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Feeding snakes that are housed together?

Azul/Corazon

Azul/Corazon

New member
Im now keeping my corn and rat snake together since the divider thing wasnt working. They kept managing to get to the other side and dont seem to bother each other. I need help with how to feed them though, I know you shouldnt feed them together in the same cage. But what about putting them back in the cage together? Should I wait a certain amount of time before putting them back?
 
My first suggestion would be to get a second enclosure. The only cannibalism I've experienced first hand (excepting Lampropeltis), has been hatchlings. But a still hungry snake smelling the scent of food on another snake's head would leave the door open to a potential problem. If your feeding bins are proper temp, leaving them in there 24 hours or more might help that... but if that's the case, why not just house one in them?
 
Azul/Corazon said:
Im now keeping my corn and rat snake together since the divider thing wasnt working. They kept managing to get to the other side and dont seem to bother each other. I need help with how to feed them though, I know you shouldnt feed them together in the same cage. But what about putting them back in the cage together? Should I wait a certain amount of time before putting them back?
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Give them at least a half hour before putting them back together, then keep an eye on them for an additional half hour or so, until you can determine that their feeding response has subsided. If the divider just slides in, I would put it up after feeding, then take it back down later... Are they adults?
 
CaptBogart said:
Give them at least a half hour before putting them back together, then keep an eye on them for an additional half hour or so, until you can determine that their feeding response has subsided. If the divider just slides in, I would put it up after feeding, then take it back down later... Are they adults?
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No, they're only about 4 or 5 months.
 
Azul/Corazon said:
No, they're only about 4 or 5 months.
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Oh, then I would at least get a Rubbermade or Sterilite tub for one until you can get the divider repaired, or another tank. That's way too young to cohab if you plan on doing that. I cohab a pair of adults that I'm hoping will mate, but you really don't want to cohab youngins... that could end pretty bad. Just get some silicon/aquarium glue, take the snakes out, and stick your divider back in and seal it really good. Let it dry for 24 - 48 hrs before putting the snakes back in. Some people on here have even siliconed cardboard into their tanks and it's worked. Hope it works out for you...
 
CaptBogart said:
Oh, then I would at least get a Rubbermade or Sterilite tub for one until you can get the divider repaired, or another tank. That's way too young to cohab if you plan on doing that. I cohab a pair of adults that I'm hoping will mate, but you really don't want to cohab youngins... that could end pretty bad. Just get some silicon/aquarium glue, take the snakes out, and stick your divider back in and seal it really good. Let it dry for 24 - 48 hrs before putting the snakes back in. Some people on here have even siliconed cardboard into their tanks and it's worked. Hope it works out for you...
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Its not th divider actually. lol I think it worked, but they somehow managed to get up over it between it and the tank lid. They've been out moving around together and just going on as usual. They dont pay much attention to each other really, one will stick their head out of its hiding place if the other passes by but just goes back to sleep or w/e they're doing in there at the moment once they see whats going on. Fed one today and waited 30 minutes before putting it back in the tank, did fine. Same thing as before just ignoring each other. I fed the other one yesterday.
 
Best thing would be to go to "Family Dollar" or "Dollar General"
or similar store and get a shoebox Sterilite or Rubbermaid for $1
and put one in that. I've seen co-habbing go very bad with little ones.
If you value your snakes like it sounds like you do, it will be a
well spent $1..
 
I really would put them in two different tanks, only thing is. We have only one light to heat with and it would fry them in a 10 gallon tank. They're in a 55 gallon. And right now Im broke x.x I dont get paid much cause I dont work much. Im hoping to get some more hours in soon though. Otherwise Im going to look for a new job so I have money to get them more heating and stuff for a new tank. Luckily they dont bother each other even when they've been fed. Azul stays at the top of the tank all day doing laps around it while Corazon sleeps at the bottom all day and only comes out at night when Azul is sleeping, at the top of course. lol
 
Start saving up to get the other supplies then. I realize that it says you're only 16 but the supplies aren't that expensive.
Please be careful for now, and hopefully your snakes won't hurt each other in the meanwhile. But please consider your situation first before getting any more snakes.
 
Corny Noob said:
Start saving up to get the other supplies then. I realize that it says you're only 16 but the supplies aren't that expensive.
Please be careful for now, and hopefully your snakes won't hurt each other in the meanwhile. But please consider your situation first before getting any more snakes.
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I only get paid $12 a week, not that much. Im not getting anymore snakes, two is enough, and my friend kinda just dumped these on me suddenly. lol The divider worked for a good month or so. But when they discovered they could move from one side to the other by going over the divider between it and the lid, that was over. Im keeping a close eye on them to be sure nothing happens. They've been together now for 3 days now, not including nights they spent together with me unaware till like 12 pm or so when I woke up. lol
 
Well of course you're not going to be able to watch them 24/7 as you've already pointed out.

If you need to temporarly you can get a tub for one of the snakes, those only cost a couple of bucks :)
Keep an eye out on www.craigslist.com for a cheap tank for your other snake.
 
I cant heat it though, Only heat lamp Ive got would fry them and melt a plastic container in seconds placing it on top and probably eventually melting even just holding it over it.
 
Well you said you made twelve bucks a week. In two weeks you would have the money for an undertank heater and a plastic tub.
And if you're using lamps that are that hot then logic would dictate that it's too hot to heat the enclosure you have now.
How are you regulating the heat?
 
Corny Noob said:
Well you said you made twelve bucks a week. In two weeks you would have the money for an undertank heater and a plastic tub.
And if you're using lamps that are that hot then logic would dictate that it's too hot to heat the enclosure you have now.
How are you regulating the heat?
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Ive got a thermostat in the tank to turn the light on and off when needed, I keep the light on one side of the tank to heat it around 85 F. And the tank is large enough that they can go from one side to the other as they please to either cool down or warm up. They're in a 55 gallon aquarium. Lots of hides and plants for them to hide in wherever is comfortable for them at the moment.
 
You know, you could put a plastic tub/Sterlite container inside the 55-gal you have. That way it would still be heated, and you wouldn't have the unpleasant surprise of cannibalism. It does occur with hatchlings, without any previous warning.
 
If your divider fits FAIRLY closely at the top, but they still get around it, try getting a piece of foam weatherstripping to seal across the top of the lid, so it will squish down on the top of the divider when you close the lid. That might be a cheap fix. And then you can put the heat light right in the middle so that it heats both sides. BE SURE that the sticky part is totally stuck to the lid because babies tend to find anything sticky and get stuck. You might even put a piece of the stripping on the top too, so it will stick tightly to the piece inside the cage. Or maybe run a bead of silicone on each side of the stripping and let it dry so that there is no sticky stuff where the snake can get to it. If a baby still gets stuck, use veggie oil to get it loose.

Are you positive of the sexes of the snakes? Are they the same sex, or opposite? You would be surprised how quickly males can mature sometimes, although females, unfortunately, take much longer. You wouldn't want to deal with a gravid, but juvenile, young female.
 
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