Regarding sand:

Try looking for the type used for sandblasting, it has more rounded grains rather than crushed grains that are sharp. The pet store sands are not sharp but are pricey.



Sand has good qualities and bad qualities. Would be great if it was more compact than loose. To get that, adding coir fiber helps bind it a little more. 50% sand and 50% coir (coconut husk fiber aka Eco Earth) and a little water makes a more compact soil compared to loose sand. Rosies do not live in loose sand.



Honestly, try the dimpled Kraft paper sold at Uline for example or online in the kingsnake.com classifieds (sold as cage liners). Really great rosy substrate, and really easy. Rosies are not woodland animals, and they don't bury themselves under leaf litter. They like burrows, crevices and/or objects to hide in/under. That is why a paper substrate with hides is fine. Slightly crumpled newspaper makes great hides/crevices and traps warm air. Rosies like to "feel" the hide, meaning it touches their bodies on top and bottom, and newspaper over a rosy does a fair job of that. Just watch the feeding response of a rosy setup this way (carefull putting your hand in there..)



Regarding cohabitating:

This can be frustrating. I've done it successfully - by that I mean each individual did not stress over the situation and each fed as if separate - but I've also had it where one individual seemed stressed by the other. I haven't figured these animals out in that regard, unlike milksnakes where siblings raised together will cohabitate beautifully. Generally, cohabitation means a larger cage, and some rosies do not like larger cages. So try it and see, but be prepared to have two cages if things do not work out.
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Mark

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