Your opinion

[StrictlyScales]

Is it okay to house several baby balls together??? I have 1. Pastel, .1 Mojave, 1.1 Het Orange Ghost, .1 Normal, and 1. Het Albino. They range from 4-7 months old. Eventually I plan to separate them but if they are okay being housed together for now then I would rather go that route for the time being. I would of course separate them for feeding. What is your opinion on this????

[Aaron_S]

The general consensus is that it's a terrible idea. If you have the money to buy those animals, which for all of them together is roughly $1000 then I think you should be able to afford housing them all seperately.

[mykee]

No. It is not ok to house them together. If you had the money to buy the animals, you should have had the foresight to have purchased a book on the captive husbandry of ball pythons and read it.
Seriously people, this is Ball Python Care 101.

[citysnakes]

well really ball pythons are solitary animals and should not be housed together for tons of reasons. for example a sick BP will spread its illness to all other cagemates and dominance issues will cause some BPs to do worse than others.

a big part of keeping any reptile is providing proper living conditions and that should be one of the very first things you should know before making an investment in a single animal let alone multiple animals.

im gonna have to agree with Aaron and Mike because investing in a reptile means gathering the necessary equipment to provide proper husbandry and going out of your way to posess some knowledge that is necessary to care for them properly.

so my opinion would be seperate them asap or sell them to someone who can house and care for them properly.

good luck.

[StrictlyScales]

No. It is not ok to house them together. If you had the money to buy the animals, you should have had the foresight to have purchased a book on the captive husbandry of ball pythons and read it.
Seriously people, this is Ball Python Care 101.

I currently have them house separately in Exoterra tanks... The problem with the Exoterras is that they take up alot of room and my reptile room is really small. I was considering building shelving for the exoterras to stack on but dont have enough room to build shelves and keep the exoterras in the room. I live with other people so leaving tanks everywhere is not an option. I was not talking about housing them in the same enclosure for a long period of time... Maybe a period of a week or so, so that I can get shelving and racks built. Believe me when i tell you that i have read seveal books and have taken all the necessary steps in order to achieve proper husbandry. (Including volunteering at the local zoo) I have had several people tell me that keeping them in one or two tanks while the building takes place would be okay. I posted on this thread to inquire wether there would be any ill effects on them and for your opinions on the matter... Not for you to put on you super-snake keeper cape and tights and criticize and assume. I know there are alot of people who get snakes and simply dont think everything out fully but i can assure you that I am not one of them. A simple yes because of this.. or no because of that would have sufficed.

[StrictlyScales]

I have everything needed in order to keep these guys the way that they need to be. I was inquiring into this so that I could organize their tanks properly and house them the way that they needed to be housed while this takes place. I have gotten responses on bothe sides of the fence and hence the post. I am trying to do the right thing for them so that this goes off smoothly. I did not feel the need to write a post that is a page and a half long to get a simple answer.

[PDXErik]

I currently have them house separately in Exoterra tanks... The problem with the Exoterras is that they take up alot of room and my reptile room is really small. I was considering building shelving for the exoterras to stack on but dont have enough room to build shelves and keep the exoterras in the room. I live with other people so leaving tanks everywhere is not an option. I was not talking about housing them in the same enclosure for a long period of time... Maybe a period of a week or so, so that I can get shelving and racks built. Believe me when i tell you that i have read seveal books and have taken all the necessary steps in order to achieve proper husbandry. (Including volunteering at the local zoo) I have had several people tell me that keeping them in one or two tanks while the building takes place would be okay. I posted on this thread to inquire wether there would be any ill effects on them and for your opinions on the matter... Not for you to put on you super-snake keeper cape and tights and criticize and assume. I know there are alot of people who get snakes and simply dont think everything out fully but i can assure you that I am not one of them. A simple yes because of this.. or no because of that would have sufficed.

No. If I am cleaning one cage, I'll put the occupant in another for a matter of 20 minutes or so, but never overnight unless they are breeding. Even for short periods of time, ball pythons get pretty stressed even with their own sort.

I'd go hit Goodwill or a second hand store for a shelving unit. There is likely something that you can use to just stack the existing enclosures on.

