Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just had a quick question about housing and feeding two cornsnakes. I have one now (2007) and think I'm going to be getting another one in two weeks (also a 2007). since they will be the same size I'm going to house them together.
Now I already know for feeding purposes that they will need to be fed separately so as not to accidently have one eat the other.
My question is how long after feeding separately do I need to wait before putting them back together. After feeding I don't want to handle them more than necessary but I will have to pick them up from whereever I feed them and put them back in the tank. But I also don't want their feeding response to still be active either.

thanks,
shawn

Put them back when they are done.
You would only have to move one anyway, you can feed one in the cage.
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Jason

Some people recommend giving each snake a quick misting with a spray bottle before puting them back together. It helps wash some of the food scent off of their heads and it will also snap them out of feeding mode right away as they really don't like to get sprayed.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
708-428-5616
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
http://www.amazontreeboa.org

>>Just had a quick question about housing and feeding two cornsnakes. I have one now (2007) and think I'm going to be getting another one in two weeks (also a 2007). since they will be the same size I'm going to house them together.
>> Now I already know for feeding purposes that they will need to be fed separately so as not to accidently have one eat the other.
>> My question is how long after feeding separately do I need to wait before putting them back together. After feeding I don't want to handle them more than necessary but I will have to pick them up from whereever I feed them and put them back in the tank. But I also don't want their feeding response to still be active either.
>>
>>thanks,

I feel it is best to keep snakes separate.
I know a lot of people can and do keep multiple snakes together without problems. I just feel the possible drawbacks need to be expressed.
When a person gets the experience and knowledge of each individual snake in his care, and wants to try co-habitation, it is up to them. They just need to be careful and observant enough to see and understand the subtle signs of stress in their snakes.
There can be definite drawbacks in co-habitation.
If one snake becomes sick there is a very good likelihood the other/others will get sick as well.
It may also take a while (usually too long) to determine which one is the sick one.
If one regurgitates its food you won't know which one unless you happen to get lucky and see it.
If one has a problem stool you won't know which one. Once again one may have a problem and by the time you figure out which one the other/others could end up with the same problem.
Although this is only a slight possibility, it is still a possibility and has been know to happen... one snake could eat the other. Cannibalism can and does occur with corn snakes. The smell of a prey item could trigger one snake to eat the other. Or simple hunger accompanied by a ready food source could do the same. Although uncommon, it has happened and is a possibility.
Another possibility is unwanted pregnancy. A female may become gravid and you may not have the knowledge, desire or ability to incubate the eggs, care for the hatchlings and find homes for them. With hatchlings comes added responsibility.
A lot of people rationalize by saying, "I will just put two males or two females together". That can work but mistakes can be made, especially with hatchlings. You could easily end up with a male and female.
There is also a chance of a female breeding too young or too small and becoming egg-bound. Although uncommon, it is a possibility and can happen.
With multiple snakes in the same enclosure you could easily loose them all if there happens to be an avenue of escape. Instead of losing one you could loose two or more depending on how many you decide to place together.
With multiple snakes in an enclosure, one or all of them could be stressed by the presence of the others. Stress can cause a drop in appetite and other health problems as well.
People will put multiple snakes in an enclosure and ask why one isn't eating.
When they are told it is probably due to stress caused by the other snake, the response is almost always the same "they like each other, they are always under the same hide together". Well this probably just means "that" hide or area of the tank has the optimum conditions they are looking for.
Snakes do not LIKE each other or ENJOY each other’s company.
There is no capacity for snakes to "like" or "enjoy".
I have kept multiple snakes together, without problems, but have made a choice to keep them separate. There are NO good arguments as to why you SHOULD keep them together but there ARE several good arguments as to why you SHOULD NOT.
So, in my opinion, although people do it successfully I just don't think it is worth the risk.
If you decide to keep multiple snakes together, watch closely for any signs of appetite loss, shedding problems, regurgitation or “personality” changes. These could all be signs of stress.
You would also want to feed them in separate containers and give them an hour or so before putting them back together.
My 2 cents

>>shawn
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I turned around I smelled a
horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

~Ty

This is one of those topics that just comes along once a month or so. I seriously think a help board with common answers is a great idea. I'm not sure how it would be done on KS, but maybe someone knows?

If not, I world be willing to buy a domain name just for this purpose. ABSOLUTELY no links to any of my sites or interest. In fact, I might have it so a few regulars can have access to work on it so it is a collective board.

Again, no links for me or anyone. But a simple help board with links to common question, and answers. Maybe topics with various opinions, answers can have reference to each person. I'm open to ideas.

I did the ebay help board for trading cards for years. It really helps.

Just a thought.

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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.herpzilla.com

would those be a yellow naped and double yellow headed amazons?

I have a lilac Crowned amazon and a green cheeked conure in my minagerie of pets.

