# housing two red tail boas???



## Morax (Nov 25, 2008)

I currently have a 5' female columbian red tail boa. i just found a 6' male red tail boa for sale. i would like to house them together, i have heard that they are community snake(with other red tail boa's of course), is this so? also what's a descent size cage for them together? Any info or things i need to know about housing them together is greatly appreciated. Thank you


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2008)

Here's a Red Tail Boa caresheet that has a few questions and answers, look under the buying a boa section (Purchasing/owning a boa) for some advice. 
http://www.redtailboas.com/general_care/general_care.html. Best of luck.


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## ballpython2 (Nov 25, 2008)

Morax said:


> I currently have a 5' female columbian red tail boa. i just found a 6' male red tail boa for sale. i would like to house them together, i have heard that they are community snake(with other red tail boa's of course), is this so? also what's a descent size cage for them together? Any info or things i need to know about housing them together is greatly appreciated. Thank you



As far as I know no snakes of any species are communial. and all snakes unless being put together for breeding reasons should be kept in separate tanks.

However, I think new born  baby clutches stay together for like   a week or two but those are babies. the  opposite of what you have.

I was always told (well I've heard people say) if you can't afford  tanks for more than one snake then you shouldn't get another snake.

Basically if you are putting them together because you dont have money for another tank for the  6 footer than you shouldn't  keep it at all.

If you have money for  a separate  tank then buy it.


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## Taceas (Nov 26, 2008)

I'd keep them separate, its asking for trouble otherwise.

With one being male and one female, the male will hassle the female for mating all of the time. Not to mention the factor of disease transference (you're getting it from an unknown source), so if you can house them separately for required quarantine, then they should remain apart. 

My Hog Island boa is really food aggressive and anything that smells remotely like rat and he's on it like a duck on a June bug. I'd hate to put one of yours back in the tank smelling of food and get nabbed by the other, which would be a nightmare to get them separated.


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## Mister Internet (Nov 26, 2008)

There is never a good reason to house to snakes together except for breeding attempts.

For one, it circumvents proper quarantine procedures.  As already mentioned, the male will hassle and potentially harm the female with incessant breeding attempts.

Is there a *reason* you have ot put them together, other than you think it will look cool?


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## ThomasH (Nov 26, 2008)

Well, I wouldn't say that communal set ups are bad. I just don't like them. Snakes are all solitary creatures. You must use proper quarinteen, I'd say three months if you are very perceptive and it seems healthy on both ends. If you're new to the hobby don't do it! Pay special attention and get ready to take some bites while feeding them to make sure neither are harmed. Use a huge cage for the snakes. I have kept snakes in the same enclosures but only hatchling rat snakes from the same batch until they were a year. Many people think it is cool to have multiple species or animals of the same species in a cage together. I've seen it done at the wildlife center between a corn and a black rat. I have heard of an exhibit in Maryland that housed a hot snakes of Africa exhibit with a Puff, Gaboon and Black Mamba. That is an example of one that won't work! The two Bitis would be fine but Black mambas eat pretty much everything. Encluding snakes!:wall: Also, the hobby doesn't need more RTB's. There are too many for adoption and loose in the glades as it is. Inevitably the pair will breed and give live birth to many more. Whatcha gonna do then bro?
TBH


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## F3lix (Nov 28, 2008)

I must echo everyone's advice to quarantine him for a few months to ensure he is healthy.  And even after that I still would not recommend housing them together.  I was tempted to do this myself with a young pair of brother and sister bcis, and even though they would seem to 'get along', I knew it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.  What I guess I'm trying to say is that the risk is not worth the reward.  If this question is about saving money for another enclosure, I would also have to echo everybody and say that you should probably not get him.


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