Most manufactures use soy based dye for color print, which is non-toxic, so it is very unlikely you would incur a problem using floral printed paper towels within the hide of as substrate. I have been using paper towels for years, as substrate within neonate Drymarchon spp. boxes, some printed some not, and have yet to incur any problems. However, I do avoid using newspaper with color print within my enclosures and have even stopped using the black and white printed newspaper, after discovering my local newspaper company will give me their end roles, roles of un-printed paper, so long as I return the spools.
Frank, your mention of washing off any color, that may “bleed” onto the snakes, reminded me of a story a friend of mine who operates a large herp rescue operation once told me; She once received several small copperheads, which were confiscated by local wildlife authorities. Since she didn’t work with venomous, she made arrangements to ship them to Bill Haast. She had been keeping the little guys on a substrate calcium carbonate, which was dyed blue, and the gems were constantly in and out of their water container. Well, she forgot to mention this to Bill and you can only imagine his shock when he opened the shipping crate to find a group of blueberry phase Agkistrodon c contortrix…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

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