Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For the second time. The first time I though it was just a fluke because I had just fed my king minutes before putting my hognose in the same 55 gallon tank which also houses a collard lizard, leopard gecko and blacknecked gartersnake (all living in harmony). He never tries to kill other snakes such as a patchnosed or milk, but with the hog he instantly bites him on the head and coils around his neck. Difficult to get him them apart. I won't try this again. Wonder why he just hates (or wants to eat) hognoses?
~L

Pic of them on a peaceful day a few weeks ago...

I think keeping all of those animals together is horribly reckless. It is bad enough that hognoses are known for being ophiophagus, but then you throw in a Kingsnake too! You wonder why it tried to eat a snake? I have to wonder what your definition of "peacefully " is. Some people claim that keeping multiple species of animals together for six months constitutes a successful grouping. But in reality all of those animals are probably under enormous stress from being in the same tank with competitors and predators. What exactly is the purpose of keeping all of these animals together? Does it somehow prove you are better at keeping captive reptiles? Is it really worth the risk? I strongly urge you, for the sake of the animals involved, to separate them and put them in species specific habitats immediately. I can promise you that an animal will get eaten!
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Well I was already planning on putting the king by himself as he is growing really fast, but the collard lizard, gecko and garter are under no stress together in the 55 gal with lots of hiding spaces. The gecko is nocturnal and hides all day and the collard and garter don't seem to mind each other at all, often basking on top of each other or hiding in the same spot. Garter only eats fish and fish-scented pinkies (I've tried to feed him small geckos and lizards before with no luck btw). I never planned to keep the hog and king together long, just while I was cleaning the cage. But still I should have been more careful with that particular combo...

I used to keep different species of salamanders and frogs together when I was younger but that was aWHOLEnother story. They weren't natural predators. The Kingsnake doesn't try to eat the lizards???
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James

This stuff really makes me mad!! If they are not livin that close together in the wild they shouldnt be in a tank together. Its not just the Kingsnake hognose combo you have to worry about. You ever wonder why a kingsnake is called a kingsnake, buddy? Arghhh!!! Hmm howabout next I house my ferret and my rabbitt together!! Sorry if I sound too mean but this is just reckless and irresponsible ownership.

You Put you hognose with a WHAT?!! i work at herp presentations with children, and won't let my hognose NEAR a king snake!! Last year, a florida kind got at a western fox... constriceted it and had swallowed most of it's head... My boss had to intubate it and perform something like snake cpr to save it...
Please, please, please, at least understand an animals biology before you put it anywere near another!!
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1.1 argentine b/w tegus
1.0 anery corn
0.1 western hog
0.1 leopard gecko
1.1 blue headed tree agama
0.0.1 ball python
0.0.1 western fox
And always looking for more!!

Well yes it WAS just a wreckless act, nothing more, nothing less. I was taking a risk by giving them the benefit of the doubt for a spell but the doubt won! Like I said I won't do it again. Happy Herping!

You've already been sandblasted and nut-kicked enough in this thread and as tempted as I am to crucify you as well, I'll refrain. I have an obstinant male Florida king who likes to musk me any chance he gets. Whenever I hold my male Western hognose after holding my kings, he latches onto my finger like a pitbull. He loves the smell of other snakes and would just as soon eat them as he would a nice fat rodent. Next time you write in, lie to us and tell us you did something smart.
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"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity." - Lau-tzu - Tao Te Ching

YOU ARE AN IDIOT. thats all i have to say. i never post like this, and i am sure the admins will have a feild day with this, but kings are called kings BECAUSE THEY EAT OTHER SNAKES!!! that includes rattlers. collard lizards are designed to eat OTHER LIZARDS> LOOK AT THEIR TEETH>!!!! dear god. You are probably one of the most retarted reptile keeper i have ever had the displeasure of communication wiht. SHAME ON YOU! BOOKS ARE MADE FOR READING....you should learn how to do that. research=good. ignorance=bad
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"i wasn't born with enough middle fingers"

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 JCP-Milton
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
1.4 ratties Rizzo, Bree, Blitzkreig, Raisin, and the Runt (R.I.P. Willard. )

Actually, sometimes different species of animals like to be with each other, and its not a problem. You should try watching amazing animal videos on animal planet sometime.

