Can Ball Pythons Live With Other Snakes or Reptiles? (Answered)

Ball pythons are popular pets, but many people often ask, ‘can ball pythons live with other snakes or reptiles? Owning a ball python sounds cool. However, there’s a common misconception that ball pythons can’t live with other reptiles. This keeps people who like to keep multiple pets from bringing a ball python home. They believe that if they keep a ball python as a pet, they won’t be able to keep any other reptiles. How true is that?

Can Ball Pythons Live With Other Reptiles?

Ball pythons can live with other reptiles, but that doesn’t mean a ball python will do well with all reptiles. The reptiles they can live with depend greatly on the temperament and size of the reptile we’re talking about since they’ll both need their own space. 

Ball pythons are one of the best pets you can have. They’re low-maintenance, docile, and quite social, and they do pretty well with other reptiles.

As long as you ensure that there’s sufficient space for your ball python, they won’t mind coexisting with other reptiles. The problem arises when the ball python doesn’t get enough space to move around, and they feel like the other reptile is invading their space. 

That’s when things can take a turn. There can be fights, but the chances of disease transmission will also be higher.

While ball pythons can live with other reptiles, you must know which reptiles exactly you can keep with a ball python to ensure they live in harmony. We’ve studied the ball pythons closely and can help you in this regard.

What Makes Ball Pythons Great Pets?

The first question that people who’ve never owned a snake as a pet ask is why should they consider owning a ball python? There’s not one but numerous reasons why ball pythons make great pets.

• They’re low-maintenance. You only need to feed them once a week or once in 2 weeks as they mature. Once they mature, you can train them to accept mice that have been frozen and thawed. The food situation with ball pythons is quite easy.
• They’re okay with hands-on handling. If you want to be able to hold your pet snake and play with them, a ball python won’t disappoint you.
• Ball pythons can live up to 30 years. You don’t have to worry about you losing your pet to age after a few years of bringing them home.
• They don’t take up much space so you can accommodate them easily.
• Since they’re smaller than most snakes in the python family, feeding them isn’t too costly.

Can Ball Pythons Live with Other Reptiles?

Coming to the question that you’re most interested in, can ball pythons live with other reptiles? The answer is yes. Ball pythons can live with some other reptiles.

It all depends on the size of the reptile you’ve got in mind and whether the other reptile is social or antisocial.

Ball pythons can coexist with reptiles like tortoises and turtles. The condition is simple; ball pythons should have the space they need to be allotted to them. 

It’s best to keep reptiles that are smaller in size so that they’re both comfortable when it comes to their space.

There’s not much to worry about if you’re concerned about ball pythons attacking, killing, and feeding on other reptiles that you keep with your pet python. Ball pythons only eat rodents and other mammals. They don’t feed on reptiles.

When a ball python comes across a mammal or rodent, they camouflage and make their way to the prey and swallow it whole. 

It’s an opportunist predator.

Ball pythons will eat the mice whole and digest the flesh. 

They’ll use the bones to make a nest. 

That’s what a ball python would do in the wild, and that’s what you should expect them to do in captivity.

Which Reptiles Are Best to Keep with Ball Pythons?

Turtles and tortoises are your best options to keep with ball pythons, provided that you’ve got enough resources to provide them with an appropriate setup.

The enclosure must be big enough to provide both the reptiles a lot of space to move around.

However, if you do want to keep ball pythons and turtles or tortoises as pets, we would suggest you keep them both in separate enclosures. 

While they can peacefully coexist, keeping them in separate enclosures offers greater safety. If you’ve got only one enclosure, it should be big and have separate compartments for both reptiles.

Can Ball Pythons Live with Other Snakes?

A lot of people would like to know if a ball python can live with other snakes.

While it’ll be very challenging for the owner, it’s not impossible. 

The owner has to be very attentive at all times, more so during feeding, to ensure the snakes don’t end up biting each other accidentally.

Can a Ball Python Eat Another Reptile?

We’ve said this earlier, and we’ll say it again; ball pythons won’t eat another reptile. 

They only feed on mammals and rodents.

However, that doesn’t mean that a ball python won’t defend itself if it feels threatened. 

If a ball python feels threatened by another reptile, it’ll attack it – not with the intention of feeding but to defend itself.

What Should You Be Careful About When Keeping a Ball Python with Other Reptiles?

If you really want to keep a ball python with other reptiles, there are some things that you’ve got to be very careful about.

• Don’t keep the two reptiles in a terrarium that’s too small. If the reptiles feel the other is invading their space, they’ll attack.
• Ensure that you don’t leave the ball python hungry for too long. Although they can go a week or 2 without food, if they’re too hungry, the other reptile might be at risk of an attack.
• Feed the ball python frozen mice from an early age so that they’re used to it. If your ball python is trained in this aspect, you’ll be able to keep them with other reptiles without worrying about your ball python attacking or hurting them.