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Housing a Burm and a BP together

constrictor1 Oct 19, 2003 12:02 PM

I have a 3 foot BP and am planning on getting a baby Burmese Python soon and housing them together in a very large Vision cage. My BP has a very good disposition and is extremely docile. I know Burms are too so I beleive this should be fine. I am also very aware that even with a 4 foot wide cage, space will soon run out and I will have to go even larger. I will also separate them when the time comes that the Burm is excessively larger than the BP. But as far as getting along, do any experienced herpers think I shouldnt mix the two or have had any bad experiences? Thanks in advance.

Replies (30)

LeeFobes Oct 19, 2003 12:22 PM

never put different species of any snake in the same cage. it may seem like a good idea, but some may be prone to disease that the other has but is not affected by it.

LdyPayne Oct 19, 2003 02:20 PM

I think the ball python will enjoy having a burmese snack...

cranwill Oct 19, 2003 04:46 PM

Baaaaad idea.... for so many reasons...

Jaymz Oct 19, 2003 05:14 PM

there are many reasons, as stated, only one was given. and that was the topic of pathogens. simply put, any animal from one region of the world can, and likely does, have pathogens that are different from an animal from another, far speperated, species. kind of like, the cold you catch in american might not be the same cold you catch in england, australia, africa...i think this is everyones main concern and it often over-shadows..

parasites! an expierienced herper might notice things that a new comer would easily miss...but most expierienced herpers dont usually house more than one snake per cage.but back to parasites, and there are more than you can imagine. housing snake A with snake B is the easiest way to transmit those nasty parasites..mites, ticks, worms, and all those other things that most people (im not most people...thank the goddess) cant pronounce. even after a long quarentine (again this is a very needed thing) an animal can still carry parasites, which can be shared with the other snake in the cage...this also connects solidly with point 1, pathogens, a lot of parasites, ticks and mites spring to mind, carry pathogens, and if they come from different parts of the world theres that decent chance they have unfamiliar pathogens!

now, got brothers and/or sisters? i dont, i know im glad that i dont. but even if you adore your siblings you still dont want to share a bed with them constantly, and never get away from them...or maybe you do. i know i enjoy my own space, and im not as territorial as snakes are. snakes for the most part are territorial and asocial. ok, ill simplify...they dont hang out together and they have their own space. again think about being forced to be around the same person all the time, and having to sleep on top of, or, with them on top of you. thats not fun! the reason most snakes caged together spend so much time litterally on top of each other is not because they like each other, there are exceptions such as breeding, its simply because it is the best spot in the cage to meet their needs at the time! not to mention burms and balls have different needs, balls like to feel secure, burms need a large enclosure...balls are obviously smaller, and take longer to reach a "large" adult size..burms on the other hand grow quickly to a "small" adult size of well over 8 feet. a burm can reach breeding size, for females thats 10 feet or so, and males its 8 feet or so (again indiviuals will vary) and thats all in about 18 months!

now feeding...(thick ny "my cousin vinny" accent...and yes i was raised in ny) picture yourself...yer a snake...youre still in feed mode...ya cruisin ya cage, and BAM your cagemate, also in feed mode, tags ya, i mean bites ya dead on....because you smell like dinner!....sure youre thinking not likely....a nice warmed up ball python, smelling like a nice hot mouse happens fairly often in my house. and im sure housing her with another snake while shes warm and rodent smelling would probably get her bitten! and if you feed in cage theres the danger of one finishing before the other...and then trying to eat the others food...its happened, ive watched it, altho it was interesting to watch it was also easily avoidable. ok i think im done, 3 huge points should be enough to put anyone with 1/10th of a brain off the idea of "saving space" by housing together. simply put your life will be easier if you house each snake individually.

J
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Jaymz
"got a bowlin ball in my stomache, got a desert in my mouth. figures that my courage would choose to sell out now..."

cranwill Oct 19, 2003 05:20 PM

I would have gone into more detail... or ANY detail for that matter :P but I have a strict rule… I only answer one "Can I house two snakes together?" question a day.

