Can Two Ball Pythons Live Together? (Caution: Read Before You Try!)

It’s a common piece of advice with pets.

If you want a pet, you should consider getting a second one, so they can keep each other company.

Most animals prefer the company of the same species to the company of a human.

And when you have to leave the home, your pet is not alone. It has a friend.

But this advice does not apply to all pets.

Some animals simply do not like the company of other animals. Not even ones of the same species.

How is it with ball pythons? Can two ball pythons live together, or is it better to give them each their own tank?

Keep reading to learn whether you can keep two ball pythons together in the same enclosure, or if this is a recipe for disaster.

 

Can Two Ball Pythons Live Together?

Two ball pythons should not live together. Snakes are solitary creatures that enjoy their alone time. They would hate sharing an enclosure.

Having to share close quarters causes snakes stress, which can lead to health issues. There is also a fairly high chance the two snakes might fight over the territory, which can result in serious injury, or even death.

Snakes in the wild usually only come together to mate, so you want to replicate that in captivity as well. Do not put two ball pythons together in one tank, unless you are trying to get them to breed.

Let’s take a closer look at what might happen if you force two snakes of the same sex to share an enclosure. After that, we will do the same for two opposite-sex ball pythons.

 

Same-Sex Ball Pythons

You may be wondering if you should only keep pythons of the opposite sex apart, while same-sex pythons can share a home. But that is not the case. You should not house any ball pythons together, whether they are the same sex or not.

Male ball pythons can become extremely territorial, which could even lead to your pythons causing harm to each other. One could even potentially kill the other.

When male pythons fight for territory, it’s usually the case that the smaller snake loses and tries to retreat to safety. Obviously, there is nowhere to retreat in an enclosure, which is why the victor may end up killing the loser.

Even if the weaker snake is not killed, the stress of having to live in the same tank as the stronger snake can have a serious effect on the smaller snake.

The same applies to two female ball pythons. You should not keep them together in captivity. Females may not be as aggressive as males, but that doesn’t mean that sharing a tank would not cause them stress, especially for the smaller and weaker one. It could still make the smaller python seriously ill and it could still be fatal.

 

Opposite-Sex Ball Pythons

You should only put ball pythons of the opposite sex together in the same enclosure if you plan to breed the ball pythons. You can keep them together during the entirety of the mating season, which runs from September through to November.

During the mating season, the male will court the female with his best attempts to convince her to mate. But it will only happen, if the female is receptive to his proposal.

Shortly after mating, the pair will go their separate ways, so that the female can concentrate on laying her eggs in peace without any distractions.

Outside the months of the mating season, you will find that male and female pythons prefer to be apart. It is the same in the wild. If they are forced together, they will likely fight for dominance, which can easily lead to one, or both, of them sustaining injuries.

 

Signs Of Stress

Just like humans, stress can be a common occurrence for snakes and can cause numerous health problems. And housing two ball pythons together in the same enclosure adds a lot of stress to the snakes’ lives.

There are a number of signs that can indicate a ball python is stressed. Some common signs are a lack of appetite, tiredness, weight loss and hiding themselves away more than usual.

Pythons can be stressed for a number of different reasons, not just because they are living with another snake. Having to share a living space simply adds to the stress level.

Other causes of stress in snakes are a lack of food and water, an insufficient living environment and also if they are not living in the correct climate when it comes to temperature and humidity.

 

Will A Ball Python Eat Another Ball Python?

Ball pythons have been known to eat other ball pythons. The most common reason this occurs is if two ball pythons are living together.

When the two pythons are of a similar size it is unlikely that either of them will attempt to eat the other. Cannibalism usually only happens when one snake is considerably bigger than the other.

But this doesn’t mean that there won’t be any fighting between two evenly-sized snakes. And this means a high risk of energy, especially to the weaker of the two snakes. It could easily suffer serious damage.

 

Do Ball Pythons Get Jealous?

No, ball pythons do not get jealous. Snakes are reptiles. They are not emotional creatures. They are unable to generate deep feelings, whether toward another snake or toward a human. So don’t become offended, if your snake is not showing you affection. They can’t. It’s just their nature. If this bothers you, a snake is not the right pet for you.

 

Can You Put Two Ball Pythons Together: Final Thoughts

Now you know that it is never a good idea to put two ball pythons together in the same enclosure, unless they are of the opposite sex and you are trying to get them to breed.

This is true no matter how large the enclosure is, unless it is exceptionally large. We’re talking an entire room of your home here. But don’t stick them in a normal tank together, even if you have the best enclosure for ball pythons that money can buy.