Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can you keep two corn snakes together peacefully? thanx in advance...

Yes it can be done, but I cannot think of a good reason to do it. I advise against it.
Southampton Herps

Why do you advise against it!?!?!?

Cannibalism, possiblity of spreading illness or parasites. And as I said I cannot think of a good reason to house two together.

Tim

You said canibalism!??! Can it occur!? People at the pet store told me that it was not possible, they said kingsnake and milksnake could do that, but not corns!!
I just purchased a new corn yesterday, and he seem to do well with my other one... i hope it will be ok!!!

Hey everyone... This message is for all those who wonder why you cannot keep snakes together. As Tim mentioned canabalism can occur as well as the transfer of diseases. Another thing is that snakes, particularly corn, king, and milk snakes can get stressed out being housed with other snakes. This can cause malnutrion and even death. If you know anything about corn, king, and milk snakes they are not social animals. They prefer to be house alone. Unfortunately many pet shops will tell you that its ok to house two or more snakes together because they are doing it or because they feel they can get a bigger and better sale from you. Well this is not the case. Pet shops only house snakes together due to space and economical reasons. I suggest to anyone who wants to buy a reptile to first do all your research before buying the reptiles and not count on the pet shop people to give you the information. Half the time they just want to make a quick sale and most of the time they don't know crap about what they are selling. I hate pet shops.(this does not include the pet shops that specialize in reptiles. they seem to know what they are talking about.) They always treat their reptiles like crap and only care for the stinking fish. (sorry I just had to vent for a moment). For those of you, no names mention, who think its cute to house two snakes together and hope one won't eat the other, you are ignorant and need to get rid of your snakes. This is a serious hobby and requires alot of knowledge and work to be successful at it. There is no room for ignorant people. I get really irratated at hearing these dumb questions. ALot of these questions can be answered if you do a little research....-ELvy

Very sorry to have irritated you!!!!
But... i think it is less stressful for two snake to be kept together in a terrium well equiped with all they needs... a lot of higing places... lot of water, humidity etc... than to keep them in a shoe box or those kind of plastic container!!!! Snakes are not very active animal, i can't just imagine how they can stress each other, they are always sleeping, and a lot of people put corn together and i never heard of canibalism history!!

I have two snake together but i take care of them very well and you know... anyway you're not a snake and you don't know what they are feeling....

Karinecarl you are correct when you say that snakes are generally not active animals. You are also correct when you say that I am not a snake and don't know how they are feeling. However, we know some of the things that stress snakes out through years of research from scientist and hobbyist who have kept and study snakes. You can have all the hiding places you want in your tank but snakes are territorial and they can get stressed out especially when it comes too food. WE are also ignoring the fact that keeping two snakes together also highers the risk of passing unexpected diseases from one snake to another. IF two snakes are together and one gets sick, your chances of keeping diseases from the other snake is almost impossible. I don't care how good you take care of your snakes, that goes out the window when it comes to parasites, pathogens, or any other disease....-ELvy

I understand, i already think about those problems, you know it is same for fishes... i have fishes, and when one get sick, others can get too, but generally when they are healty they don't contract other fish diseases, i think it is same for snakes, but i can't have a tank for each snake, and those kind of snake can be kept together so i don't even imagine why i would purshase anoter tank to keep my new snake when i already got one big and well equiped!! Human can contract other human diseases too you know!!
Also, i feed my snakes outside the terrarium, so... i dont know why it would get territorial! especially a corn... very not agressive animal!!
There could have been study... but, i think snake are like other animals... they can adapt to a situation!!!
For the stress fact, i think handling snake is much more stressful for him than being with another snake especially that i observe that snake don't seem to realize that other snake are snakes.... they just pass over each other like it was nothing!!

Well that is my opinion... and i just said i was taking care of my snake very well because you gave me the feeling that you are the only one to doing good with them.... so...

Finaly, maybe all you said is true, but i will try anyway, experience come with the practice!

I will not go with the cannibalism because it is very rare and usually due to two snakes trying to eat the same prey item or the rare instances of non feeding hatchlings turning on hatch mates and devouring them. Although both are rare they have happened.
The better reasons for keeping them seperate were mentioned above.
Stress and possibly passing illness or parasites.
Although some snakes do not have troubles being housed with others, some do. They stress out.
They can quit eating, begin regurgitating their meals and even become aggressive in some instances.
Not only this but you could introduce a new snake that has internal or external parasites that will most likely be transmitted to the other snake.
There are also illnesses that can and would be transmitted from one snake to the other.
You have obviously made up you mind to keep the two snakes together so I don't know why you even asked.
But why take the chance? It just doesn't make sense.
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Jimmy (draybar)

I didn't asked if i could keep two corn together... i just asked why Tim said that he advise against it!!
But thanks for the answer about canibalism, you reassure me!!
It is just that everyone told me that it was not possible for corn... except like you said when two snakes are trying to eat the same prey!! And now they said it was possible... so i was a little bit affraid, because i purchase a new snake yesterday and i love my snakes and i don't want them to eat each other!!!

