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Cohabbing?!

Desertstrike

Desertstrike

Music for the People
Don't worry, I'm not gonna do it XD

But I've seen a lot of peoples opinions, not just on here, but in general.
When I bought Marley, believe it or not, she was in with 3 other snakes in one tank. The tank was plenty big enough for all of them, but I'm wondering what people think about cohabbing snakes apart from when they're breeding?

-Strike
 
There've been quite a few discussions about this very subject. Use this forums search feature to find the multitude of debates that have already taken place about it.
 
Personally I'm against cohabiting and would never do it with mine just because you can keep a better eye on them health wise and many other reasons, but some people do it and never have any problems. From what I've read on here it can get very heated at times regarding this subject.
 
Corn89 said:
Personally I'm against cohabiting and would never do it with mine just because you can keep a better eye on them health wise and many other reasons, but some people do it and never have any problems. From what I've read on here it can get very heated at times regarding this subject.
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I'm against it, but I don't have enough information to start flipping tables over it.
Your points/reasons are valid though, it's true *nod*
And yeah, I'm going to look for some of the threads but I'd hate to be in the middle of the heated wrath of this lot x)
 
Desertstrike said:
I'm against it, but I don't have enough information to start flipping tables over it.
Your points/reasons are valid though, it's true *nod*
And yeah, I'm going to look for some of the threads but I'd hate to be in the middle of the heated wrath of this lot x)
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Me to I'm no expert and would defiantly not like to be in the middle of anything here, but it's a great place to come for advice and help. I'm addicted!!
 
I have met a successful breeder who cohabbed corns in huge double wardobe-sized vivs. Multiple levels, climbing branches, they were amazing. His corns were healthy and he'd keep males in one, females in the other, then put females in smaller vivs to breed and lay eggs. I've got a couple of his babies, all grown up now, in my collection. He had leopard tortoises wandering around as a breeding colony, even bigger vivs with some kind of lizards in. At his level of dedication, with the size and standard of the vivs, I honestly couldn't agree with anyone who said his snakes were badly off. His whole place and set-up was better than some zoo reptile houses I've been to.
A lot of the negative responses over co-habbing are from seeing multiple corns stuffed in tanks suitable for just one, from knowing that corns can and do cannibalise (especially hatchlings) or from knowing that raising corns together (the usual scenario) can mean early breeding and huge health risks or death for females.
 
Well, then, it's its something has huge and as well thought out as that, I can see no issues.
And yeah, I've heard of cannibalisation, it's looks nasty as well
 
How far away from each other would they be found in the wild apart from when they come together to breed?
 
Corn89 said:
How far away from each other would they be found in the wild apart from when they come together to breed?
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I do not know but I believe it would be determined by the population density of the area. I KNOW it would have to be farther apart than a 20 gallon long though!!
 
Corn89 said:
How far away from each other would they be found in the wild apart from when they come together to breed?
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I've heard a few miles, but I'm not sure either.
I like the method that most breeders use, I think, of just putting the male in with the female when she's receptive and that's it, taking him out again and returning them to their seperate lives once the females gone through her happy period x3
 
Here's the thing, cohabbing is only a huge deal because 99.9% who try to do it, do it horribly wrong.

Huge wardrobe sized tanks where the snakes have many warm and cool spots to choose from is totally fine. It sort of mimics overlapping territories in the wild. VERY VERY few people actually do it that way. (I'm talking huge, zoo level type enclosures)

What you see 99.9% of the time is people being too cheap and wanting more snakes than they have space for. Jamming two full grown corn snakes into a 20 gallon tank is cruelty. They are forced to be right in each others face at all times. Even two adults in a 40 gallon is not acceptable. Still not nearly enough room to get away from each other.

Cohabbing like that can lead to stress, cannibalism, premature breeding, unwanted breeding, illness and death. That is not speculation, it's a fact. There are many threads on this site with evidence of cohabbing misfortunes.

Snakes live alone in the wild, numerous scientific researches studies prove it. They may have some areas of territory that overlap, and once in a while a few may share a den, but then they move on. Having a few kilometers of land to run around on and once in a while bump into a mate or other snake, is not the same as being stuffed in a tank with other snakes.

Snakes do not for bonds, cuddle, or mourn for cagemates. That is people putting anthropomorphic feelings on animals. Snakes are very basic creatures.

Cohabbing done strictly for the keeper's benefit. The is no health or well being benefit to the snake.

Keeping a pair together for a stretch of time during breeding is okay depending how it's done. You have to keep a regular check on them and make sure you are not seeing aggression. There have been instances where males have killed females, and females killing males. Don't keep them together longer than necessary. In the wild they mate and move on, they want their own space.

The bottom line is we as keepers should strive to provide the best care possible for our pets. Snakes get exactly zero benefit from cohabbing, so why would any caring keeper do it? It makes no sense.
 
I get very attached to my snakes so I figure why take a chance, can't imagine checking on them only to find one dead or injured.
To me, it's just not worth it.

JMHO
 
rrowdy said:
I get very attached to my snakes so I figure why take a chance, can't imagine checking on them only to find one dead or injured.
To me, it's just not worth it.

JMHO
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This is always my argument. I have co-habbed before and you will find how I did it in a few of those lengthy debates but my question is always why. Why would people recommend or even try to co-hab when you know that there is a risk when that risk completely goes away when they are not together?
 
this debate is a source of contention in my family.
I keep mine seperate.
my sister keeps hers together.
needless to say we don't agree.
 
TwinBlades said:
this debate is a source of contention in my family.
I keep mine seperate.
my sister keeps hers together.
needless to say we don't agree.
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You know it use to be in my family as well. That is until we had a mishap of our own when a 1 year old was accidentally placed into her brothers side of their divided tank. They bred and she laid eggs at just a year. Now my husband sees the benefit of them being separate, even as babies. His dad on the other hand is stuck in his ways but he has two known girls and was willing to use a large tank that I set up for him so at least I know that the girls are co-habbed the best I know how.
 
I think my sister does it to make me wig-out, she uses heat lamps instead of UTH too. she knows I have a mother hen button and loves to push it.
 
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