Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know about anyone in there right mind will not house 2 corns together. BUT... Would it be better if you bought them as same year hatchlings (05) and kept them in seperate 10 gallon tanks for a few weeks to amke sure neither is ill? I have a 40 gallon breeder just sitting here and I don't want to have to buy a whole other tank when I don't really NEED to....

Almost forgot.... I will be buying the two from smr this fall... if that makes any difference to anyone. Thanks again.

If your not going to buy another set up for a second snake, do the logical thing ; buy just one snake. Duh!

im in my right mind and i house 2 snakes together there corns not kings its not like they will eat each other i feed them in separet cages or on my floor whats rong with that? any way id get a 10 gal and house them together puting 2 hatchlings in a 40 gal breeder or any huge cage like that is like scary for them going from a small cage to this humongo cage is like wow lots of scary any way my to corns have plenty of room if its that big of a cage they will be fine i asked that corn breeder if i could house my to corns in a 40 gal breeder and they said i could put 3 adults in it im thinking of geting another later on

ps i am in my right mind LOL

"...there corns not kings its not like they will eat each other..."

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that is simply not true. They will eat each other, given the right set of circumstances. Corns, though rarely, do practice cannibalism, and it is usually the case that BOTH animals die in the process.

Whoever told you that corns don't eat each other is either ignorant of the facts, or simply not telling you the whole truth for some reason. I am sorry you have been misled.

Beyond that, there is a whole host of reasons as to why it is simply not a good idea to house young corns together. If you like, I can direct you to other threads wherein those issues are addressed. Just let me know in your next response...
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

Or...get a good-size Sterilite container as the 2nd setup. If you choose to house them together...You will need to be ready, willing and able to separate them right away at first sign of stress (puking, failure to eat for example). Regardless of the "words of wisdom" from one of the above posts (what's rong with that?)...You do already seem to be aware that your BEST bet would be to house them apart. As long as you are aware that you are taking a calculated risk with your animals...The final decision is up to you. But when you are accepting "2nd best" for your snakes, you should know it.

Divide the 40 breeder into two halves. This way you don't have to buy another tank, they are still in the 40 breeder and they are NOT housed together.
I really don't know why I am telling you this, though.
You already stated you know the dangers of housing them together but you then ask about giving them a little time before putting them together. like this is going to change anything????
It is obvious you are going to put them together no matter what we say, so good luck.

just for the heck of it, even though I know you won't read it or beleive it I thought I would re-post this
>>
>>COHABITATION

>>I feel it is best to keep snakes separate.
>>I know a lot of people keep multiple snakes together without problems and it can obviously be done without dangers to the snakes. I just feel that for new people in the hobby the possible drawbacks need to be expressed.
>>When a person gets the experience and knowledge of their individual snakes and wants to try cohabitation that is up to them. They just need to be carefull and able to read the subtle signs of their snakes.
>>There can be definite drawbacks.
>>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 but 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. The smell of a prey item could trigger one snake to eat the other.
>>Like I said, this doesn't happen often but it has happened and is a possibility.
>>Another possibility is unwanted pregnancy. A female might get pregnant and you may not have the knowledge, desire or ability to incubate the eggs properly and raise the babies. With babies comes the responsibility of caring for them until you can find them a home.
>>A lot of people rationalize by saying "I will just put two males or two females together". That can work but mistakes can easily 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 eggbound. Although not common it is a possibility and can happen.
>>With multiple snakes in an enclosure you stand the chance of loosing all of them if you happen to leave a top secured improperly or there happens to be a place they can escape through. Instead of losing one you could loose two or more depending on how many you decide to place together.
>>One or both of the snakes could be stressed by the presence of the other. Stress can cause a drop in appetite and lead to 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 "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 is no clear argument on why you SHOULD keep them together but there are clear 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, regurgitation or any kind of personality change. These could all be signs of stress.
>>You would also want to feed them in separate containers and give them an hour or so to allow the smell of they prey item to dissipate, before putting them back together.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

If they are both male, they will likely fight for dominance as they mature. If they are a 1.1 set, they can and will breed as sson as they are able, and that will likely be too early for the female's health. If they are both female, you might be able to avoid the above two issues, but you still have to address the following:

Stress -- Corns don't "like" company and are normally solitary animals

Illness -- If one animal is regurging, you may not be able to see which one it is soon enough to help, and even if you do, now both of them may be infected whereas you could have isolated the sick one

Normal health issues -- Which one isn't drinking enough water? Which one is spending too much time on the hot side, or the cool side, because the other one forces it to the outskirts? There's just no way to know what's going on in your vivarium, if you cannot even isolate the movements and activities of any particular snake.

Hope that helps some...Good luck!
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

Well... I do have the 40 gallong breeder just sitting there. But I am starting to think. Will a 20 gallon be big enough to house a corn for life? If so I may as well just buy 2 20 gallons and get a redtail to fill up my breeder for a few years... Is this solution good for everyone? Also there was a snake in the 40 gallon breeder before. I bought it from a friend who lost his snake. (died of old age) Is bleach and water strong enough to get rid of all remnants of the snake? (bacteria, smell, etc.?)

I believe that your revised plans are quite good. If you'll get 20 long tanks, you're snakes will liklely have no space-related problems for their entire lives, assuming average growth rates.

As to the water and bleach solution to clean that old tank, it should be seen as a good first step. However, some may be able to offer you more advanced cleaning techniques. I have never gotten a used tank from anyone else, and really have no personal experiences upon which to rely.
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

By average sized corns I am assuming you mean 4'? Or do you mean closer to 5'?

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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742