[citysnakes]

Is it okay to house several baby balls together??? I have 1. Pastel, .1 Mojave, 1.1 Het Orange Ghost, .1 Normal, and 1. Het Albino. They range from 4-7 months old. Eventually I plan to separate them but if they are okay being housed together for now then I would rather go that route for the time being. I would of course separate them for feeding. What is your opinion on this????

your first post gave us the impression that your ball pythons are already being housed together "for the time being". if youre gonna get all defensive after reading the opinions that you asked for, then dont ask man. no need to be rude.

look man when keeping reptiles there are many things that some agree with and others dont but then there are facts that are the truth whether you agree with them or not. housing two ball pythons together is not good practice for tons of reasons and im sure the several books youve read must have said that.

im open minded when it comes to how people keep their animals because i know different things work for different people and their animals but one thing i will always disagree with is housing multiple ball pythons together for any duration. breeding BPs is a whole different story though. ;)

[PDXErik]

My theory is that ball pythons taste like a cross between peppered bacon and lobster tail and therefore are the most sought after food in the animal kingdom. They know this and are understandably paranoid for their own tasty survival.

[StrictlyScales]

Maybe I should have been more specific about how they are currently set up. Still doesnt excuse people assuming the worst rather than finding out the truth by asking the right questions. Alot of people in these forums are too quick to write a sarcastic response and critisize rather than spend 2 minutes to find out the situation and try to make it better. Im trying to improve the situation for my snakes not make it worse for them and this shouldnt automatically label me as a slacker snake keeper that is not informed about the general husbandry that they require. Instead of assuming why not offer up other alternatives???

Lets start over....

My tanks are everywhere and I am looking to build shelving and racks to better suit my snakes needs as well as provide additional heat via flexwatt heat tape and a rheostat. My problem is that i dont have room to make the necessary renos and keep all of the tanks in the same room. I also have several people that live with me and leaving the tanks everywhere is not an option. I was told by several people that housing them together while the construction was taking place would be okay. What is evveryones opinion on this and is there any ill effects that could put my snakes at jeopardy. If this were an option I would be willing to feed them seperately. Please.... If you have any suggestions that would help, I welcome them. Also would like any alternatives that you might have. I will make sure to be very clear on anything posted on here in the future to prevent the lynch mob mentality. Thanks

Hope this clarifies everything...

[StrictlyScales]

My theory is that ball pythons taste like a cross between peppered bacon and lobster tail and therefore are the most sought after food in the animal kingdom. They know this and are understandably paranoid for their own tasty survival.

LOL. Thanks for the humor. Be careful though... Its a tough crowd in here! :)

[PDXErik]

LOL. Thanks for the humor. Be careful though... Its a tough crowd in here! :)

heheeh.

As per your last post, my opinion still stands, though. They are easily stressed, even with their own company.

Just keep it as short as you possibly can. I seriously don't put mine together for more than it takes to clean out a sterilite shoebox.

The results of stress can be RIs, weakened immune systems, they can go off food and can wait longer than you can (indefinitely as I understand).

[Aaron_S]

Why should we ask questions when you've come here and gave us a scenario? Shouldn't you just supply all the facts to us in the first place? Even if it takes a page and a half.

Secondly, if it's "only" a week that they'll be together, why would they need to be seperated for eating? Just postpone the feeding day for another day or two. I think you're lying about how long they'll be kept together.

Either way, I stand by my statement you should have had the forethought to make a rack system prior to having these animals in your care. The breeder who has some snakes on hold for me currently, has been AMAZING at being patient with me as I built my rack system. We could have met up weeks ago but neither of us wanted to put the snakes in any jeopardy. Simply AMAZING...

[StrictlyScales]

My intention was and still is to provide nice tanks for all of them not to stuff them into showboxes like trading cards. The only reason for building a rack is so that I have a place to feed them rather than feed them in their tanks. As for why I asked about feeding... sometimes things take longer than first expected. Lets say it takes 2 weeks... maybe 2 and a half... Then what??? Let them starve??? Only to have people like you critisize me for that as well??? I paid the money to house them in very nice Exoterra tanks and they have worked great until recently. I only have one problem like i mentioned earlier and that is the lack of floor space my designated snake area and wanting to add flexwatt to them. I dont think that I needed to go into great detail in order for the question to be answered. Why should I have to validate myself to you or anyone for that fact in order to get an answer or information. I thought these forums were supposed to be outlets for learning, understanding and obtaining knowledge... not for self obsorbed people to critisize and ridicule at every chance they get. I for one am severely disappointed.