I just answered one below.... I met my quota.

You gave some good reasons though. I hope it’s enough…

Thanks,
Tim Cranwill
www.cranwill.com
cranwill@mts.net

Jaymz Oct 19, 2003 05:49 PM

lol i wasnt refering to you...but i agree, i hope he listens. probably wont....seems those that ask and do not listen are 100s of times more common than those that ask and do listen. sad really

J
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Jaymz
"got a bowlin ball in my stomache, got a desert in my mouth. figures that my courage would choose to sell out now..."

constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 10:06 AM

First of all, dont be ignorant to say that I "probably wont" listen to advice. You dont know me. I posted a legitimate question and if you have advice, post it..but dont try to get assume things about me because it makes you look like an idiot.

Secondly, 75% of the points you brought up are common sense to anyone with any knowledge of herps (the other 25% is irrelavant). For instance, its obvious to quarantine the animal when introducing it to a cage with another animal. That just goes without saying, as well as checking for mites, ticks, a vet check to check fecal matter, etc. I never said i was dropping him straight in the cage right after bringing him home. Read the post again, I asked if they would get along ok for the most part.
And your example about someone with a cold in England and someone with a cold in America is totally irrelevant because the burm would be captive bred and therefore not imported from another region, which is the same as my BP.
You also get into size....You may have to read the post again, I said I wasnt intending on leaving them together when the burm outgrows the BP.
Next time you have advice, just leave advice...dont try to attack people and sound ignorant when they just posted a question. Especially when your advice is irrelavant.

LdyPayne Oct 20, 2003 10:48 AM

I think Constrictor1 you missed the point entirely. The example of how cold virus vary from region to region was an example. Different species carry different gut flora (bactria etc) that is perfectly harmless to that species, but could be deadly to another species.

Also, a baby burmese python stands a good chance of being lunch for the ball python.

There are also care differences between species of snake (not familier with burmese pythons to know their care requirements so don't know if there is a difference or not). SOme species may like a higher temperature, others more humidity, etc.

constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 11:33 AM

I did not miss the point at all. What you mentioned is true, yes. But that wasnt my question in the original post. ALso, ignorant attacks were made for no apparent reason which is why I got defensive and put him in his place.

And as far as the temps/humidity I know for a fact that they are the same. The problem when posting is people dont know your background and assume you are a newbie. By the way, the temps/humidity required for both species can be found on a care sheet from any reputable breeder, such as NERD for example.

So in any event, thanks for your post, Im sure you meant well. Take care-

mykee Oct 20, 2003 05:35 PM

First of all, a ball python would NEVER eat a baby burm, or ANY snake for that matter. Secondly, it seems the thread starter is fairly intelligent, but for some reason, in all the research you did, never saw once that you're not supposed to house two snakes, let alone two different species of snakes in the same environment?! It gets frustrating answering the same question about housing multiple snakes in the same enclosure 4 times a day AND on top of that, having the person asking the question wanting 32 reasons why. It's so easy to do a search on this site for the info that you're looking for, escepially a question that has hundreds, if not thousands of posts referencing it.

constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 06:58 PM

I know, I did laugh when I saw someone say that my BP would eat a burm.
I too get annoyed about people asking the same question as other people on this forum. Such as the famous "my BP wont eat", "my BP escaped", etc. And I did read the post below regarding multiple BPs in the same enclosure. That was different than what I was asking. I dont think most people understood the question, or gave a relevant response. I just wanted to know one thing......and that is if they would get along. Nothing else, nothing more. I didnt expect ignorant or sarcastic remarks from anyone. I have on numerous occasions helped out newbies on this and other forums in the past, whether the same question had been asked or not. And I dont give information unless Im sure it is factual. The bottom line is, why bother replying to a post if you arent going to give helpful information on this forum? This forum is designed to share a passion for these animals and learn from each other, not to try to flame people. This isnt neccesarily directed at you Mikee, just in general. And by the way, I know you werent referring to me as "wanting 32 answers" to the question. I dont even want to respond to any more posts, this is getting rediculous and becoming a waste of my time.

cranwill Oct 20, 2003 07:58 PM

Sorry man, I don't think you'll get much credit as an "experienced herpetologist" asking the question you asked. I would only assume that you had done little to no research... I don't mean to be rude, but that's how it looks to me. A ball and a burm together is FAR less of an "experienced" herper's question than keeping to bp's together. Far less...