HOLY CRAZINESS MAN! Kings eat other snakes in the wild.....that is what they do! I once had a pair of adult cal kings I put together for breeding. I came back and hour layter and the male was gone and the female was twice the size. Kings will eat almost anything including you lizards and hog seperate them as soon as possible. I also would not take the chance with the hog and lizards you never know when his tastes will change! Putting all the eating aside you may also transmit parasites back and forth which is never a good thing.

scott

I took the king out of the "community" 55 tank which now holds just a garter a gecko and a collard. They like the room (especially the active collard), I'll take my chances with the garter eating the lizards, but so far after a year they are fine together. As I mentioned before, I never planned on keeping the king and hog together, it was just while I was messing with the hogs tank and changing the repti-sand. Also, to the guy who said this made him "mad", get a grip. Concerned perhaps, but mad? RELAX. Guess what: I also kept a cute little rat with my python once...until he ate it! Bet your blood is boiling over now...

PEACE

Yes you are mad.The leo lives in the middle east,collared in arizona,and garters alot of places.You cant possible meet the temp requirements on all the species.How would you like it If I put you together with a Lion and gorilla?
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My Leo's
1.0.0 Normal
0.1.0 Tremper Albino
My Beardie
0.0.1 Red x Gold

Yeah buddy, I am mad!!! and frustrated at your ignorance. I really do not enjoy your sarcasm in a thread where you were surpised that your KINGsnake attacked another snake. Obviously you don't get it if you are continuing with this brilliant community tank idea!!! You are an irresponsible reptile keeper if you didnt do the research that kingsnakes eat other snakes including venemous ones. And I know, even if they are getting along, if they are in one little tank none of them are getting the exact requirements needed for them to thrive. You still don't understand why I am angered and frustated, well its because of your ignorance and irresponsibilty and I bet many people on here were angered of frustrated to some extent. I have the right to be mad!!!

You fellas amuse me, but I understand your angles. I have kept hundreds of herps for over 20 years. I have 9 tanks with a dozen or so species right now and have bred many with success. And I keep the cages clean and natural looking unlike many I have seen. But I repect your opinions as I have one friend who thinks keeping ANY reptile in captivity is inhumane and wrong, and another aquaintance at the opossite extreme who thinks that all snakes should be killed rather than kept, much less bred. It takes all types I guess...

And you still never explained how all these reptiles are getting proper heating, humidity, substrate, ect. if they are all together.

Hi,
Well, I only lurk on this forum because i plan on getting a hognose sometime in the near future and im looking up my information. I dont usually post, but i was appalled at reading what you are doing, and that you have the nerve to think you are a herper. Do you have any idea that the temps a collared lizard should be kept at are too high for a leopard gecko? and even higher for a garter snake? are you aware that they are all from different parts of the world, meaning they each carry their own parasites and gut fauna that could be harmful to the other species? what are your temps anyways?
Seriously, if you really wanted whats best for your animals, which any pet owner should, you would seperate them. but you really don't seem to care, you even seem like you find it funny that you put all these animals together that you as well as everyone else knows shouldnt be. why take risks with your pets if you truly care for them? funny how you say you have been keeping herps for 20 years, yet it sounds like you still have no idea what you are doing....
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~Melissa~
1.2.3 Leopard geckos
1.1 Bearded dragons
1.0 Hog Island Boa
0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.1 Ferrets
0.1 Chinchilla

1.0 Psycho cat

Melissas Menagerie

I have never seen it really on the snake forums as much as I have on the frog forums. But this is just really sickening. The thing that stuck out in my head was the remark about keeping herps for 20 years. I would have guessed that if you had kept snakes for 20 years, you would have figured out that kingsnake are ophiophagus. Most keepers that are just starting out know that. You can be damn sure I have never even kept 2 kingsnakes together, much less a kingsnake with any other herp. I think this post to which I am replying hit it on the head. With different requirements, regardless of whether the king is being kept in that tank or not, the animals are going to eventually suffer. Just because the animals are alive after a year doesn't mean they are thriving. And you say they aren't under any stress. Well...prove it? Reptiles stress fairly easily, and it isn't always so apparent that they are stressed. Many times, it is too late before you can tell, when one goes belly up or ends up fighting with or eating another cagemate. But best of luck to you. That 20 years experience really sets you apart!
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

Having worked in 3 petstores in my life i have heard more than once :"i know what i am doing." Ironically enough 99.99% of the time the bozos would come back into the shop after i had told them over and over with dead animals and then ask "why?"

Just because you have done something for 20 years doesnt mean you have done it right. Must i bring up the drug addict metaphore or the one about how someone smokes their whole life and then ends up with emphisema? Seriously now.
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"i wasn't born with enough middle fingers"

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 JCP-Milton
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
1.4 ratties Rizzo, Bree, Blitzkreig, Raisin, and the Runt (R.I.P. Willard. )

The only time my snakes ever get to play with each other is during breeding season.Until then they can just blow kisses to each other.