co housing snakes

Given the strong opinion against co-habitation on this forum (for all the right reasons) I am impressed that some individuals have stepped up to indicate that they practice it, for specific reasons, at specific times.

I do not recommend housing snakes in groups because most people do it to save space and money, and I believe that if you are going to do it, it will cost you more in time and money than you will save. Individual housing is the safest, most controlled environment we can offer the corns we keep. I housed corns together once in the past, attempting it with two adults females and one went off feed, so I went back to individual housing (and eliminated the 'stress susceptible female from my breeding program!).

I keep animals to learn from them and about them. Some of the reading I have done suggests that solitary life may not be normal for most snake species, that pair bonds may be important for reptiles and that communities exist in nature. It may be that they are not that often recognized because the individuals that are observed most often are not typical, they are just the ones that are easiest to find.

To see the impact of group housing in large cages on young females I chose 3 yearling females to move to a 3'X4'X4' cage with an enriched environment while their sisters remained in the typical rack housing. They were removed to feeding tubs for meals. These girls grew faster, ate more consistently and had, in my assessment - which may be biased, much better body muscle tone than their sisters. They frequent the same locations at the same time, but don't seem to 'interact' much with each other.

I now have two of these enriched environments set up for young females - within each there are snakes that spend more time together than apart, and some that spend most of their time alone, but I don't have the sample size nor the observation time to draw any conclusions - I do find the observation adds to my enjoyment of these guys and the communal housing has not had an observable detrimental effect. I am interested in their performance with breeding next year.

I am also housing some of my adult breeding pairs together (40 gallon wide tanks) after the first observed 'lock-up' this year. In the past the males have always had 'visitation privileges' and returned to their own tub when breeding was confirmed. Though the males are experienced breeders and quite aggressive when first introduced to the girls, I have not seen any suggestions of them persistently hassling or driving the females once left together - as has been suggested to be a potential problem. The pairs I have (currently 4) spend most of their time in the same hide, intertwined. There is breeding activity ususally in the early morning, males still are not feeding and females are removed for feeding. The males explore the tank when the female is removed, have not seemed interested in breeding immediately when she is returned. Again, numbers are low and none of the females have come close to laying yet. If they don't appear willing to settle in their layboxes or appear disturbed, I will return the males to their own tubs, but I do wonder if we sacrifice some of the normal species interaction that might take place in the wild in our efforts to provide complete safety.

Again, I stress, I do not recommend that owners house corns together - mostly because sexing errors are just too common!! Most of my corns are housed individually. But I do suggest that experienced keepers have an open mind and consider that complete safety may not equate to an optimal environment - there may be social and species interaction needs that are not being met in our accepted practices.

just my opinion

mary v.

I tried it for a short period of time with some hatchlings that were already being housed together. it lasted about 3 weeks. One of them would go on and off feed. Seperating them did the trick but the one snake is still half the size of the other and they are sisters. I'm still not an 'absolutly not' person, but for now all my snakes are seperated, including my newly hatched clutch.

some one told me an out come befire, i sid co houding is a 50/50 thing, but then some one said its more like 80/20

and hey, llok at the results, the no is 79!!! closing up on 80

Originally Posted by your_only_nightmare

some one told me an out come befire, i sid co houding is a 50/50 thing, but then some one said its more like 80/20

and hey, llok at the results, the no is 79!!! closing up on 80

sorry....


someone told me an out come before, i said co houding is a 50/50 thing, but then some one said its more like 80/20

and hey, look at the results, the no vote is 79!!! closing up on 80, whoever said it, very good prediction!!!

I never have, nor will I ever, co-hab. These animals are in my care, and are my responsibility. I will care for them as what is optimal for them, not me.

well said angela co habit for the lose

Originally Posted by your_only_nightmare

sorry....


someone told me an out come before, i said co houding is a 50/50 thing, but then some one said its more like 80/20

and hey, look at the results, the no vote is 79!!! closing up on 80, whoever said it, very good prediction!!!

That would be me.

My experiences are, in the past I've kept babies seperate. But around the one year old mark I've set up females together till breeding age. With no noticeable problems. I voted NO for the simple reason that it's more a, better know what your doing and know the signs of an animal stressing out about being together. It's just far easier to keep one snake to each cage. Much easier at feeding times. Plus then you know who regurged that partially digested mouse...or who has that weird colored poo... Ect, ect. Plus the trouble you have when two hungry snakes meet you at the door and you have a hint of mouse on your hands and you want to seperate them...yeah, good luck! Your going to get bitten!
Russell

mine were toghther but when i notced my female was getting stressd from my male constantly want to breed with her i seperated them, now shes much more calm than what she was. so my answer is no!!!

Originally Posted by ratsncorns

I never have, nor will I ever, co-hab. These animals are in my care, and are my responsibility. I will care for them as what is optimal for them, not me.

Exactly how I feel too. Well said.