I was not saying the substrates were unsafe, but that there is a potential for ingestion if fed upon it. As for pine, I have heard that the oils can be toxic. Thus the recomendation of Aspen, a virtually oil free product. I myself use paper towels, newspaper, aspen, and the soil/peat mix. What I don't do is feed on the substrate. If for some reason I do have to feed without a dish, I hold the prey item so that it is off of the cage floor, until it is almost completely swallowed. Most of my snakes have come to recognize the feeding dish, and get excited at seeing it. it may seem a little extreme, but I have heard to many stories of impactions from substrate ingestion, and not just with snakes. You may feed 100 times without a problem, but then on 101.....just not worth the risk to me.



I have found with my own set ups, that the habatit humidty does not match the general humidity outside. With the lighting and such, the habitats tend to be very dry. An animal found in a sandy area in FL is still use to a relative amount of humidity. Unless the humidity is monitored, a desert type eviron will dry out relativity quickly. I guess my concern is not so much with the sand, as that it looks like a desert setup for a snake the is not a desert snake.



Up here in the panhandle of FL, I only find Easterns in areas with a fair amount of leaf litter and such (where the toads like to hang out). Do they cross sandy areas and such, sure, but when I find them holed up, it is normally in a humid area. Under leaves, in/under logs (and since Ivan we have a bunches of logs!), etc. The exception is during breeding season, when they show up anywhere. Wait, I take that back, I have never found them on the beach or barrier islands, but diamondbacks have been found there, so even that is possible.



Not trying to tell you how to keep you animals, but you see a lot of "newbies" make husbandry errors that really hurt the animals. When I see a temperate animal in an environment that looks desert like, it gives me cause to pause. Sorry if I offended, my concern is only for the animal.
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Jenea



2:3:1 Tricolor Hognose (plus babies)

4:2 Eastern Hognose

1:2 Western Hognose

0:2 Southern Hognose

0:0:3 Florida Redbelly Snakes

0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle

1:1 Red-eared Slider

1:2 Eastern Fence Lizards

2:0 Cats

1:1 Kids

1:0 Spouse

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