My pet snakes just tried to eat each other!!!

[Cat Water]

I was feeding my two pet corn snakes. I thawed out their mice and instead of feeding them one at a time, I fed them both at once. BIG MISTAKE!! Instead of going after the mouse in front of her, my female snake, Zelda, decided that the mouse already halfway down Vlademir's, my male snake's, throat looked far more appetizing. They started fighting with it halway down each of their throats! I separated them after I realized they wouldn't work it out. After Vlad finished his mouse, he latched onto Zelda's face! I screamed for my dad who came running to save her.

He put Zelda in the cage and Vlad in a cardboard box. I fed them another mouse and put Vlad back in the cage. There was a little bit of tension when Zelda saw him again, but they relaxed after a few seconds. THE WHOLE
EXPERIENCE WAS SO TRAUMATIZING!

Try seeing your beloved pets try to kill each other! My dad said they were still hungry. I don't know weather to feed them more often, or feed them more in one feeding. I feed them one fuzzy every two weeks. They are about two and one half feet long. I didn't know they needed more food. If anyone happens to have pet snakes, could you help me?

 

[EweSheep]

I think as they are growing, they might need more food. Try it with another mouse for each and see if they are satisfied.

 

[Livinzoo]

You really need another cage. It is not uncommon to have corn snakes eat each other. They need to be separated except when they are breeding.

 

[Teach97]

Get a good book on corn snakes...education is the answer to all things!

Now lets see what kind of education I can pass on...I have a few snakes myself and really enjoy them.

The advice on another cage is great. Snakes really should not be fed in the cage you keep them in. The reason is that they will associate any opeing of the lid with an opportunity to feed and folks end up getting bit. Feed them seperate. They need lots mor food than one fuzzy every two weeks...those are good sized snakes. As a rule you can feed anything that is as big around as the thickest part of the snake..but again that is general rule...your snakes are probably ready for adult mice...don't feed live because there is the danger of the mouse killing the snake.

Again...get a good book...that is the best place to go. Advice from folks is good but we all tend to have bad habits and aren't perfect.

Like me...I feed in their regular cages all the time and I give my snakes live food...I have other really bad habits also....

 

[kla37]

Our ball python is 4 years old and downing 2 mice a week. We have to use live mice b/c he never would take frozen and thawed food. He's still growing, but such a sweetheart. He enjoys CSI and Criminal Minds curled up on my arm.

 

[TwistedSerpent]

Its usually not recommended to keep them together, and if you do its an absolute must to feed them seperately.


More food is not the answer, snakes will often eat until they cant phycially handle it and regurge it all back up. Instincts tell them to take any chance at food because it might be months before they get another meal. Most keepers actually overfeed their pets making them obese. Corns dont have the best eyesight, so if it smells like food and it moves then their reflex to strike at it kicks in, and they often are in that feeding mode for awhile after they eat.


Also feeding a single snake in its enclosure actually is no worse then feeding out. When you feed out of the cage your opening yourself up more to bites because you have to handle a snake that knows its getting fed. Its all about being smart around them and conditioning them, they do learn routine, if you do something acertain way every time when you feed they will begin to expect it, same with when you take them out to handle. Also remember they are extremely instinctual often without thinking if you startle them they will strike just on reflex.


Another major issue with keepign male and female together is premature breeding. The male sexually matures at around that size, and females often will ovulate before they are developed enough to handle eggs. If that happens and he breeds with her you risk her becoming eggbound, which will mean an expensive vet trip, possibly surgury, and even then a good possibility of her dying. Even if she does lay them its so hard on a still growing system.

The best and easiest thing to do is seperate them, you wont have any more problems like this.

 

[Cat Water]

The reason I keep them in the same cage together is they grew up together ever since they were hatchlings. I keep them in a 50 gallon tank, so they have plenty of room, but they tend to "cuddle" with each other. I fed them in the tank because I had to go somewhere and when I take them out to feed them, it takes a good half hour to feed them. I had done it once before, and it was fine. I put them on opposite sides of the tank and put a mouse in front of them. Vlad went right after his, but Zelda went the whole four and one half feet to try eating the other end of his mouse. I watched them for about thirty seconds for the situation to improve. I got Zelda away from his meal, he finished it after about two seconds, then went after Zelda while I was trying to get her to eat her own mouse. You know the rest of the story.

I read that the snakes have to hibernate in order to breed. I keep the temp. the same all year long so I don't worry about them breeding. I guess I'll go to the pet store later and buy a book...

 

[sourland]

You've been given some good information here. Please don't discount it because of preconceived ideas. Don't ask questions unless you want the answers.

 

[RabbitMage]

Quote:
Snakes don't cuddle. What you see as 'cuddling' is actually them competing for the best basking or resting spots. Unless you're planning to breed them, they need to be kept apart.

 

[TwistedSerpent]

Cornsnakes are native to the southernmost tip of Florida, where They certianly don't hibernate. They're one species where You don't have to do anything fancy to get to breed, many people have clutches by suprize.

Rabbit is right, they don't cuddle. One of the biggest mistakes I see people do with reptiles is anthromorphize. They place feelings and emotions on them that They actually don't have which can actually harm the animals.

Snakes are largely solirarty, nature did not intend them to have a need for companionship, They do not have the capacity for those emotions. What they do have are deeply rooted instincts and self perserverance. They stay together because its a prime spot.

Unless You want to continue having problems your going to need to seperate them
Trust me they actually prefer not having to compete for the best spots.