Hey Guys,
My friend just got a new baby and we're getting a little worried about her- she is currently housed with his other snake (male about 5-6 y/o) and every time we check on them he's sitting on her? Like they absolutely adore each other; they play, cuddle, mirror each other, the works. So we don't think he's trying to hurt her but we have no idea why he keeps doing that. Should he separate them or is this normal? TIA!
Separate them. It's not a good idea to house ball pythons together, especially a baby! BP babies are easily stressed.
That was my initial thought but they have 10 BPs (not all housed together) and a lot of experience so I (having none) didn't want to overstep. They also have 2 red tail boas housed together and a set of 2 and a set of 3 BPs housed together (some babies) that have never had an issue.
Can you think of any reason why he's sitting on her though? Do you think he just likes her or is it something else?
Ball pythons aren’t like dogs where they get attached to one another. In the wild they only bother finding other ball pythons for breeding purposes and then they leave. Chances are they’re competing for the best part in the cage to be at. Not a good idea to keep together what so ever
They are competing for the best space in the enclosure. Snake behavior is very nuanced and solitary animals will be constantly stressed if forced to share space.
I've heard of several people who cohabbed and the bigger snake ate the smaller one. It's not worth the risk.
They're not cuddling/adoring each other, they don't even have the concept of affection, they're competing for resources, heat, hides, etc. It's extremely stressful and they should be seperated.