Every snake owner with multiple ball pythons has wondered if they should keep their snakes in the same cage. There are many different answers found online, but only one correct answer.
Since ball pythons are not social animals, you should never house them together in the same tank. Allowing two ball pythons to share the same cage can lead to feeding issues, diseases, and cannibalism.
There are also many other potential dangers you need to know about, which we’ll describe for you in-depth.
One Ball Python Will Establish Dominance
Ball pythons are very antisocial snakes, so it’s impossible to know if your particular snakes would get along. At the least, the more dominant one of the two will exert control over the other.
It would only be a matter of time until the dominant python claims the territory and resources of the smaller one, which causes the smaller one to suffer adverse health effects.
Weaker Pythons Will Have Feeding Issues
Because one of the pythons will be the dominant one, they’ll usually take all the food before the submissive one gets the chance to eat. Quite often, ball pythons will be malnourished and might even starve to death if the owner doesn’t take drastic measures.
Cohabitation Causes Major Stress
Ball pythons are likely to suffer from low-level stress if you house them together. This condition might impact their essential bodily functions and weaken their immune systems.
Intense stress causes ball pythons to become restless, which will cause them to explore their tanks constantly. Anorexia and anxiety in reptiles lead them to be exponentially more susceptible to potential infections.
Following are some signs of stress you should watch out for if you decide to house ball pythons together for some reason:
- Lack of an appetite or refusal to eat
- Increased energy levels throughout the day
- Rubbing his nose against surfaces in the tank
- Aggressive behaviors, such as hissing or striking the case
- Unusual behavior not exhibited normally
Multiple Snakes Increase Chances of Disease
If you house two pythons in the same tank, any disease one gets can spread to the other in no time. The best way to ensure your snake’s health is to monitor its stool at various times, which would not be possible if you kept two pythons together. It would be impossible to tell which stool belonged to each snake.
Cannibalism Can Occur
Although it is rare for ball pythons to cannibalize one another, several owners have observed their snakes doing this. Cannibalism typically occurs when a larger python is kept with a smaller python or when an adult snake is placed in a tank full of hatchlings.
For this reason, if you need to house ball pythons together, you should ensure that both of them are nearly the same size.
