Posted by:
chrish
at Tue Jul 15 09:19:31 2003 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by chrish ]
However, the benefit, or "benefit" really, of keeping two snakes together in one enclosure is less enclosures to keep eyes on and maintain although you'd still be cleaning up the feces of two snakes either way, yes.
I am not sure I agree with that idea. If you aren't prepared to do twice as much work, maybe you shouldn't have two snakes?
Just because it is easier, doesn't mean it is better. Another way to look at this is that you will have two snakes crawling through each other's feces (at least temporarily).
Have I ever kept more than one snake in a cage.....of course. Did I think it was optimal.....no.
No species of Heterodon, Lioheterodon, or Lystrophis will naturally prey on themselves, not even if they are famished. Cannibalism in hognose snakes has only occurred in captivity, by accident of course, and during feeding time I'd be willing to bet.
Both Heterodon nasicus and platirhinos have been recorded eating snakes in the wild. They may not do it often, but they do eat snakes. Westerns have been recorded eating Thamnophis and Coluber. I doubt those were wild feeding accidents.
There have been instances of them eating each other in captivity. Just read the archives for this forum and see. Some of those may have been feeding "errors", I don't know. I just know I don't risk keeping my hogs together.
I don't keep my eastern kingsnakes together either for the very same reason. The only difference is one of probability, but both probabilities are unacceptable to me.
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Chris Harrison
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RE: housing hognoses together - chrish, Tue Jul 15 09:19:31 2003