Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A recurrent piece of advice here is that cornsnakes should be housed separately because if housed together one will get eaten. How do they breed if that is true?

Just teasing you a little, but I didn't laugh. Corns don't regularly eat other snakes but young hungry or stressed hatchlings sometimes get confused so then you come home to one less snake and the sad thing is usually the eater can't digest it's former friend and dies too. I am fairly certain due to the hormones present at breeding time, even kings who eat other snakes just want to get it on and aren't thinking about feeding. I know my males certainly have no interest in eating right now.
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Anna

The Zoo
Corns
1.0 Snow - Cornelius
1.1 Ghost(pastel) - Gray Ghost & Pink
1.1 Amel - Parker & Scarlet
0.1 Hypo - Nikko
0.1 Anery - Missy
0.1 Hypo Motley - Cordelia aka Cordy
Boas
0.1 Columbian (BCC) - Bella
Lizards
1.0 Leopard Gecko - Leo
Rats
0.1 Dumbo Agouti - Moon
1.0 Silvered Black - Pluto
1.0 Powder Blue - Corner
0.1 Dumbo Siamese - Lily
Plus the breeders & babies
Cats
1.1 Siamese - Blue & Fiona
0.1 Gray DMS - Druscilla aka Dru
Horses
1.0 Thourghbred (Hunter/Jumper) - Morgan's Majesty aka Cody

I also wanted to say I don't endorse letting two corns live together because there are MANY reasons not to. Canabalism is a risk although I don't think it's the biggest risk with cohabitation. IceGoddess below did a great job discussing the other issues so I won't rehash too much.

Also, when I decided to breed I waited until I had enough experience with and knowledge of my animals to understand the snakes' basic behaviors. I actually waited about 5 years from the time I got my first snake until now to try my first breeding. I have done a lot of research online and have help from a local breeder and am still learning every day. The reason I felt it was important was so that if my snakes' health or happiness is threatened I will be able to recognize it immediately.
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Anna

The Zoo
Corns
1.0 Snow - Cornelius
1.1 Ghost(pastel) - Gray Ghost & Pink
1.1 Amel - Parker & Scarlet
0.1 Hypo - Nikko
0.1 Anery - Missy
0.1 Hypo Motley - Cordelia aka Cordy
Boas
0.1 Columbian (BCC) - Bella
Lizards
1.0 Leopard Gecko - Leo
Rats
0.1 Dumbo Agouti - Moon
1.0 Silvered Black - Pluto
1.0 Powder Blue - Corner
0.1 Dumbo Siamese - Lily
Plus the breeders & babies
Cats
1.1 Siamese - Blue & Fiona
0.1 Gray DMS - Druscilla aka Dru
Horses
1.0 Thourghbred (Hunter/Jumper) - Morgan's Majesty aka Cody

Cannibalism isn't as comon in corns as some other snakes it DOES happen. But this is not the biggest fear, cohabitation causes stress which leads to several problems. regurgitating, not eating, immune system reduction--disease, and early pregnancy which is often fatal to the too young mother.

While people do have snakes living together, more people keep them seperate. a new snake owner should NEVER keep their snakes together because they lack the experience to recognise problems early. New snakes should not be put with exsisting snakes until they have been observed for a minimum of a month, but better at least 3 months.

It's not a very funny debate, and gets pretty heated in here at times. Again cannibalism is not the main reason to keep them seperate. And as for putting them together for breeding; Hopefully if you are breeding a pair you have had both snakes for at least a few months, and they are old enough to actually survive pregnancy and delivery. If that's the case, cohabitating for a few days for comsumation shouldn't cause any problems at all.
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Dianne
AKA IcedGoddess
1.2 Cornsnakes
1.3 Cats
1.0 Pionus parrot
0.1 Child
IcedGoddess Creations
Castle Serpents

I am not interested in breeding at this time but I was just curious. I have two young corns coming in today (I already have a normal, I am getting an amel and a blizzard) and each has a brand new Island terrarium, 10 gallon. They are sold at Petco and although somewhat expensive I like the fact that the screen top slides out horizontally rather than lifts off vertically (it is secured by a pin so the snake cannot slide it).
Of the snakes I have, I do have 2 that live together, a pair of ball pythons who I purchased some time ago and who lived together for years prior to that.

Oh I'm glad to hear you weren't actually planning on doing it:e

I like the locking slide tops too, I use the 20 gallon long tanks they have for turtles and things. Though I have forgotten to put that pin back in before, so be careful not to be as air headed as I can be
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Dianne
AKA IcedGoddess
1.2 Cornsnakes
1.3 Cats
1.0 Pionus parrot
0.1 Child
IcedGoddess Creations
Castle Serpents