Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well since all my snakes are burmating except 5 i decided to try out my new bedding. Not yet cooked pinto beans. I put half the cage pine and the other half pinto beans on one of the cages. I am trying this because i saw someone with beans as their bedding at a reptile show. and there are 40 pound bags for like 10 bucks at costco. The only worry i have is the snake trying to eat the beans but since they arnt eating right now im not as worried. i doubt mites would work their way in its the same risk with any other substrate thats all natural. so far she has been on the bean side more than the pine.

Tell me what you think

Sounds like it would be the same as say rabbit pellets some people use.

Are the beans absorbant? What happens when a water dish is spilled over them? Will their be a higher likleyhood of mold when it gets warmer?

Lots of questions. Keep us posted.

sounds like a Bio-hazard, sprouts ferment.i still dont see the benefit absorbency should be a major factor in choosing subatrate

Mold will be an issue if the water bowl is spilled. Be careful!
Todd Hughes

i have the water dish on the pine side and check it everyday. if the water does spill all i have to do it take out the beans that got spilled on.

Wrong. Assume the water (or feces) are expelled over the beans. Beans will not absorb the liquid quickly enough and it will go to the floor of the cage/container.

OK, you say, I'll move the beans and wipe the bottom out. Now the beans are coated in the liquid, which could start the sprouting, then molding therefore becoming a biohazard.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
1.2.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
2.1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (1.1 River Road, 1.0 Non-Locale Specific)
0.2.0 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
0.1.0 Florida Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
1.0.0 Western Hognose
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko

FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Bubbling Kassina
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Gold Frogs

I saw a reptile store using birdseed, namely millet, as the substrate. Supposedly harmless if ingested, and I saw where it clumps around waste nicely. Real cheap in bulk.

I saw lentils once in a tortoise cage.

I use millet for my herviborous desert lizards. I don't know that it would be so bad for snakes, except for the fact that it sprouts very quickly afer being moistened.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
1.2.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
2.1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (1.1 River Road, 1.0 Non-Locale Specific)
0.2.0 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
0.1.0 Florida Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
1.0.0 Western Hognose
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko

FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Bubbling Kassina
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Gold Frogs

What if an animal accidentally ingests them? When I'm preparing dried beans for cooking by presoaking them, they increase greatly in volume.

-Joan

Actually, what I meant was that the dried beans absorb a large volume of water. Anyway, not exactly something a snake gut is used to dealing with.

>>What if an animal accidentally ingests them? When I'm preparing dried beans for cooking by presoaking them, they increase greatly in volume.
>>
>>-Joan

While I have seen them used for displays and such, I doubt that is any cheaper really than a 35-40 lb bag of aspen fpr ten bucks.
I have also heard of using uncooked rice.
Absorbancy with the beans may be an issue.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

great idea, when the beans need changing you could cook them for dinner, great bedding and save money on dinner, sounds like your on to something.

Depending how many snakes you have, and you had to add "beano" to their water, it'd add to the expense.
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Richard Evans

no not THAT one

even in the bag after a while. this will cause deomposition and mold/mildew etc.

Beans might not be the best substrate, but I gotta give it to you Fighterpilot, we don't know your real name, that atleast your thinking a little. I know you haven't been in the hobby as long as some of us, but atleast your thinking outside of the caresheet. Frank Retes (FR) would be proud! LOL! Many people do not know this, but Babe Ruth was, and in my opinion, still is the Home Run King, but he also led the league in strike outs!
You've gotta take chances if your gonna get somewhere.
Thanks for the idea, and having the B#lls to share it.
-Phil

My name is Dylan,
Ive been in the hobby for 3 years and have 20 snakes (i progress fast lol) so far all is good on the substrate she seems to like them a little more than the pine. Thanks for all your info

This is the experimental girl