Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i used cypress yesterday and noticed condensation build up on my tub? is this normal? i use desert snow and aspen and never seen this before?

more so than Aspen or Desert Snow. Even when cypress doesn't feel damp, if you put it in a sealed deli cup at a show, condensation will build up on the lid. My personal opinion is to not use cypress. I know a lot of people love it, and I use to use it myself, but I don't advise anyone to use it. If you can afford the Desert Snow, use that, or use newsprint. I've read here where people say don't use newsprint, and I wonder why they say that. It's one of the safest materials you can use as a bedding. But it's all up to the individual.

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gail

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why do you ot reccomend cypress?

perhaps aforementioned "desert" material is best, but cypress is just fine for ball pythons. Don't worry about the humidity, it will die down soon (i'm guessing you bought a bag of mulch and dumped it in the enclousre). The mulch collects water and holds it very well. During transport some bags inevitably>??spelling?? get soaked (it is wrapped in pourous plastic) so when you dumped it in, it probably was saturated.

So long as the surface of the mulch (and wherever ur bp is hiding/spending most of its time) is not actually wet 24/7, ur fine.

humidity, especially near shedding time is good
wet, damp enclosure 24/7 is bad

I have used newsprint, pre-cut disposable liners, shredded aspen, sani-chips, and fir bark chips in various rack systems for a couple hundred snakes. They all work and all have their pros and cons, but in my humble opinion I have found that cypress works the best for me. It is economical, easily changed out, is the best for helping to maintain humidity, and in my experience I have found that the snakes seem to prefer it.
Grant Whitmer

I've used newspaper, aspen, cypress, cellsorb,etc., and think cypress is superior for snakes requiring elevated humidity levels, such as Chondros, emeralds, jungle carpets, etc... For most snakes I use aspen-it has no irritating fumes, really soaks up the water/feces, is attractive, and can be more readily spot-cleaned than the others, since fecal material really stands out against it. Aspen especially excels in plastic rack systems, where humidity is sometimes difficult to control. Newspaper works almost equally well, but is more difficult to spot clean and less aesthetically pleasing, IMO...

Of the above, it's really just a question of personal preference-all will work. What really burns me is when these big chain pet stores promote actually dangerous substrates, such as crushed walnut shells or corn cob! Neither should ever be used for ANY reptile!

Brad Chambers