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Housing Multiple Snakes

L

Lucidum

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I currently have a Aneryth Corn Snake hatchling, and I was planning to add another snake to his 20 gallon tank once he gets a bit bigger. Aside from obviously not adding a king snake, are other snakes fairly okay being housed with Corns? I was thinking particularly about housing him with a northern water snake or a garter snake variety, since they have similiar(ish) requirements in temperature and humidity. Eventually the new snake will get its own tank (once the corn's old enough to add another corn for breeding), but for the first year or so, does this seem like it would work?
 
I'm not sure where you got your information from, but water snakes and garters do not have the same humidity and temperature needs. Even more importantly, they have very different habitat needs. Cornsnakes are typically more terrestrial, dwelling in forests, shrublands, and fields. Waters and garters are semi-aquatic in nature, usually residing near swamps and other bodies of water; their captive habitat should reflect this.
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I never house snakes together. First and foremost, there's the risk of cannibalism, even among species you wouldn't expect (even cornsnakes). I have personally witnessed a cornsnake eating another of its own kind. Other species I have also seen are, the aforementioned garter snakes, children's pythons, and other U.S. ratsnakes.

Secondly, there's the issue of disease and parasite transmission. Snake mites are a very realistic threat. If one snake somehow ingests any fluid or fecal matter from another (often only by crawling over or through a pile of feces), it will likely contract whatever the other animal has. Its just simply not worth the risk.

Thirdly, although there may not be any direct hostility from each other, just simply being in the presence of another animal in the same enclosure (regardless of size) can stress out one or both snakes. Depending on the health and species involved, this can lead to a loss of appetite.
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If you want to get another snake, I highly suggest getting a whole new cage for it. Don't mix snakes together.
 
MDC_Ophiuchus said:
I'm not sure where you got your information from, but water snakes and garters do not have the same humidity and temperature needs. Even more importantly, they have very different habitat needs. Cornsnakes are typically more terrestrial, dwelling in forests, shrublands, and fields. Waters and garters are semi-aquatic in nature, usually residing near swamps and other bodies of water; their captive habitat should reflect this.
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I never house snakes together. First and foremost, there's the risk of cannibalism, even among species you wouldn't expect (even cornsnakes). I have personally witnessed a cornsnake eating another of its own kind. Other species I have also seen are, the aforementioned garter snakes, children's pythons, and other U.S. ratsnakes.

Secondly, there's the issue of disease and parasite transmission. Snake mites are a very realistic threat. If one snake somehow ingests any fluid or fecal matter from another (often only by crawling over or through a pile of feces), it will likely contract whatever the other animal has. Its just simply not worth the risk.

Thirdly, although there may not be any direct hostility from each other, just simply being in the presence of another animal in the same enclosure (regardless of size) can stress out one or both snakes. Depending on the health and species involved, this can lead to a loss of appetite.
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If you want to get another snake, I highly suggest getting a whole new cage for it. Don't mix snakes together.
Click to expand...

I second that, word for word!
 
Alright, thanks for the feedback, I'll keep that all in mind, and get a different tank for any other snakes I get. As for who told me the requirements of corns were similiar to water and garters, that would be my local disreputable pet shop owner. I knew the info sounded fishy, which is why I asked.
 
You can always buy a Rubbermade or Sterlite for temporary housing. (I have a couple of snakes living in them while I decide on my next rack.) They are inexpensive and reuseable and you can stack them.
 
::

Kiote_9 said:
You can always buy a Rubbermade or Sterlite for temporary housing. (I have a couple of snakes living in them while I decide on my next rack.) They are inexpensive and reuseable and you can stack them.
Click to expand...

Thats what I was going to suggest. They are cheap and will cause you not to have to go crazy with buy a new tank.

I also agree with the above. Snakes simply should not live together. They are in no way social.
 
How about rough greens together? From what I hear, in the wild they often hang together, especially when going into hibernation mode.
 
There is more to consider when housing multiple snakes. Not just the stress of living together but also the fact if one gets sick they all do. It will then cost you quite a bit to take them all to the vet. Separate housing will in the long run save you money.

There are a few species that should have no problem living together but you just want to make sure you are prepared for mites, RI, or other illnesses.

Garters hibernate in large quantities but I still wouldn't house them together. that is just my opinion and you can take the approach you want, I just want you to consider all possibilities.
 
James,
Good things to consider. Thanks. That is what I am looking for....I want to have my eyes wide open so I don't loose these guys. By the way, what is RI? And also, I've had someone tell me that the North American species will not get mites unless they get them from an African snake. Any thoughts on that?
Snyds
 
Why can't people understand that reptiles are not fish? that you just can't throw multiple species in one tank? [honestly, it's not wise to do with many fish, as well!]
 
Snyds said:
James,
Good things to consider. Thanks. That is what I am looking for....I want to have my eyes wide open so I don't loose these guys. By the way, what is RI? And also, I've had someone tell me that the North American species will not get mites unless they get them from an African snake. Any thoughts on that?
Snyds
Click to expand...

RI - abbreviation for Respiratory Infection

I've never heard of that other thing either. I've seen North American snakes get mites from South American snakes, Australian and Asian snakes just as easily from African snakes.

In fact, (if I recall correctly), the common snake mite actually originated from Asia (thanks, Burmese pythons!)
 
Yeah what MDC said.

As far as the mites go what I have learned is they get them one of 2 ways. Cross contamination with an infected snake or a bad batch of bedding. Any snake is prone to getting mites because they are carriers of them including the North American species. Mites aren't hard to get rid of but it is still a pain. It took me 3 hours to treat my entire collection when I saw a mite on a snake I received. Even though my other snakes didn't have them I still treated as a precaution.


The cheapest way to keep snakes housed separately would be to go get sterilite boxes (or tupperware) then buy a heating pad wide enough to be set between the two boxes. The col thing is sterilite boxes come with automatic locks on them. Then setup their habitat and your done. Oh yeah don't forget to get a thermostat so you don't set your snakes enclosures on fire for the heating pad. Oh and those boxes also hold humidity better. The most expensive thing is going to be buying humidity and thermometer for each enclosure.

That way it doesn't cost you a bunch in order to separate them.

Here also are a couple of links to kind of give you a pretty good view of why most people will say no to housing two snakes together. Also the northern water snake is pretty aggressive and a corn is not.

http://aquaticpredators.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7951

http://www.rcreptiles.com/forum/about1343.html
 
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