Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you think about housing 7 Zonatas together? The cage would be well furnished and spacious.

Inputs please.

Thanks!

Luc Cauthorn

NT

I think is good to house several togther. Or at least pairs. They congregate and bond in the wild so that is closer to nature than introducing an unknown male..

I would not keep neonate pinky feeders together. I would wait to pair them up after they are on large fuzzies. Then introduce the animals to each other during brumation. I often switch certain males to other females for a couple weeks at a time during winter.
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www.Bluerosy.com

I dont think this is a good idea at all. While found together under ideal conditions the likelihood of you nailing that prfect temp/humid for every condition.....next to impossible. They will establish dominance, and this means the most finicky/least healthy will be outcompeted. It means any problem you have with one you now have with 7. And if they cant get away from each other the stress alone will kill em. This only BEGINS to scratch the surface of the problems. Dont be LAZY, realize you keep the snakes that dont bask and are crepuscular. If you want to make a set up like that for a day or 2 to take some pics, GREAT. But its a bad idea in the long run. Besides, they like the TV and its hard to get both a lazy boy and a TV into the cage.

No offense Jeff, but your suggesting to be lazy and not learn the animals behaviors to allow them to live together.

Bluerosy suggested introducing during the winter, which is a great way to do that.

I will offer my help below. Cheers

I, for one, don't have any major problems with this. I never keep more than a single adult pair together. The ONLY issue I've had, and I think this can be said with any form of housing snakes together, is during feeding time. I have to pay special attention to each unit so that no mishaps occur. And I wouldnt risk it with juvenile specimens either.

On the up side, it keeps me on my toes and responsible to not forget about that single left-over small mouse that can wreak rotting havoc in a few days. I know we've all been there. I also tend to use that stack system with ceramic tiles, and even when given the choice to be reclusive individually, I often find them together on the same level.

I do think, however, that seven is pushing it Luc. Hope this helps...

Santa Ana L. z. pulchra

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Jerry Kruse

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

1 AGREE. SEVEN IS A NEW RECORD. i WOULD TRY AND GIVE AS MANY DIFFERENT TIGHT SPOTS THEY CAN CRAM INTO IF YOU WILL HOUSE THEM THAT WAY.

>>>>

I use slate rock (tile) and cardboard boxes crammed with cardboard. They like to jam themselves into narro spots. I think that eleviates their stress and give them some of their own natural tendencies.
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www.Bluerosy.com

I love group cages. I am a fan of group caging. I have kept groups of kings for over 40 years.

But, all of us must start by taking small steps. How about a group of three, then as you learn, you can include more individuals.

Bluerosy is correct, you want to form your group during a non feeding period, like winter, but you can simply cool your animals anytime and introduce them. Then allow them to learn eachother. If done in a heavy feeding period, you are taking a large risk with kings. So use their natural behavior and lower their body temps before introduction. Of course, I do not do that, I just put them together, but that would be bad advice to offer you.

Also, you must keep them fed. Which means, if they hunt, they are hungry. You have to throw out the once every ten day type of routine. That would work when the temps are cooler, but during the heat of the summer after breeding season, they will be starving. Then accidents are bound to happen.

So, start slow. Pay attention to the animals, then it can be very very educational and fun. And much easier then keeping one snake per cage. Which is totally boring to me. Cheers

Hi Guys,

Sorry it took so long to get back to you!

First, I'd like to address MR. "You're being lazy" dude. I actually have a really nice melimine rack that "I" Built, it holds twenty 29 qt sterilite containers. It's a nice rack. I am always trying to make it better, adapt and adjust to their needs.

I was having fertility issues AGAIN with my Zonatas. So I wanted to figure out a way to let them breed when they are ready...A communal cage would do the trick. I have housed two or three together before. Feeding time is a real challenge. I wait for them to finish eating and have to tong feed all of them. It's time consuming. I was hoping to have a feeding chamber separate from their main cage that would allow me to separate them one by on till they had their fill. Breeding season they eat all the time so it would be rather difficult to feed them separately...also stress comes into play along with cannibalism, which I have not witnessed.

I think that a communal cage would yield better results for breeding purposes. Maybe I should start a smaller communal cage for say three or four snakes. If I like it better, or should I say if they like it better, then I will expand to a bigger cage or two smaller Big cages. lol

Cheers all!

Luc Cauthorn

Fertility issues, are you talking about infertile eggs? Some of that has to do with timing, but in my experience it mostly has to do with getting the gravid female the "right place and time" to lay. I think they hold em too long and they become infertile when she cant find a suitable spot.
Having a rack is the standard, you are not out on a limb there. But I dont think communal living(increasing stress)is the best way to solve your issue. It will make your good snakes better, but it will make your bad snakes worse(IMHO). Mountain kings are easily stressed, do what you can to not create more problems. Good luck.

Thanks Jeff.

I'll try a smaller group of one male to two females or something like that through brumation...

Thanks all!