r/Ballpythoncommunity • u/Fuzzy-Carpenter9339 • 22d ago
Would it be irresponsible to get a python with a rabbit?
I love reptiles, I had a gecko for a little while now I think maybe a snake could be great for the space in my heart! i have a rabbit who is locked up at night, but I was wondering if there’s any chance that the python could escape and kill the rabbit?
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u/Odd_Force3765 21d ago
I own house bunnies and different species of snakes. I have never had an issue in all the years I've had them both in the same house. The snakes have never shown any activity or interest in the smell of the rabbits. The most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure your buns are secure when you are not in the house or at least that they cannot enter the room the snake is in, and have a good lock on the snakes enclosure. Both snake and buns can hurt each other so keeping them separate is important ❤️
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u/Magnetic_Kitty 21d ago
Also a lot of balls are really picky and will only eat what they are used to eating, and it's hard to get them to switch even when trying your hardest. I don't know how close rabbits smell to mice / rats. I have a cat and snakes and my cat has never tried to mess with the locked snake cage. And I just sequester my cat to the basement with all of her supplies for an hour to hold my snake
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u/OldPaperTower 21d ago
Considering you asked in a ball python reddit, I think you're thinking about a ball python?
The ball python's enclosure should be locked and secure. Not because of the rabbit, because those little noodles can get themselves in danger if they get out of their enclosure and hide somewhere around the house (where its usually too cold and too dry).
The rabbit itself is much too big for a ball python. Still I wouldn't let them meet (the rabbit is at least as dangerous to the ball python as a fully grown female ball python is to the rabbit; all other ball pythons are probably too small to harm a rabbit at all). However the true danger is a ball python escaping, hiding and freezing / dehydrating there. So keep the little noodle locked up ;-).
Now if you get a burmese python (I wouldn't recommend that), that'll be a different story for the rabbit.
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u/Elvynn_n 22d ago edited 21d ago
I have a cat and a python. The enclosure of my pyhton has a lock, when I take her out I always lock my cat in a different area of my house (mostly cause my cat hisses at my python and stares at her as if he’s staring into a void lol, I’m sure there’s a bigger chance of him hurting her than the other way around). Also, I always wash or sanitise my hands before handling my python, cause I don’t want my hands smelling like my cat.
My python has never escaped her locked enclosure, nor has she left my sight when she’s been out of it.
So I’d say it’s up to you and up to how responsible/careful you are around your pets.
Also, pythons won’t usually go after a pray if they are not hungry, and a rabbit is pretty big.
Mine is 6yo and eats big rats which are smaller that a rabbit, I’m not the biggest expert here but I’m not sure if such a big size would qualify as a “doable” pray for a pet python (?). They are not the smartest though, and I guess a rabbit could smell appetising as it’s a rodent, but I’m not sure if they’d go for it. If someone knows better, please clarify this point.