Hmm the amazon, supposed to be a decent talker, won't say a word. But the conure, not supposed to be a talker, would talk your ear off. And what he says is all in context.

Every day he hears me comming up the front steps and says hello before i even get in the door. He then follows with a "come here" and if i don't, i get a big "what the #$%^". I never figured on such a personality.

Chuck

I have a Double in with a Naped. A blue front in with a Naped and a blue front. And a blue and gold macaw. I did not want the amazons paired that way, it just happened.

The double oratrix group is my favorite group for the money. And a ol friend had a old double. I have tamed many old old birds, this girl is UNTAMABLE. But sweet lol. That started teh ball rolling. My friend that owns teh shop I work at gave me a naped for an xmas present. The 2 took to each other super fast. It was a pleasure to see teh old double act like a parrot again. Naped are pushy like grays. The naped keeps her active and its nice she has a companion.

Then a guy called me and said he had 2 amazons he had for 8 years and he just got bit. "YOU WANT THEM COME GET THEM"

So I got a free blue front and a super tame naped.

Then I was at a pet shop and the lady had an older blue and gold. Told me $100. I said what was wrong with her? I looked she had her feathers,, so I asked how mean? She said she had she on her arm. She did not get arm out of mouth and I said SOLD. Shes not perfect, but the owner was going to release her in Cleveland. MORON!

http://www.herpzilla.com/aboutme.htm

I'd love a pair of Tres Maria's and or extreme magnas.

My birds talk, but only when they want. The best talking naped rarely talks. But is the best.
http://www.herpzilla.com/aboutme.htm

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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.herpzilla.com

My lilac is pushy also, she will scream until you give her something to eat, people food wise not bird food, almost every day. I recieved her from a breeder who had her left on her doorstep with a note saying she was 7 years old and couldn't be tamed. Then the breeder had her for another 4 and a half years and she said almost the same thing. I have had her for almost 5 years and would tend to agree with them.
She will do some tricks like giving kisses but she mostly tries to run the house.

Unfortunately my wife and i are expecting and i don't think she can be trusted with children. She is very nippy with everyone but me. She bit my wife on the nose the night of her batchlorette(?) party when my wife was putting her back in her cage from her play stand. So now i am in the process of finding a good home for her.

I seem to recall someone with a lilac? And i'm always game for a challenege lol

Just let me know if your near NE ohio.
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.herpzilla.com

i am located north of detroit

I already read posts regarding housing them together. I know the risks and benefits. My question was about feeding times and duration.
thanks to those who replied regarding that.

shawn

I think most people will agree that it is better to house them separately, but keeping multiple snakes together can be done successfully.

BTW...on this forum as well as most others, you can pretty much expect people to try force-feeding you their opinions
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
708-428-5616
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
http://www.amazontreeboa.org

>>I think most people will agree that it is better to house them separately, but keeping multiple snakes together can be done successfully.
>>
>>BTW...on this forum as well as most others, you can pretty much expect people to try force-feeding you their opinions
>>-----
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Mike Heinrich,
>>708-428-5616
>>Mike@amazontreeboa.org
>>http://www.amazontreeboa.org

Is that what I was doing Mike?
force feeding my opinion?
I thought I was giving sound advise.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

I thought it sound. But hey, you can lead a mule to wate right?
-----
-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Striped Anery Corn "V" or "5".....Has two names
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
0.0.1 Crested Gecko "The Crested Gecko"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

I think any time someone posts a long, opinionated essay in response to someone's post, question, or photo & that person was not asking for input on that particular topic...then yes, no matter how sound or well-meaning the advice, it is being force-fed.

There are a lot of topics on forums that have a lot of people "sharing" their advice...co-habitation, hybrids, feeding live rodents to snakes, feeding dry dog food to feeder mice...the list goes on.

I can't even count how many times I've seen posts that say something like "these are my two corns and the cage they live in" and people jump all over them. Or someone posting a pic of 2 snakes together but starting the post by saying "I only have them together for the photo so don't jump on me" (this one was right here on the corn forum).

Hybrids...I will never forget the time on the pituophus forum when a well respected guy in Texas said a young neighbor of his had purchased a snake and it looked to him to be a hybrid; well this guy righteously declared to everyone that he gave that kid a purebred snake and took that hybrid in the house and "put it down". If this guy posted a long essay about hybrids in response to every post with a creamsicle pic it would get old after a while.

I see "can I keep two corns together" posts every once in a while, in my opinion that would be the perfect time for "sound advice" about co-habitation.

A lot of us here have a lot of experience and with that experience comes opinions...well, I think we should share those opinions when people ask for them, not throw our opinions at people when we think they need to hear them.

Hope I didn't offend anyone...just sharing some thoughts

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
708-428-5616
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
http://www.amazontreeboa.org