Keeping Multiple Snakes Together
Keeping multiple snakes in one cage is never a good idea except for breeding purposes. There are a lot of people out there that may tell you that they have had success in keeping two snakes together and the snakes were happy. Although nothing terrible happened, that does not mean the snakes were “happy.” There are a few major points to consider before keeping two or more snakes in the same enclosure.
First, there is ALWAYS a possibility of cannibalism. With the exception of a few species, it’s not a normal behavior for most snakes to eat other snakes. However, it does happen. I’ve heard so many stories of pet owners coming home and finding one of their snakes missing and the other with a funny bulge in it’s belly. The owners are always shocked because the snakes had been living “happily” together for months, even years. Then all of a sudden one, or both snakes, are dead. You can’t predict it, and you won’t be there to stop it if it happens.
Another reason to house snakes individually is that they are solitary animals. For most species of snakes, they only get together to mate. Then they move on as soon as the deed is done. They don’t like being around other animals, even if they are the same species. It makes them nervous and stresses them out. You must realize that you are forcing this animal to live in captivity. It does not have a choice. It can’t tell you that it doesn’t like it’s roommate. All it can do is accept the conditions you are forcing upon it. Try to make those conditions as comfortable as possible for it. The only reason you have to keep more than one snake in a cage is for your own convenience, or your inaccurate perception that your pet needs a friend. It doesn’t need, nor want any friends.
The last major reason to not keep 2 snakes in an enclosure is that if one gets sick. They both get sick. So if you lose one, you lose both. Not fun.
So please remember that you are doing your animals a great disservice by forcing them to live with other snakes in the same cage. It’s not a comfortable or healthy environment for your pets.
If you can think of any other reasons to keep snakes individually, then please leave a comment below.