Putting them together will require cautious observation. To wit: a friend who had a breeding pair of D. couperi that always got along famously, one day in the fall he put them together while cleaning a cage, and to his surprise and horror, the male attacked her and made a 2" jagged laceration on her neck, down to the muscle tissue. He was shocked, never having witnessed agression prior. Fortunately she healed up nicely. He said the attack was so fast and savage he could do nothing to stop the damage, the mistake was made in the casual introduction... I could hardly believe the bad cut, I am amazed how well it healed without sutures, which I would have considered.

Frank Retes, a very experienced herp breeder believes many snakes can be kept together, that they do this in the wild, including ophiophagous kingsnakes, but they have to establish a sort of social bond. Easiest if you raise them together from hatchlings. A "stranger" kingsnake, not part of the social group, may be attacked and eaten. Otherwise, careful introduction, i.e. after hibernating together in some taxa, maybe after both are well fed and at night? Are others keeping multiple Drys in the same enclosure, year around, same sex? I had a friend back in the '70's who kept a pair of wild caught couperi together year'round and they bred and did great. Good luck, let us know how it goes if you try it. Vic H. Imperial Valley, Ca.

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