Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all

I recently changed my pythons hide boxes from small plastic cave to larger plant clay-pots that I knocked a whole into.

My concern is this.
The clay pot seems to absorb water and all other liquids. This is great for humdity.
But when defecated or urinated on its a pain to remove to the smell but I get it done. Does the absortion of the liquid cause mold at all?

To disinfect the clay pots i wash them with a soapy bleach mixture - rinse them off real good and then throw em in the oven for a bit to dry em off.

Also is Aspen bedding good for humidity and cleanliness?

Thanks!

If you are using unfinsihed terra cotta pots, excess moisture can eventually cause mold from what I've seen. If you get a jar of mod podge from a craft store, you can seal the inside and outside of the pots with it. Once dry, you shouldn't have any problems with moisture seeping into the pots.

As for aspen, it's all I use with my snakes. However, if it gets very wet, it tends to smell and mold so it needs to be changed fairly quickly. (I assume when it comes to the aspen question, you're going to get a wide variety of answers)

I use unsealed terra cotta pots for my snakes, same method as you. I have been purposely spraying them to maintain humidity in the cage during shedding, but I let them dry out completely in between shed cycles, which keeps them from molding (thus far).

I also use Cypress as the bedding *inside* the container to reduce mold. I use aspen as my usual bedding, but since the moisture causes it to mold quickly, I found that this mold was transferring to my pots (thus the pot itself was not actually molding). Aspen on the outside, cypress on the inside, and periodic drying have made these pots the best hides I have found yet.
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1.1 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband