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 #2055229


Andrea210
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 Housing Milk snakes together

Hello, I am the owner of a yearling tangerine milk snake. I have done my research and read on many sites that it is not recommended to house two milk snakes together due to their cannibalistic tendencies. However, I have often found that there are exceptions to every rule ;) I am very interested in getting another milk snake (same size as the one I already have)...

Has anyone successfully housed (or know someone who has) two milk snakes together?

Thanks!
08/11/09  10:27pm

 #2055578


Peter54
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   Message To: Andrea210   In reference to Message Id: 2055229


 Housing Milk snakes together

There are no problems housing an eqully sized couple of milksnakes together from the cannibalistic point of view. the problems are of different caracters, such as space, feeding, stress and so on.

Snakes are solitary creatures and they never interact with any other living thing other than in mating season and during successful hunting. Therefore, no two snakes should be housed together even if it’s possible.
08/12/09  03:05pm

 #2055671


Hiss
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   Message To: Peter54   In reference to Message Id: 2055578


 Housing Milk snakes together

Lampropeltis Triangulum are not Ophiophagus ???
08/12/09  05:45pm

 #2056209


Andrea210
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   Message To: Hiss   In reference to Message Id: 2055671


 Housing Milk snakes together

?????
08/13/09  01:53pm

 #2056652


Hiss
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   Message To: Andrea210   In reference to Message Id: 2056209


 Housing Milk snakes together

Ophiophagus = snakes, which feed on other snakes
Therefore should not be housed together
08/14/09  02:43am

 #2057739


Peter54
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   Message To: Hiss   In reference to Message Id: 2055671


 Housing Milk snakes together

Did I not say two equally sized milksnakes? Two equally sized milksnakes will not try to feed upon eachother. However all species and subspecies within the Lampropeltis complex will kill and eat another snake of significantly smaller size.

Common kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula ssp) will kill and eat snakes that are as long as themselves but thinner, such as ratsnakes, racers and garters. They do not kill and eat another snake with the same length and thickness.

All snakes should be kept separately, but the question was if it’s possible to keep two milksnakes together and the answer is YES, if they are equally sized, and NO if they do not match in size.
08/15/09  05:56pm

 #2058154


Hiss
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   Message To: Peter54   In reference to Message Id: 2057739


 Housing Milk snakes together

Thanks for the answer and also for the arrogance...with the "Did i not say bla´blá blá"

So they are ophiaphagus...which its different from cannibals, cannibal eat the same species as his own, ophiaphagus feed on snakes of any species that are suitable, therefor there is no positive points on housing snakes together except saving space at home...which can be positive for the owner but not for the snake.
08/16/09  01:08pm

 #2059292


Peter54
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   Message To: Hiss   In reference to Message Id: 2058154


 Housing Milk snakes together

This is exactly what I have stated. No snake should have to endure housing with another, but in this thread that was not the question. It was about if it’s possible or not, and it is.

My arrogance, as you put it, was called for by your response to my earlier statement, wich by the way, said just the same as yours, but in other words.



08/18/09  01:12am

 #2060472


Hiss
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   Message To: Peter54   In reference to Message Id: 2059292


 Housing Milk snakes together

Except that ophiaphagus and cannibals are two different things, almost all snake can be cannibalistic , but all snakes are not ophiaphagus like lampropeltis sp. ;)
08/19/09  05:54pm

 #2060748


Peter54
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   Message To: Hiss   In reference to Message Id: 2060472


 Housing Milk snakes together

Nevertheless, it is possible to house an equally sized milksnake couple, however nothing to recommend.

I have tested the snake-eating tendensies in 5 different subspecies of milksnakes, 5 different getulas, 2 of the zonatas, 2 of the pyromelanas, all 3 mexicanas, alternas, ruthvenis and one of the calligaster subspecies. The result is very overwhelming since all of them immidiately attacked and engulfed another significantly smaller snake.

However, only getulas attack and eat snakes of the same size.
08/20/09  07:40am

 #2060749


Peter54
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   Message To: Peter54   In reference to Message Id: 2060748


 Housing Milk snakes together

I forgot to mention that not one of the Lampropeltis in my tests except for getula, would consider an attack on another snake of the same size as themselves, no matter what species.
08/20/09  07:43am


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