Unlike some, I don't think it's a perfect absolute that snakes should be housed individual. It's a very good idea 95% of the time, but provided the housing is large enough and certain other conditions are met, it's not ALWAYS a disaster. Reptile houses in zoos do it all the time.

However, some of your comments are extremely naive, and bear on one of the most important conditions for keeping them together. You male is not going to avoid eating (accidentally) the female because he thinks she is going to be useful to him. That's extremely naive. Snakes DO NOT REASON, EVER, and most importantly they feed out of a reflex. I've seen them try to ingest a wad of damp newspaper because they got it confused with the rodent I'd tried to feed them.

If you keep them together you must remove them from their cage and feed them individually, preferably in another container. This is a good idea anyway with large constrictors, for safety reasons, because it teaches them not to expect food to be in their habitat.

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• my big cage - patrick12354, Thu Jan 12 22:02:01 2006
• Nice cage but you shouldn't keep them together. np - the2ndrunner, Thu Jan 12 22:28:33 2006
• RE: Nice cage but you shouldn't keep them together. np - patrick12354, Fri Jan 13 01:44:01 2006
• RE: Nice cage but you shouldn't keep them together. np - bcijoe, Fri Jan 13 08:30:27 2006
• RE: Nice cage but you shouldn't keep them together. np - mci, Fri Jan 13 12:31:08 2006
• I agree, and would like to add... - bcijoe, Fri Jan 13 13:52:18 2006
• thanks for all the info... - patrick12354, Fri Jan 13 18:09:03 2006