[Gib]

the reason ppl stuff then in racks like trading cards is mainly because Ball pythons like small tight and DARK places..Not gonna go to africa and find them hanging out in trees sunning themselves...you find them in holes dug out by or in termite mounds or any place dark and away from eyes of predators or herd animals feet

But hey i guess puttin them in big bright display cages would probally work tooo:sorry:

[PDXErik]

My intention .

The road to hell is paved with intention.

edit: BPs like confined spaces, they feel more comfortable there. In the open, they are subject to predators. My last post was made in jest, but it's true. They are very insecure snakes.

[PDXErik]

My intention was and still is to provide nice tanks for all of them not to stuff them into showboxes like trading cards. The only reason for building a rack is so that I have a place to feed them rather than feed them in their tanks. As for why I asked about feeding... sometimes things take longer than first expected. Lets say it takes 2 weeks... maybe 2 and a half... Then what??? Let them starve??? Only to have people like you critisize me for that as well??? I paid the money to house them in very nice Exoterra tanks and they have worked great until recently. I only have one problem like i mentioned earlier and that is the lack of floor space my designated snake area and wanting to add flexwatt to them. I dont think that I needed to go into great detail in order for the question to be answered. Why should I have to validate myself to you or anyone for that fact in order to get an answer or information. I thought these forums were supposed to be outlets for learning, understanding and obtaining knowledge... not for self obsorbed people to critisize and ridicule at every chance they get. I for one am severely disappointed.

These forums are meant to educate people and help one another to not kill living beings with their irresponsibility.

Apparently, you have acquired more snakes than you have room for. They are great animals.

yes, I am self absorbed because I understand a bit of what it takes to keep these guy healthy.

Either take that chip off your shoulder or gtfo.

We are trying to help, please see that.

[LadyParvati]

StrictlyScales, I can see you're feeling attacked and you're frustrated. The others are also frustrated because they love snakes and always want to see them treated well. Let's get away from the emotional stuff/sarcasm/frustration and cut through to the core of this.

The primary concern is the snakes' safety/well-being. Housing them together isn't a good idea. As you haven't the space to spread out the nice enclosures, have you thought about using smaller plastic tubs just for the 1-3 weeks it will take you to build the rack system? You'd have to ensure adequate heat & humidity somehow, but these would take up far less space in the interim. Just an idea.

[PDXErik]

I didn't need to be mean, I'm sorry.

We are trying to help.

Tubs are a great idea. You would have to heat them some how, but that's not rocket science, you can use a simple thermostat and a 4"x3' under tank heater (your herp shop should have one). Like a little rack system sitting on a desk or on a bookshelf. You might find that this works out quite well.

[Aaron_S]

I am unsure if you can properly heat exo terra enclosures with flexwatt.

Secondly, yes you are correct this place is to get information and questions answered but we can't answer the question properly without the proper information.

[PDXErik]

If it were me, I'd spend $20 on just some rubbermaid or sterilite and the $60 on the UTH/thermostat. They're good things to have around anyway, in the event of a mass mite extermination or other things that force you to relocate the inhabitants for a while.

[citysnakes]

I am unsure if you can properly heat exo terra enclosures with flexwatt.


its pretty much the same as heating rubbermaids with flexwatt.

[StrictlyScales]

I have put a shelf up above my bed while the renos take place and have started outfitting it with heat tape and tubs to house everyone till the job is finished. I appoligize to everyone for being defensive but honestly... I am doing everything possible to make these guys as comfortable as possible and give them everything that is required. When the shelving in my reptile area is finished, the exoterrras will be set up with both a heat lamp and heat tape underneath to offer up some belly heat. Everything is going to be hooked up to Helixes and Rheostats so that I can get temps just right. (Damn Helix didnt comme with Instructions) Dont know wether tho leave the decorative styrofoam in them or not but might opt to put aquarium background on them to gain the extra inch or so. If there are any suggestions on how to improve on what I plan to do... I am open to suggestions. Criticizm no, but suggestions definately! Thanks again

[LadyParvati]

I am doing everything possible to make these guys as comfortable as possible and give them everything that is required.

