Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all -

Just wondering what your preferred substrate for GBKs is.

Thanks,

Bill
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WJS Herps
Brooksville, Fl
Bill & Jennifer Smoot

Cheap, easy to get, sterile, and refused food, poops and regurges do not hide in it.

Lance
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___________________________
Herp Conservation Unlimited

If people really learn from their mistakes, I should be like the smartest guy in the world

I use aspen on all species of kingsnakes.

I second the newspaper, for all the same reasons Lance mentioned. The layers work well as hides also...

Max

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Snakes to the Max

I have way too many snakes to mess with newspaper, which is almost impossible to spot clean and very poorly absorbent (meaning that it MUST be changed with each defecation). I find I can effectively care for 200 breeder snakes in the same time it took to care for 100 when I used newspaper. And even though the ink is non-toxic, it does tend to get everywhere with the slightest moisture.

Do go the extra mile and try to find the shredded kind-L/M and Harlan are good choices.

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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Aspen is great, far superior to newspaper. I feel flat newsprint should not even be considered as an appropriate substrate. What i don't agree with are some of the reasons people choose their substrate. Examples being such as: cheep, readily available, easy to service, time efficient, etc.............Our choice for the substrates we use should be based on what each keeper honestly feels the reptile would prefer. I believe people and snakes have at least one thing in common.....neither wants to sleep on a hard, flat surface covered with newspaper. Now I am prepared to be bombarded by rebuttal from the newsprint advocates. Regards, Rusty

I use newspaper. Crumple up a bunch of it and put a piece of plywood on top. Gray-bands will feel right at home as will any other thigmotrophic species.
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Herp Conservation Unlimited
Mexicana Group Directory
Photography by Joseph E. Forks

Hey Brad,

How do you go about feeding your snakes? In separate containers or on the aspen? If on the aspen, do you have problems with it sticking to the prey item and being ingested? Thanks!

Max
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Snakes to the Max

I feed em right on the aspen, and have for almost two decades now, without a single problem so far.

Nobody "protects" them from ingesting dirt, pine needles, sticks, sand etc. in the wild, right?
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

I know that aspen will just pass fine if they do happen to eat it, and to be fair our female Mexican Black King has eaten the newspaper more than once as we cleaned her cage (she will try to eat anything that moves or touches her).

My reason for newspaper is that all to often you have a really bad smell from a refused food item that you did not know was under the aspen.

Lance
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___________________________
Herp Conservation Unlimited

If people really learn from their mistakes, I should be like the smartest guy in the world

from your picnic area snake?

Nope-unfortunately I don't think they got cool enough last winter. Taking steps to remedy that situation this season.....
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Maybe it was the aspen!!!!!! LOL. BA

Maybe I'll switch to aquarium gravel....
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Same result, Brad.
Never had any gastrointestinal problems from feeding on aspen.
I wonder sometimes if the negative stories weren't born when the Pine shavings were first used???
.

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Regards, Bill McGighan

I've used a lot of the different substrates recommended here....I always end up going back to Care Fresh...although it is expensive, I have rarely encountered problems with animals ingesting substrate when feeding..and it is good for a few weeks to months..most recently, I tried a product called Cell Sorb (similar to yesterday's news)....it has a lot to like about it....BUT, I would not recommend it for gray-banded kingsnakes....the rough texture is pretty harsh on their head scales...and has prompted me to return back to CareFresh....gmerker
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G. Merker

>>I've used a lot of the different substrates recommended here....I always end up going back to Care Fresh

What, if anything, do you do about the dust in CareFresh? I use it on some of my animals too, but sometimes I worry about the seemingly high amount of dust.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I had a lot more dust with shavings....the problem I encountered with a lot of different substrates is having some of dust clog up the nares...I have not had this problem with CareFresh. I know that paper towels and newspaper would also prevent this problem, but it is too hard for me to keep up with....with CareFresh, the substrate needs only be spot cleaned and then replaced after a couple of months.....
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G. Merker

You can get huge bails of it for nothing. I get it from my university rat research lab and my snakes seem to ingest it pretty often with no negative affects. Super absorbent, easy to spot clean, and snakes seem to like burrowing in it. A spilled water dish still causes problems with a little mold, but that should be cleaned up immediately anyway.