Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just kinda checking around to see what others are using, Im using several different ones from aspen to newspaper but Im hearing pros and cons to each. Just would like to hear everyone opinion on the subject.
Toby

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www.Wood-N-Snakes.com

I use shredded Aspen substrate for all of my snakes, and use indoor/outdoor carpeting for the feeding tanks so they dont ingest any wood!!

I like the idea of newspapers, but after seeing the black come off on my hands and having a friend die from cancer that worked at the LA Times due to ink exposure, I personally wouldnt do it. It would be WAY easier to clean!! I just am not sure of long term effects on a snake from that, maybe its just me.

I do like that Bowl idea!!! I will check it out!!!

I always like to hear what others are doing, I am by no means an expert of any kind.

Scott

At the advice of some people on this board, I'm using Eco Earth for most of my CalKing's substrate. The Eco Earth is the bulk of what he has for burrowing. I use a layer of Repti-bark and coconut chunks across the whole base of the cage, and in some places, that's the only substrate. On top of the Eco Earth hill, I put another layer of Repti-bark as a base under a water dish. I'm planning to add some Lizard Litter ground walnut shells at some point.

Bill

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

That's really a nice set up Bill. You sure know how to spoil your Cal King. Very natural and interesting to look at. Great job! Jim

Thanks, I'm trying to make him happy. He's my first, and I'm hoping to get things right for him.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

i use mostly pine but one i have in sand

Pine all the way.

bluerosy,
do you feed on the pine as well, or do you move them to a separate container?
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Paul Weaver
Carolina Herps

I feed them on pine aswell. Have been doing for mnay years. Probably have gone through throusands of adults this way. Neonates are keept on paper towel napkins until they reach small mouse feeding stage.

The reason I might have not had any problems as others is the type of snakes I keep. The majority of my expriences with large collections are with rosys boas and floridana kingsnakes. Of course there are all the other n. amercan colubrids as well. I guess I have kept about everything (including sand boas, rubber boas , central american milksnakes and ratsnakes, pits ect ect) and never had a problem assciated with pine shaving except one time when I got a load that was chemically treated. I have tried aspen in the past and had weird problems come up associated with the aspen stuck in the snakes mouths and vents. Maybe that just because luck of the draw (or rather badluck)who knows(?). I am so used to pine and have seen all the big breeders use pine when I was younger. I learned from them and copied . It pine all the way for me. Cheap and no problems that I can recall.

With the exception of brumation months, I go through about 12 bales every two months. Basically what I can fill my small truck up with.

I use "Naturebed", or whatever is similar at the particular store I happen to be at. It's a coconut fiber substrate. I like it because it looks more "natural" than other substrates.

I use half non-digestible sand and half cedar shavings.

Just kiddin'. Aspen all the way, although in my blood pythons cage I have half newspaper half aspen, with a soaking bowl of natural moss. I'm curious about the ink in newspaper as well. If it gets wet, what stopping it from entering the snakes skin?
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1.0 Goini
0.1 Hypo. Floridana
0.1 Sumatran Blood Python

Depending on need...

Sand for my extreme desert types.

Aspen for most dry turf animals.

Cypress mulch for dry to slightly moist.

Spagnum for moist to wet (something about this stuff that seems slightly antiseptic).

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

fir, aspen, pine, i like pine the best (very soft)

My substrate choice is Paper Towels for hatchlings and Newspaper for adults. It's easy to clean, cheap, and vertually no chance of ingestion..

Did anyone guess i would say that???

~ Mike

LOL - Maybe if I were raising multiple snakes, I'd look at newspaper as well.

Your snake is beautiful, and you sure have a bunch of movie channels wherever you are.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

adults get newspaper babies get aspen which i change to newpaper or paper towels within 3-4 months, aspen is great but personally imho newpaper is much easier to cleanup and a whole lot cheaper,but it doesnt look as good as aspen so i do use aspen in my display tanks,,,,,,,,,thomas

Mostly Aspen hear.

But i always feed them in a risk free enviroment.

Hi,

I use shredded aspen for all of my kings and pythons. They are on it from their first shed on. I have never fed in another cage out of fear of substrate ingestion and have never had a problem with that issue. I don't buy into that concern at all.

