co housing snakes

Here we go again! With all the excellent reasons not to cohabitate that have been documented on this forum, I have yet to find one good reason for the cohabitation of corn snakes. People insist that they want to do everything possible to properly care for their snakes. And yet, they persist in housing their snakes together saying the snakes "like to be together". That's okay. We thoroughly enjoy the steady stream of threads about how one snake ate the other, how a 2 year old 150 gram female just laid eggs and is on death's door, how snakes are sick because there was no quarantine or due to the constant stress of being in the same viv as another snake, and of course, these lovely (and ancient - I really love the threads where the original start date is 2 years old) threads about cohabitation itself.

7Dseven - Cohab your snakes if you want to, but I can't promise that sometime in the future we won't be forced to say "We told you so!"

All other CS.com members - It's been hashed too many times, we aren't going to change his mind, he has to find out the hard way, so don't even waste your time and move on to another thread.

My snake rack faces the tv in my front room, right now 4 of my snakes are at the front of their tubs looking out. My tubs are large, have substrate for the snakes to burrow in, plenty of hides and artificial plants for them to climb through.
I've seen someone with a co-hab collection in large vivs, an experienced keeper who was happy with his set-up. I prefer to keep my snakes separate to avoid any of the known drawbacks.
As Susan said, there really isn't much of a case for co-habbing in the eyes of most members here and plenty of evidence against it. Ultimately though, they're your snakes, it's your choice how you keep them. Having rescued them, maybe large separate vivs would be more acceptable than a rack system for you. Without the facilities to provide separate vivs though, maybe they'd be better rescued by someone else

Here's a thread from yesterday:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sho...230#post636230

Originally Posted by Roy Munson

Here's a thread from yesterday:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sho...230#post636230

Cor blighme.......Who would of thought that would happen....You live and learn......
Does the co-hab threat only happen with corns as I've just put my King snakes together. Though, I will be watching them like a hawk, just as soon as I get home...

Originally Posted by 7Dseven

I could make a rack of plastic containers and fit piles of them in a small space, but I choose not to do that. I want the snakes to have room and a natural habitat. I want them to be happy and I want to enjoy watching them as well.

You're snakes are "happy," huh? How exactly do you know that? How exactly are you allowing your snakes room and a natural habitat when you're sticking two in the same confined space?

Not all racks are made with 32qt tubs (which are more then sufficient for the average adult cornsnake). Nanci has two racks that are made up of 66qt tubs. I would guess they're the size of a 30g, and the two racks looks to me like they take up the floor space of one 55g tank.

Reading through this extensive thread and many others just like it, I get the idea that the case against co-hab is long and well thought out. What about the case in favor of ch-hab?

I don't have room for more vivs.
I like the way it looks to have several together.
My snakes are best friends.
I don't want her to be lonely.
How would you like to live in a plastic tub all by yourself.
I've always done it this way.
The guy at Wal-Mart said it would be OK. (sorry)
It is the way God intended.


I'm sure I missed some but I can't think of any other good reasons. Can the co-habbers help me with ideas?

Originally Posted by snakewispera snr

Cor blighme.......Who would of thought that would happen....You live and learn......
Does the co-hab threat only happen with corns as I've just put my King snakes together. Though, I will be watching them like a hawk, just as soon as I get home...

King snakes eat other snakes. If you put them together, one will eat the other. Only put them together for bredding and dont leave them. Keep a close watch and seperate them asap. My friend breeds kings and he has lost several, when he had to leave them together longer than he normally does. The latest was a new 4 ft male. He put it in with his 5 ft female over night. Next morning he had a very fat female.

Originally Posted by 7Dseven

cohabbing king snakes is a no no

As is cornsnakes.

Originally Posted by 7Dseven

King snakes eat other snakes. If you put them together, one will eat the other. Only put them together for bredding and dont leave them. Keep a close watch and seperate them asap. My friend breeds kings and he has lost several, when he had to leave them together longer than he normally does. The latest was a new 4 ft male. He put it in with his 5 ft female over night. Next morning he had a very fat female.

Are you sure.....The guy at petsmart said it was fine..And when I put them together they all looked pleased to see each other.
I'll check on them as soon as I get home from work...

My guess would be Mike's pulling his/her leg...