I'm surprised you even got such a well written response.
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constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 08:14 PM

I said I was an "experienced herpetologist"? Really? I would love to see the post where I wrote that. Do yourself and everyone else here a favor. Stop pulling things out of your a**. Learn how to read. Please. Because youre making a fool of yourself. And by the way, learn how to run a business. Your website has 2 snakes for sale on it and looks as though it was created by a 14 year old who just learned HTML. Get real.

patness Oct 20, 2003 08:23 PM

Actually there are three snakes for sale.

cranwill Oct 20, 2003 08:24 PM

Buddy.... hold up a moment there... First off, thanks for visiting my site. Second, I highly doubt I will be one who will go down in the history books as being made fun of in this situation. Third, I have 3 animals for sale... learn to count! Why so few? Because I sold the others already.... I'm done with you. Enjoy your two pythons. I hope they like living together...

Thanks,
Tim Cranwill
www.cranwill.com
cranwill@mts.net

p.s. Next time you ask a stupid question, expect a stupid answer.

****Sorry to everyone else who had to read this, I just don't enjoy being insulted by idiots.

Sorry to everyone else who had to read this. I just don't enjoy being insulted by idiots.
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constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 08:38 PM

Certain people are a disgrace to these forums and are doing a disservice by posting ignorance and sarcasm. Like I said before, these forums arent designed for attacks, nor ego's. They are made for people who appreciate the hobby as well as those who wish to broaden their knowledge from others. I do commend all who post relevant information, in a mature respectful, and informative way such as Rob Carmichael and a bunch of others who I cant think of off the top of my head. This is my last post on this thread. Cranwell, good luck with your 3 snakes/business. Im sure business is booming.

jeff favelle Oct 20, 2003 08:48 PM

"Certain people are a disgrace to these forums and are doing a disservice by posting ignorance and sarcasm"

Ha ha, yes, they certainly are. Too bad they don't know who they are. Also too bad they keep Burms and Balls together!! LOL! What a joke. Why even ask for advice if you have a pre-determined answer in your head and anyone who disagrees is a disgrace?

Sometimes I wonder whether I should breed snakes at all if people like you can buy them. It makes me kind of frusterated with the whole hobby. Its a shame. You're a shame.
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jeff favelle Oct 20, 2003 08:53 PM

"This is my last post on this thread."

Why is people say this is their last post, yet continue to post? Never ceases to amuse me. Not amaze, amuse. LOL!

Purely for my edification, you're not seriously considering putting a Burm and a Ball in the same cage are you? At first I thought this was just a "jokey" thread that you posted to chastize the newbies and their dumb questions. I almost rolled over in my grave (and I'm not even dead!) when I read on....and on....and on!

I feel bad for your animals. For sure.
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constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 09:10 PM

You feel bad for my animals because I wondered if Ball Pythons and Burmese pythons get along? Hmm....ok. If thats the case then I feel bad for your wife/kids for having you in their life.
Secondly, I had enough writing back to one ignorant person, I'm definitley not getting into it again with another. Heres another person with a half ass low budget herp business that thinks he knows it all that gives the reputable breeders/companies a bad name. Youre just taking up space in the market. For no reason. Have fun with your 25k/year career. lol.

cranwill Oct 20, 2003 09:19 PM

If I'm ignorant, then what does it say for you if I am answering YOUR ignorant questions???