oufff.... i'm feeling better now!!

thx

There is a very slight chance that adult corns will eat each other. What is more likely is you can feed them seperately and when you put them back together, one decides it is still hungry and it smells mouse on the other snake. You come in and find one snake wrapped around the other dead snake. I read a post on another forum a short time ago which asked a good question. "I wish someone could tell me one good reason to house two snakes together?" I'd like to hear that myself.IMHO

Tim

Well, THAT is a very good reason tim!!!
I already thought about it but, i wasn't sure it could occur!!
But, there is surely a way to avoid this!?!
I have no room for another terrarium, it takes a lot of place, so i will need to find a solution to keep them together! :|

(I didn't want to get into this haneous argument but I thought I'd just mention my story)

I don't know if I'd introduce snakes at adulthood but I raised my male/female normal in the same 20G L they are in now. There was only ever one incident and it was my fault, I tried to feed them separately while still in the tank together- lesson learned, I was a young keeper.

My passion for snakes far exceeded my capability to store the amount of tanks required to keep one per tank (pretty much every keepers dilemma). If you think housing "one per container" adults in plastic shoe boxes is any more humane (or healthy) than two snakes per 20G L you have some serious issues.

My snakes are not taken outside to reduce exposure to pathogens, they are handled a lot and always, always, always fed in special 50gal plastic tub containers. They have learned exactly what being in "the tub" means. They are allowed a post-feeding cool down and close watch reintroduction. For 2 years this has worked flawlessly, they are healthy, heavily eating snakes.

What it comes down to is that if you're going to be a lazy keeper, non-attentive, collect as many as you can because you can kind of person then truly you should only keep one per tank, it's safer for the animals.

HOWEVER, in the rare instances of people who are extremely attentive, keep excel sheets on everything, can look at how the female is acting and tell she is about to lay (I've predicted this twice the night before), spent time holding and watching, I don't think it's a terrible thing to keep max 2 per 20G L; someone like myself, might be able to pull it off. Be careful putting males and females together too young though, you don't want to accidently kill your female by getting her gravid too young...

The pro's discourage it because they know there are too many moron keepers out there (such as I was), to pick and choose and tell who can and can't do this. It is safer for them to just say one per tank. Playing the odds I guess it is.

my 2c, good luck

"What it comes down to is that if you're going to be a lazy keeper, non-attentive, collect as many as you can because you can kind of person then truly you should only keep one per tank, it's safer for the animals."

I am relaxed hOmer, but are you trying to say that myself and all the other breeders that frequent this forum are lazy keepers? The majority of us keep our adults singly in rack systems that use plastic sweater boxes. If that is your intent thank you for showing me the error of my ways. By the way a plastic sweater box costs about $5 and is the same floor area as a 20 gal.tank. I still have not read a good reason to keep two snakes in a tank.

Tim

first, it's h0mer, thats a zero...

second, that was a categorization of the type of people who shouldn't be putting many snakes together, if you are self conscious (or just looking to pick fights) for some reason then sure, you can categorize yourself however you want if that description fits you.

That statement in no way was directed at any one person, it was merely a generalization for the typical keeper (many newbies and by no means the "frequenter's" of this forum).

I can not begin to say in words how much I admire people like Don, Kathy, Rich, etc for their abilities, skill and attentiveness to their animals (though I have never seen their facilities).

With the exception of the showbox comment that post was for the most part agreeing with you. Unless you're a bigtime breeder it seems like a shame to coop these beautiful animals up merely for numbers sake when they can be beautifully displayed in something proportionate to their natural habitate. My current goal within reason.

For now, I can only afford (money and space) the four 20G L's but after I graduate from medical school and get a house you can bet I'll be adding (or building with the house) a green house off the back sectioned off for plants and reptiles.

Good Day

Thanks h0mer with a zero!
Your history reassure me! I will just try to avoid feed them in the tank in the same time!! hehe!... they seem to do well for now, i think it will be ok!!

Just a question... what did you mean about this : "you don't want to accidently kill your female by getting her gravid too young... "!? i don't understand the world "gravid"... and i check in google language tool but it dosent exist... (i'm a french speaker... i don't know every worlds for now), i think i now what you mean about this... tell me if i'm right: you mean that young female can "have" or "lay" eggs too young and this can kill her!??!

Pretty much, yes. If a male and female are kept in the same cage, they can breed when the female is too small to safely carry eggs and she could die.
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-audri
Webpage/Pics

This has gone on way beyond reason, I apologize h0mer.

Tim
Southampton Herps

I hope you are not talkin about me... after all... I do use Kingsnake.com as my #1 resource for info on any snakes i own, or intend to buy.

Montey...I am talking to anyone who thinks that keeping two colubrids in the same tank is cool. Now you mentioned that you use kingsnake as a resource when buying or intending to keep snakes. Then you should already know that colubrids should not be kept together...ELvy

Why do you advise against it!?!?!?

Why do you advise against it!?!?!?