As I keep my two 10 Month old corns together,I always fed them on the same day and they grow nicely and at the same rate.But now,for the first time,Yuma goes into shed sooner and Chip hasn't started yet.The last feeding was on Saturday the 6th.Maybe it's a dump question and I know many of you don't approve of keeping snakes in the same enclosure,but I feel as long as they are the same size,very rarely will they eat each other!Now my question is:should I wait to feed Chip until Yuma finished shedding?Or can I feed Chip and there would be no danger that Yuma smells the food on Chip and goes crazy?Or could I feed Yuma anyway as long as he hasn't started with the blue eyes yet?
Thanks for your help!

I would wait until after the shed. As you surmised one snake may smell rodent and attack the other. happened with my ball pythons once. The female hit the male and immediately realized the mistake and released.

Jacky that is a common misconception. Think about the size of the rodents that the snake is capable of swallowing. Just because they are about the same size doesn't mean they are safe. Kingsnakes are capable of swallowing snakes the same size as they are just by folding them as they are being swallowed. It would work the same way with corns.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Thanks Merlin!I had a feeling that I should wait and you confirmed it for me.

I agree...I would wait...Sally smelled rodent on Jack once, and even though she had also eaten, she was still WAY too interested in tasting him....that was one reason I separated them at last...It was just too scary

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~Juliane~

Hi,

I have a little different thought. Although I agree that you want to avoid the risk, I have a bit of a problem in making one wait for the other when it is feeding time. What if Yuma is kept waiting and then goes into shed and consequently the feeding schedule in now a complete mess. It will happen sooner or later. I have kept my corns together for many years and find that separating them at feeding time into separate containers gives you the best control over their schedules, and I have never had even the slightest hint of trouble. Good Luck.

Scott

1.1.25 Amelanistic Corns
1.1.0 Irian Jaya Pythons
1.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko

Good idea Scott, and I agree a feeding bucket would insure the safety of your snakes as well...If one swallows before the other is done and thinks there is another rodent....there could be problems....I have a couple cages with more than one snake and I use a feeding bucket for those especially...

It also comes in handy in case you dont have time to sit and watch...because sometimes I notice that some snakes will drop prey and wander around before actually eating it....and another snake in the enclosure could eat 2 and leave the other hungry ....Good luck with your little guys...Lyn

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

The situation with my pythons was that the male had been removed from the tank been fed and then replaced back in the tank with the female. The female smelled rodent and came striking out of the hide, hit the male and started to coil when she realized that it wasn't a rodent she had!
Just a warning of what could happen.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

After my experiences trying to house Talyn and Q together, I personally believe it's just better to keep each of my animals housed separately (unless you want to breed... then only for the pairing). Aside from the feeding issues, there is the record-keeping problem: who defecated, urinated or regurgitated? And any illness that might pop up can spread more quickly. There is also a higher concentration of bacteria from stools/shed skins that even when removed promptly, are still present in higher concentrations than a snake housed alone.
And although snakes seem to really snuggle up together sweet and cozy; I've found that Talyn is much less aggressive now that she lives alone. Fortunately for me, whatever killed Q was either not contagious or Talyn has a super immune system. I won't take chances like that again.
In direct response to the posts here: I agree with both Merlin AND josco79: the one snake should not have to wait for his dinner till the other sheds; the shed one will be hungry afterwards and the one who waited might go into shed... then no one gets fed!!!
However it could also be dangerous to feed one and not the other: the solution? separate terrariums for the snakes. (That's my opinion, for what it's worth.)

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Andrea

Scott and Lyn,I always feed them in seperate containers ,from day one I did so,but I always fed them at the same day,but seperate!
But what shall I do now? At the moment I just can't afford another terrarium!!! There are so many people in the world who keep more than one corn in the same terrarium! Even some zoos have got more than one corn,or other snakes,in one terrarium.
Here's how I fed them since I got them: I take both out and put them in two seperate feeding boxes,beside each other.Then I open both lids and give each,one after the other,a pinky.Yuma usually is faster and then I give him the second one and so does Chip.I always watch them eat,because I need to be there when they finished the first meal and then they watch me getting out their second pinky.It's very cute.
You think,as they don't coil around the pinky,because they take it straight from me,into their mouth and start to swollow,that Chip might not smell of pinky?
But if Yuma would want to swallow Chip,so he also would eat his usuall dinner,would't he?I just thought,as snakes in shed usually don't eat,so there would be no danger for Chip?!?

If it were me, I'd feed Chip in a separate container and then gently move him to a clean feeding bucket in another room from where you fed for an hour or so before putting him back.
If Yuma is in shed, she might not be too hungry anyway.
Once when Monty got messy with a ruptured rat, I gently picked him up with a wet towel (don't squeeze him in it!!!) and let him crawl back to his terrarium through it.
Either way: put Chip back in the terrarium farthest away from Yuma at first. AND watch them both carefully for the next hour or so.

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Andrea