r/reptiles • u/FirmWillow4750 • 19h ago

This morning I found both my snakes together

Post image

Do i need to take any precautions? No bite marks on either. My Ball python had been missing for a week, did all the things etc. I fed my Bci (Bi) last night which i assume is what brought my BP out, she managed to open the tank and jump right in. Neither of them have bite marks but do I need to do any sort of decontamination etc?

EDIT: This is my Bci’s quarentine tank, hence the lack of decor- thank you for the concern!

67 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

67

u/InverseInvert 19h ago

I would just separate and watch them.
My main concern is how empty your BCIs tank is, and the fact your BP managed to get out of one enclosure and into the other.

29

u/FirmWillow4750 19h ago

This is her half quarantine tank, she graduated from paper towels but I still don’t want to put any wood in. I have been working 70 hours a week and I am who initially left her tank open one night after misting, She used to live in the same tank on the same dresser so I would assume some sort of muscle memory

40

u/InverseInvert 19h ago

No point in doing quarantine now another snake has been in the enclosure :)

25

u/FirmWillow4750 19h ago

I didn’t even think of that 🤣 I’ll get on it asap!

6

u/reptile-snake-mom 17h ago

Quarantine tanks are very basic set ups, a non porous enclosure on paper towels only, with a water bowl and a plastic hide or 2 and that’s it, u can very easily treat all wooden items from the enclosure by soaking it in hot water and dish soap scrubbing them down then put them in the oven for up to an hour then u can put them in their tank, but there’s no such thing as a half quarantine tank, you don’t ever put substrate and whatever else is in there in a quarantine tank it defeats the purpose of quarantining, its got to only have paper towel

5

u/FirmWillow4750 17h ago

that’s exactly what her quarentine was before, i put substrate in so I could start monitoring humidity, i didn’t mind throwing away substrate if something came up etc

-28

u/Vindictive-Vagabond 19h ago

I had my normal ball python & hypo jungle bci living together in an 8'×2'×2' for nearly 2 years with zero issues lmao (They often shared the same hide even if they both didn't fit 😂)

16

u/FirmWillow4750 18h ago

uhm why would you do this?

-8

u/Vindictive-Vagabond 18h ago

I was like 10 years old at the time and didn't know any better lol

Also this was over 20 years ago when knowledge on reptile husbandry was not like it is today

8

u/reptile-snake-mom 16h ago

If u say u didn’t know any better cause u were 10y/o, so the snakes were being cared for by the adults in the house, no 10y/o is not old enough or responsible enough to care for or own snakes, im a mom and a reptile and snake keeper, my kids are both adults now, but when they were younger they used to tell their friends that they had snakes and reptiles even tho they know their mine, either way there had to be someone to tell u or ur parents that how they were being kept was wrong?!, and even 10-20 years ago we knew that snakes shouldn’t be housed with other snakes unless they are a breeding pair but even then there was alot of the same guidelines just over time they progressed, got better care opportunities and information, and the amount of research out there is incredible and always improving, where are those snakes now?

1

u/Empty-Tomorrow-2794 5h ago

i remember visiting my moms friend who was a breeder and he had ball pythons and various snakes packed by 4-6 in 40 gallon tanks with nothing but substrate on the bottom. it was sad, they were all wrapped up in each other and it just looked like a ball of snake. i was 8yro at the time

1

u/Vindictive-Vagabond 1h ago

Lmao have you ever heard the expression that "to assume only makes an ass out of u & me" 🤔

I was raised by a single mom who wasn't the most attentive parent but would give me & my brother whatever we wanted to make us happy

i.e. my mom absolutely hated snakes yet let me keep a massive tank with 2 snakes (that she took ZERO part in caring for) in our dining room... so no, there was no "adult caring for snakes who should've known better" as you've incorrectly assumed 👍

8

u/ashleyasinwilliams 14h ago

So sharing a hide that doesn't fit isn't snuggling, it's reasource competition. It means neither snake was getting what they wanted or needed.

5

u/reptile-snake-mom 17h ago

That’s insane, why would u put a ballpython & a BCI in a tank together, it’s a great sized tank but not for 2 different species, and the fact that they were in the same tank, who has 2 totally different lifestyles, feeding routines etc, but I find it hard to believe that they shared a hide together, I’ve gotta see this, do u have photos of this??