Good for you! We're all really glad to hear that, and, truly, we're all on your side as you work on this system to house your snakes comfortably and nicely. We're sorry we got off on the wrong foot--thanks for hanging in there with us!

Sounds like you have quite a project on your hands, and I'm really glad you came here for ideas, as these guys have many great ideas. I'm no expert on the Helixes, so I'll let the guys with the know-how make suggestions for using that!

[PDXErik]

I have put a shelf up above my bed while the renos take place and have started outfitting it with heat tape and tubs to house everyone till the job is finished. I appoligize to everyone for being defensive but honestly... I am doing everything possible to make these guys as comfortable as possible and give them everything that is required. When the shelving in my reptile area is finished, the exoterrras will be set up with both a heat lamp and heat tape underneath to offer up some belly heat. Everything is going to be hooked up to Helixes and Rheostats so that I can get temps just right. (Damn Helix didnt comme with Instructions) Dont know wether tho leave the decorative styrofoam in them or not but might opt to put aquarium background on them to gain the extra inch or so. If there are any suggestions on how to improve on what I plan to do... I am open to suggestions. Criticizm no, but suggestions definately! Thanks again

Keeping these guys properly is a PITA sometimes. All of my guys have lived for 6 hours in my bathroom (the only other room I can control the temp in) at least once, a couple are veterans. Cardboard boxes, the couple of tubs I had.... It sucked for all of us.

Like I tell my boss, If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Hahaha, we all have to be open to critisism, it's the only way we get better. I know I'm not perfect.

[StrictlyScales]

Construction is underway and going well. I should be done in another day or two. I think its going to work excellent compared to what it was before. My snakes seem restless in the tubs but are doing well. I will try to track down a camera and figure out how to post pics when it is totally complete.

the reason ppl stuff then in racks like trading cards is mainly because Ball pythons like small tight and DARK places..Not gonna go to africa and find them hanging out in trees sunning themselves...you find them in holes dug out by or in termite mounds or any place dark and away from eyes of predators or herd animals feet

But hey i guess puttin them in big bright display cages would probally work tooo:sorry:

You can put them in tubs/racks and this might work for you but IMO a nice tank adds to the appeal and beauty of the animals in it. I find that a tank that is nice to look at also generates interest of those that would not usually be intrested which is a plus too. :)
And if my snakes choose to, they can still go and retreat into their hide so its a win, win, situation i think.

[Chu'Wuti]

I find that a tank that is nice to look at also generates interest of those that would not usually be intrested which is a plus too.

I agree! Plus I like it better myself, and I (anthromorphizing, I know) think the snakes will be happier, too, especially if the bright/pretty environment has some nice, dark, small hiding places!

You guys have probably noticed this, but my DH & I are learning it--our BP "makes like a branch" quite often--he drapes himself in such a way that he appears to be simply another branch on the long tree branch in his vivarium. That is, the angle at which he hangs off the branch is akin to the angles of the other branches coming off the main trunk. What a great disguise! It's really fascinating to watch. Every time he rearranges himself, the same kind of pose occurs--he never "branches" out the wrong way (an unnatural way for the tree). Am I making sense here? Anyway, it's really cool. :yes:

[StrictlyScales]

I know what u are saying. I think that snakes are more active and enjoyable to watch when they are placed in a nice setup that has things for them to climb on, explore and interact with than if they are put into a rack. When i put my snakes into tubs they dont seem to be the same. I know that some people will be quick to say that snakes dont have the brain capacity to know what enjoyment is but I have noticed a drastic changes in the way that they behave depending on what they are being house in.

P.S. I know what you are talking about when you say that they lay out on the branches and almost seem to imitate their surroundings. They camoflage effect is sometimes very cool, especially when someone looks into the tank and can find what is in there despite the snake being right in front of their face.:)

[Chu'Wuti]

Exactly! Sometimes even I am startled to discover my BP is right in front of my face but I didn't spot him immediately!

So glad I made some sense!