The first would be that the closer snakes live together then the easier it would be to transfer disease and parasites from one snake to another.

Another important aspect of housing multiple snakes together is the fact that feeding time now becomes a huge ordeal. You theretically can not feed in the enclosure(which should always be done when dealing with large constrictors) becasue of the fact that eventually you are going to have two snakes each take a different end of the same rodent and then you have a situation to deal with.

Therefore you would be reduced to feeding outside the enclosure. There are so many reasons that this is a bad idea with large constrictors. You must move the large snake who will soon enough learn that when such a routine is happening then it is going to get fed. Soon he will develope a feeding response just by the actions of getting it out and moving it to its feeding bin. Then you have an overly alert snake just waiting for something to eat. Most large constrictors will still search for more food after it has completed eating and therefore you now have a large constrictor that will still be in feeding mode when it is time for you to move it back to its enclosure. Plus the fact that you must handle your snake immediately after feeding which causes undo stress and could possibly cause regurgitation. Also the scent of the prey item will still be on the snakes and this alone can cause a feeding response of one snake towards another. I have personally experienced this on two seperate occassions, and breaking up a squirmish between to large snakes is not a fun thing to do.

The only real reason that anyone would house multiple snakes together(with the exception of breeding purposes of course) is because they are either to cheap or can not afford to purchase another enclosure, and if this is the case then that person honastly should not own any more snakes. just my thoughts. Todd

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• reasons NOT to house multiple snakes together.... - lilroach56, Thu Mar 18 14:29:51 2004
• There are so many reasons not to house multiple snakes together... - toddbecker, Thu Mar 18 17:17:39 2004