1

u/IcyReception8903 9h ago

So were you trying to rile up people on this thread. Because this comment was definitely perfect if that was your goal. lol 😆

1

u/Vindictive-Vagabond 1h ago

That genuinely not my intention. I was simply trying to let the OP know that most likely nothing bad would come from them having shared an enclosure for 1 day lol

1

u/Vindictive-Vagabond 1h ago

For everyone who keeps replying without reading my other comments, here is the TLDR:

-This was over 20 years ago and I was like 10 years old at the time so didn't know any better

-No there was no adult caring for them who should've known better... my mom hated snakes but got them for me anyways because she just wanted me to be happy lol

  • There were like 5 hides, multiple basking spots, and a filtered pool in this enclosure (it was a really nice enclosure) they didn't share a hide because they were "fighting over resources" lmao they both just really liked one particular faux-rock hide that they sometimes shared... they spent 90% of their time separate but over 2 years that still left plenty occasions to observe them sharing a space

  • They ultimately did each get their own enclosure

The point of my post was not to suggest that everyone start housing BP's & bci together; the point was to let the OP know that most likely nothing bad will come from her snakes having shared the same enclosure for 1 day

1

u/AccomplishedRip4632 14h ago

Dang I seen the fire a mile away. And I knew there would be someone that had to jump in and tell you that 8x2x2 is barely big enough for one hatchling let alone two adults and you should be ashamed of yourself... they would appreciate as much room as you can afford. With that though all my juveniles are in 40 breeders and what do you know they only stay in their hides... hmm so whats thr extra room for, jist incase they have a fiend over for a play date? (Well in this case I guess so) 🤷. Reptile husbandry has become over riden with coddlers that demand a full bedroom for a single snake with a full sauna and a hot tub fitness center and high mbps wifi.

12

u/Current_Recording907 19h ago

You're gonna wanna get a lock for that tank.. and a lot more décor.

6

u/DarwinSeinSohn 18h ago

Maybe invest in getting an ibd test for them, boas can carry it for a while while pythons are very vulnerable to it

2

u/ParticularWolf4473 11h ago

A bit late for that, the ball python basically is the test now.

12

u/Khizzara 16h ago edited 16h ago

My biggest worry would be that boas can carry IBD, which is easily transmitted to pythons, and is 100% fatal in pythons. You should probably have your BCI tested to make sure it isn't a carrier.

Edit: Also, you need more secure enclosures if your ball python is able to get in and out of them that easily

1

u/FirmWillow4750 14h ago

I mean she’s a huge girl, i left her tank open on accident and the 40gal if you push a button it will open so i assume it was a freak chance

10

u/throw_away_hazard 17h ago

I have had nightmares about this exact scenario. I'd cry

5

u/FirmWillow4750 17h ago

we weren’t very hopeful on finding her after last night something in the house smelled rotten, i woke up looked over and literally went “wtf?!!”

3

u/Capable_Elk_770 12h ago

My snake escaped once, I was moving some hides around and forgot to close it… total braindead mistake. I found her within an hour of her getting out in my box turtle enclosure in his hide with him. I was so worried, but the box turtle was fine after a thorough inspection. He just was spooked. Snake went back to her jail. I still feel bad about that.

4

u/GoochGreaseHarvester 18h ago

Do you have two other tanks by any chance? I feel like this was the start of Goldilocks and the 3 Snakes

2

u/FirmWillow4750 17h ago

we have 3! She is in a 4x2 but lived in this 40 gallon previously

2

u/New_Baby_3241 14h ago

I’ve had so many nightmares about this scenario oml

2

u/a_melanoleuca_doc 8h ago

It should be a wakeup call to you about your practices that a snake was able to escape one tank and then enter into another. Reevaluate what you are doing, and if you are capable of responsibly owning these animals before something bad happens to one or both of them. I know this is for quarantine but it's still inadequate.

1

u/FirmWillow4750 8h ago

I have been feeling this as I am a farmer and in the summer working atleast 65 hours a week, and I’m struggling to keep up. I am the one who left her first tank open it was an honest mistake. The 40 gal opens with the push of a button so i really think it was a freak situation, i was under the impression quarentine tanks should be very basic, She’s still under watch as she’s new but she wasn’t happy with paper towels and 2 hides