And don't bash breeders small or large scale. We are the ones providing you newbies with your animals and educating your closed mind for free. Some nerve you have...

Hey Jeff, pour me a vodka orange too. I need one right now. This dude makes my head hurt...

Thanks,
Tim Cranwill
www.cranwill.com
cranwill@mts.net
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jeff favelle Oct 20, 2003 09:27 PM

Is that you can always tell the idiots from the real herpers. The idiots ALWAYS get in a huff and make it personal. Its quite funny. But I wouldn't bother over it. You see, with us, its always about the animals. And that's the way it should be. I mean, if the guy is going to come here and ask for advice, not take it, and chastize the people who took he time to give it to him, then he's not worth the time.

And I'm not sure what he means about me being a small-time breeder?? I have over 110 adult animals and I only bred 1/4 of them this year and did way more than 25K!! I could sell my whole collection and live for about 8-10 years!! LOL! But who cares? Its not a competition. If it was, "constrictor-age-1" wouldn't even make it to the starting line.

Mwwwaaaahaaaaa haaa haaa.....
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constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 10:14 PM

Oh no wonder why, you guys are friends.

By the way, I never bashed small/big breeders. Just you guys. I have alot of respect for reputable breeders who dont try to belittle people because they know a bit more than them. The real ones educate and dont think they are cocky because they own a few dozen snakes.

Nobody is trying to compete. You career is in herps, mine in I.T. The reason for posting was to get relevant input from my fellow hobbyists. I could brag on how Im a Senior Consultant or bash people like you on I.T forums like dslreports or tek-tips that post questions that us techs would laugh at, but thats not me. Instead I either answer it with applicable info, or just ignore it. I didnt want to have to attack anyone, but I got defensive when assumptions were made and I got bashed for no reason. I have tried to stay as humble as possible but I really got my buttons pushed. Its all good, in the end you guys are just text on the screen.

So this time Im really done with this thread guys, say what you will if you feel the need to further expand this thread which I hope you dont.

jeff favelle Oct 20, 2003 11:50 PM

I never said herps was my "career". I did the University thing and have a job now because of it. Herps are a side hobby that I got good at and made money. No big deal.

And I never belittled you. But thank you for the Olympic-sized jump to that conclusion.
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mykee Oct 20, 2003 10:12 PM

Hey Sparky?! The two people that you just attempted to insult EACH have more information about snakes in their middle finger (notice I didn't say pinky) then you would ever hope to amass in your life, and possibly even two. They have 25 cumulative years of herping behind them, and are WONDERFULY respected in the community. And you? With stupid comments like yours, and an even worse attitude, I'm guessing respect isn't something you're looking for. You? With more money in your pocket than brains in your head, your stand-offish behavior when asking a question and expecting people to take you seriously, is plain ignorant. Grow up. Tim, glad this attitude remains here and not 'OUR' beloved forum.

constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 10:17 PM

You have got to be kidding me. Im not even going to begin to waste my time addressing the nonsense that you said other than to read my previous post for "Tim" and Jeff.

UrbanAssault Oct 21, 2003 01:31 PM

"This is my last post on this thread"

????

cranwill Oct 20, 2003 08:34 PM

"And as far as the temps/humidity I know for a fact that they are the same. The problem when posting is people dont know your background and assume you are a newbie."

"I have on numerous occasions helped out newbies on this and other forums in the past, whether the same question had been asked or not."

Your own words, Jack. What would you derive from them, that you are or aren't a newbie?
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constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 08:41 PM

So youre basically saying a person is either a "newbie" OR an "Experienced Herpetologist" and theres NOTHING in between. Theres alot of logic in that.

constrictor1 Oct 20, 2003 10:08 AM

What does the other post have to do with mine? He asked how many BP's per enclosure. I asked about mixing a burm and a BP. Two totally different questions. Read again.

mykee Oct 20, 2003 05:36 PM

Same question. "Can I house multiple snakes in one enclosure". Same answer: NO.

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