Multiple Children's?

I was just wondering a few general questions.

1) Can you house Children's Pythons together?

and

2) If so, what is the size difference that is safe?

3) Can young be kept with parents after breeding? Or would they eat their young due to size? Just curious.

Can you house Children's Pythons together?

Yes.

If so, what is the size difference that is safe?

Generally you might want to stay in the same category of juvie / sub-adult / adult but in our experience of keeping Antaresia we've not had any problems keeping anything together.

Can young be kept with parents after breeding? Or would they eat their young due to size?

I don't know, I've never kept them together. I'm not sure why you would anyhow. Neonates should be seperated to make it easier to feed and care for. As to if they eat their young....why don't you keep them together and tell us what happens. :-)

Basically no they should not but it just takes one time for that to change. Why take the chance?

I've emailed you a link to have a look at that is quite in-depth on these snakes.

Hope this helps.

Personally I wouldent keep them together except for breeding. Thats just my preffrence. I like to be able to know exactly what each is doing and when it poops...etc..
-Matt

I like to be able to know exactly what each is doing and when it poops...etc..

That goes for anyone that keeps anything, though. Some just like to know everything their snake is doing. I don't find it terribly knowledge enhancing to be able to look through my calendar and pinpoint on what night a certain snake pooped. If I would be, I might as well keep a daily tab on when my dog does his business as well.


If you are breeding and want to know how your female is coming along in her cycle then by all means. All the shedding and pooping can help you keep track of that. (we keep track with our breeders) If you are just wondering about keeping two pet Children's together, I wouldn't worry about it.

i wouldn't keep them together cause there known to kill and eat there own kind. and if you keep them sperate you can keep on eye on who does what and by doing that you will know what heath the snake is in but if left with the others and it comes down with a catchable diease it will pass it onto the others that are housed with it. its safer and better for the snake to be left alone i see how people mess with the nature of them in the wild you don't find them being best buddys there on the own most of the year they only pair up when its mating season so why would you want to change that in captivity. put it this way you will come out one day and find one or possibly 2 snakes dead 1 ate the other and the other died from eatting it. thats something i would not want to chance. my neigbour owned and bred children's pythons,and spotted pythons and he said never house them together he sold a pair to a 18 year old guy and he came back a few weeks later saying that one had killed and eatten the other one.so if you want to chance killing your snakes go ahead all i'm saying is i wouldn't chance it better being safe then sorry. have a look at this website it might make you think http://www.bobclark.com/bcforums/top...D=11&CAT_ID=1& Topic_Title=Can+I+house+my+Boa+and+my+Ball+Python+ <br />together%3F&Forum_Title=Picture+Forum

i wouldn't keep them together cause there known to kill and eat there own kind.

I would LOVE to know where you get your information. I must admit I've never heard of any Antaresia "eating (their) own kind." After having kept them and declaring them one of my favourites to keep I've went and found a lot of information on them and have never once read that they are cannabilistic.

Here are a few articles you can read on keeping Antaresia:

From Raymond T. Hoser

http://www.smuggled.com/chicom1.htm

(article states: "When I kept a number of these snakes together during the period 1977-84, no cannibalistic tendencies were noted, other than the fact that two snakes may occasionally go for the same food item (mouse or rat). However Maguire (1990) noted a case of accidental cannibalism.")

http://www.smuggled.com/auspyt2.htm

(article states: "Ant-Hill Pythons and Children's Pythons are even found in the same termite mounds and it is assumed that throughout much of their range both species compete against one another for food (shelter being no problem).") Sounds like a nice friendly co-habitation to me...

http://www.smuggled.com/ant1.htm



http://australiantropicalreptiles.co...php?storyid=16

(Again, article states: "Adults can be kept together year round in pairs or threes (one male and two females). Stimson’s pythons may need to be separated and introduced in spring to stimulate breeding.")


There is also a great link that is currently not working. I'll put it up and hope it comes back soon. This is a link to "Ray Miller's FAQ on keeping snakes". I'm currently trying to contact the webmaster and a few others who might know where Mr. Miller is hiding!


Also, for those who are so inclined, I'd contacted the Western Australian Museum for a paper written by Laurie A. Smith (mentioned in some of the links above). There is nothing specific about the keeping of Antaresia in captivity, but it certainly is quite an in-depth look into these great pythons and their identifying characteristics in the wild. I'm sure I have the original .pdf somewhere!