Completed custom enclosure

[AudreyElizabeth]

This cabinet style, L-shaped enclosure houses our five foot carpet python, and two Ball pythons. My husband designed and constructed it; it took him four days and about 48 hours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgVsxhS9TA

 

[Aztek]

Nice...
I need some enclosures.

 

[whitewolf]

Looks good.

 

[Lucas339]

2 cages for 3 snakes??? not a good idea.

 

[flamesbane]

2 cages for 3 snakes??? not a good idea.

I agree, you'll end up with one fat snake...Good work on the enclosure though, what was the total cost of the materials? (If you don't mind my asking)

 

[ThomasH]

I agree, you'll end up with one fat snake...Good work on the enclosure though, what was the total cost of the materials? (If you don't mind my asking)

No, not if they are BPs. I have never heard of cannibalism once in P. regius. People house these together all the time, from pet stores to some of the most "prestige" breeders/dealers. No ill effects, just be very careful feeding them and you'll be fine. I would reccomend keeping the carpet python seperate though, simply due to varying care requirements.
Also, where do you get "two cages" from? From the video I thought that it was just one that cornered?
TBH

 

[flamesbane]

No, not if they are BPs. I have never heard of cannibalism once in P. regius. People house these together all the time, from pet stores to some of the most "prestige" breeders/dealers. No ill effects, just be very careful feeding them and you'll be fine. I would reccomend keeping the carpet python seperate though, simply due to varying care requirements.
Also, where do you get "two cages" from? From the video I thought that it was just one that cornered?
TBH

One cage is stacked on the other. Ball python cannibalism is rare but it does happen. Snakes of any kind shouldn't be cohabbed. Regardless of cannibalism there is the stress that it puts on the snake.

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

 

[ThomasH]

One cage is stacked on the other. Ball python cannibalism is rare but it does happen. Snakes of any kind shouldn't be cohabbed. Regardless of cannibalism there is the stress that it puts on the snake.

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

Mmmmmmmkay? That was the one picture out there. I have seen that very picture tossed around the web and in books hundreds of times. Find me more independent accounts. There are tens of thousands of ball pythons being kept communally. One cannibalised the other. Big deal, it was an insane rarity. As a human, we are more likely to be killed by living communally with our own kind than balls are living together.

Like the link said, it isn't a question of "can" but a question of "should." I personally wouldn't keep snakes communally but it's your own choice. I'm not going to attack them for it. The Baltimore zoo used to have a "hots of Africa communal." They keep a D. polylepis juvenile, a B. gabonica adult, a B. nasicornis adult, and a B. arietans adult. Which to any one who knows hots, isn't a very good idea. But it is the institution's choice.

TBH

 

[Lucas339]

Mmmmmmmkay? That was the one picture out there. I have seen that very picture tossed around the web and in books hundreds of times. Find me more independent accounts. There are tens of thousands of ball pythons being kept communally. One cannibalised the other. Big deal, it was an insane rarity. As a human, we are more likely to be killed by living communally with our own kind than balls are living together.

Like the link said, it isn't a question of "can" but a question of "should." I personally wouldn't keep snakes communally but it's your own choice. I'm not going to attack them for it. The Baltimore zoo used to have a "hots of Africa communal." They keep a D. polylepis juvenile, a B. gabonica adult, a B. nasicornis adult, and a B. arietans adult. Which to any one who knows hots, isn't a very good idea. But it is the institution's choice.

TBH

thought you never herd of it???

it is never a good idea to house any snakes communally. there is always a chance that things will go wrong. and as ball pyhtons are concerned, if they are a pair, you may end up with them breeding at an age way to young for a female to breed causing her to become egg bound. the only time it is ok is if/when you are trying to breed those animals.

you cannot compare zoos to peoples homes. there is no comaparison! i bet the zoo had them in a huge enclosure.

just not a good idea.

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

The total cost of materials was in the 450 dollar range. While I personally don't like the idea of housing two snakes together, my husband wants to try it with Ball pythons. They are fed in separate containers, and have four hides now. The carpet python up at the top has three hides.
It's hard to explain, but the two enclosures are really different units, separated by one foot of space. We calculated the 'gallons', and the bottom enclosure is somewhere around 100 gallons, and the top is close to 300.