This season however, I plan to change things up a little bit. For some of my adult kings, I am going to introduce a couple inch layer of leaf litter to give them a bit more of something they regognize to burrow in. I'll keep you folks posted as to how that goes over. thanks.

Will

on shavings, I have been, and have been watching the snakes as they eat very closely. Seems when watching them that any pine that sticks to the food item catches on the corner of thier mouth and falls off not ingested. But you have to think that in the wild they dont have a clean surface to feed on. What happens when they ingest pine bark,sand,dirt, etc.... Think Im like several others and will have to stick with my pine.
Toby
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www.Wood-N-Snakes.com

Is the same as understanding tools or woodworking. Its absolutely not different.

With woodworking(something you understand) different tools are used for different tasks. Each tool has a special use, but can be forced to work for something else. Yes, this is so?

With reptile husbandry, things like substrates, hiding areas, water bowls, moisture boxes, heatpads, heat strips, litebulbs, etc, are the tools to use when snakeworking(woodworking)

To perfer a type of substrate is akind to using a 1 inch flat chisel for all your chiseling needs. After all, you have access to 1 inch flat chisels. So why use others. The truth is, you can indeed use a 1 inch flat chisel for all your chiseling needs, it just won't come out very good and is a lot more work. yes, is this so?

The same goes for substrates. Substrates are something different species are adapted to and know and understand how to use. Your job is to figure out, which tool is good for which task. Again, just like woodworking. It does take experience to understand, which tool to use. In both cases. Cheers

Examples of what substrates you use on different reptiles in your collection? If so any insite you offer is readily obsorbed.
Toby
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www.Wood-N-Snakes.com

Hi Toby
One thing I noticed with hatchling montane kingsnakes and Sinaloan milks - the babies would spend almost all of their time in a humid hide if provided. Then I tried Bed-a-Beast and similar coconut "dirt" that can be moistened. I'd moisten about 1/2 the cage. The babies thrived better than when I used a dry substrate. By thrive I mean that there was a reduction of picky feeders.

Even graybanded kingsnakes seemed to appreciate the slightly moist hide or slightly moist part of the cage. No sores, no health problems. I had some prairie kings that hardly ever surfaced during the day when provided with the stuff. Their choice, not mine.

I do live in a drier area than some so that is likely a factor. Still, I am a firm believer that hatchlings require moisture or humidity moreso than adults. So, no one substrate condition is perfect for all types of snakes or behaviors. Of course, many rack systems may provide enough humidity where dry wood substrates do the job for babies.

One other comment: ever notice with gophersnakes for example that they have really thick skin/scales compared to kingsnakes/milksnakes? It would seem to me most kings would lose moisture easier than gophersnakes. Gophersnakes can thrive in pretty dry cages. I think kingsnakes need some moisture or humidity more often. Whatever substrate or conditions provide for that is a good choice.

I nuse aspen sani-chips for all 5 (small collection) of my snakes.

reako45

I like aspen for most stuff.

It tunnels well which lets me view interesting behaviors that couldn't happen on paper. Most of my snakes are desert snakes and cypress is too humid in my racks. (apparently its also environmentally unfriendly) which is a shame cuz I do like the way it looks. Never tried pine because of the smell, but since so many others are apparently having success with it, I may give it a try as it is cheeper. Can anyone tell me if it holds a tunnel like aspen?

I have found that snakes that are kept for longperiods on paper tend to flatten out so the crossection looks "D" shaped. I don't like the way this looks, and maybe I am being sentimental, but I would rather lay on soft aspen all day then an hard newspaper. Then again, snakes do live among rocks... o well.

For hatchlings I use paper towel or aspen.

For desert display I usually use crushed walnut or calci sand.

For anything needing humidity like my asian rats I use a mix of cypress and a coconut bedabeast type brick.

Oh, and I feed on aspen always with no probs. The only thing I wont feed on is crushed walnuts cuz it sticks to EVERYTHING!

cheers

I yse aspen on most and local soil for the w.c.'s.
Todd Hughes