the emotional needs of a snake to be able to judge their needs in a completely informed way and, therefore, make a valid decision one way or another. It is something that I have given a lot of thought to and, as in everything, my thought processes tend to leave me more indecisive than I was before.
However, there are a number of issues which you do need to be aware of before making a decision. The first issue is of health and stress levels is completely right. A single animal is far easier to monitor than a pair. If one were to regurgitate or produce concerning stools, it is much less harrowing when you know exactly which one they came from instead of having to guess. Stress is an unknown quantity which can have an effect which only shows itself after a long period of time. The result of stress is a reduced immune system and the resultant illness/fatality is rarely attributed to multiple-housing where that was actually the initial cause.
The second issue is, unfortunately, a common one. Through no fault of the breeder particularly, a hatchling can be sexed incorrectly. You may think that you have two females when in fact one of them could actually be a male. (and vice versa) If you stick around the forums I guarantee that around February next year you will hear of at least one story of an unplanned preganancy with a female that is far too small with possible disastrous consequences.
The third issue that is often brought about is that they are solitary animals and many believe that they should be kept alone because of this. This is one that leaves me a little unsure. Yes, they are solitary animals but can we be absolutely certain that this means that they wish to go throughout their entire lives in this way? They may not form packs or family units which we associate with other sociable animals but simply because they do not conform to our limited ideas of what a sociable animal is, does not mean that they do not, to some degree, enjoy meeting others in their travels. Of course, this doesn't mean that they necessarily want to spend their lives cooped up with the same snake either............ a hugely muddied area for me I'm afraid. One that definitely needs further investigation as our understanding of these wonderful creatures develops.
The fourth point is regarding cannibalism and is a shocking occurance. It's not very common - in fact, I would go so far as to say that it is rare among corns. However, this does not mean that it couldn't happen to yours. There are photographs to be found of one hatchling corn devouring another and it's a rather sobering photograph to say the least. That said, I have never yet heard of a cannibalistic incidence involving adult corn snakes. It is for this reason as well as a few others that I ALWAYS advocate seperate development in hatchlings. I may be undecided on adults but hatchlings is a no-go area as far as I'm concerned.
If you do decide to buy another snake then a minimum three month quarantine is advised. The three month quarantine is simply good practice. Parasites and disease can be inherited by a new snake into your collection very easily if you don't quarantine any new animal for investigation and monitoring.
One point that I would like to add to all of the above is that corn snakes temperaments DO change during breeding season. This applies to males and females in varying degrees. Two snakes that happily co-exist together for many months can suddenly be found fighting with each other as they become more territorial and their desire for a mate increases. This could result in one of the snakes being bullied and from there various stress issues could abound including a decreased immune-system.
My own personal experiences with my collection have included separate housing and shared vivs. If you do decide to house corn snakes together then you simply HAVE to know those particular snakes very well and be able to read their body language. If one of your snakes was to become stressed then the symptoms and signs can be quite subtle and are easily missed by someone who has not taken the time out to learn about that particular snake.
Cornman, please be careful when bandying around nationalities as a reason for anything. I frequent and moderate and own various reptile sites and forums in the UK (you may well have heard of many of them :wavey: ) as well and the advice we offer on multiple housing in the UK is, by and large, no different to the advice found in the US. As with all things, all any of us can do is express our own opinions and thoughts on any matter and hope that those who read the advice are intelligent enough to pick through the advice given to choose that which is more applicable and correct. I've taken a look at your website and your two corn snakes (and the one that went missing in October) are not very old. You may well have housed snakes successfully for 15 years but not this pair of corn snakes as they are still too young. We should all only speak from our own experiences but it is only fair that we give an accurate account of that experience so that others have a better ability to judge our words and what they are worth. I'm not having a go at you or anyone else and do not wish to incite an argument here but perhaps it would be better to be able to back-up any "experience" you have.