 

[ThomasH]

thought you never herd of it???

it is never a good idea to house any snakes communally. there is always a chance that things will go wrong. and as ball pyhtons are concerned, if they are a pair, you may end up with them breeding at an age way to young for a female to breed causing her to become egg bound. the only time it is ok is if/when you are trying to breed those animals.

you cannot compare zoos to peoples homes. there is no comaparison! i bet the zoo had them in a huge enclosure.

just not a good idea.

Sorry, just a little jog of the memory via link brought it back to me.
There isn't that much risk. Egg binding isn't terribly common but can be troublesome and result in death, if they are going to put two balls in that big of an enclosure I'd assume that they'd already be adults anyway.
The zoo's enclosure was pretty and well planted, which took up a lot of space. I would estimate that the enclosure was some where around 6'x6'x4'. That isn't really huge for that many snakes of their size. There is a comparison. Unless it is at least big enough for the captives to not have to notice [Which it was not.] each other, than it is communalism.
TBH

 

[Lucas339]

egg binding is more common than you think. i herd two case already this year.

but hey...not my animals...not my money.

the enclosure does look great.

 

[flamesbane]

Mmmmmmmkay? That was the one picture out there. I have seen that very picture tossed around the web and in books hundreds of times. Find me more independent accounts. There are tens of thousands of ball pythons being kept communally. One cannibalised the other. Big deal, it was an insane rarity. As a human, we are more likely to be killed by living communally with our own kind than balls are living together.

Like the link said, it isn't a question of "can" but a question of "should." I personally wouldn't keep snakes communally but it's your own choice. I'm not going to attack them for it. The Baltimore zoo used to have a "hots of Africa communal." They keep a D. polylepis juvenile, a B. gabonica adult, a B. nasicornis adult, and a B. arietans adult. Which to any one who knows hots, isn't a very good idea. But it is the institution's choice.

TBH

I know that case of cannibalism in balls is about the only documented one out there but my point here is there isn't any good reason to cohab snakes. It is stressful on the snake, and there is a risk (no matter how small) of stress related cannibalism even if the snakes are well fed. Now most cases of this happening occurred in small enclosures with recently cohabbed snakes, but again there are other risks. If the snakes are eating fine and don't appear stressed it is typically fine, but it is not something that I think people should do to their pets. To me the potential for stress on the snake outweighs any perceived benefits.

Now in the enclosure that is shown in this thread it will never be a problem (and it generally never is). However I personally would never cohab my snakes. I wasn't trying to attack anyone for how they keep there pets, that wasn't my intention and I am sorry if I came off that way (I wasn't trying to argue with you either, and as you said it all boils down to a personal choice).

 

[kupo969]

I wouldn't say the major risk is cannibalism, even though there is always a chance for this. The main problem would be that they are solitary and should be kept alone. Multiple snakes housed together causes stress and can spread mites and other diseases to each other. It is not worth the trouble, or the space. You need a much bigger tank to house 2+ in one tank.

 

[codykrr]

hey guys....not to be a jerk but i dont think she ment to start a debate....cant you just compliment her andher husbands efforts and say good day? man i swear some people.....

any how i love the enclosures! very nicely done. im acually in the midst of trying to figure out a nice custom enclosure for my ball python too. so far there all 350 dollars or better and i dont have power ools to build anything awsome yet.

but im thinking a nice melemine and wood trim enclosure with sliding glass doors would be nice. maybe your husband can give me some pointers via a P.M.?.....please

 

[Tarantula_Chick]

Very nice enclosure!! I can't wait to be done with college and have my own place so I can have huge custom enclosures everywhere.

 

[Luiscifer]

the enclosure looks awesome. Now that track u have playing in the baground is killer! whats the name of it? I also need ur husband to come to NYC so he can build a habitat for my leopard geckos. lolol

 

[samatwwe]

I LIKE!

 

[josh_r]

hey guys....not to be a jerk but i dont think she ment to start a debate....cant you just compliment her andher husbands efforts and say good day? man i swear some people.....

any how i love the enclosures! very nicely done. im acually in the midst of trying to figure out a nice custom enclosure for my ball python too. so far there all 350 dollars or better and i dont have power ools to build anything awsome yet.

but im thinking a nice melemine and wood trim enclosure with sliding glass doors would be nice. maybe your husband can give me some pointers via a P.M.?.....please

i completely agree! this is not a debate. your cage is amazing looking! one of the best ive seen so far. very cool design! this gives me ideas for the cage i am going to build for my pictigaster! thanks for sharing!

-josh

 

[KyuZo]

i LOVE it:clap: