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Substrate is very important to me. I'm using douglas fir bark and i don't care for it. Too hard to spot clean.

What else is good for Womas? Besides newspaper...

I got an idea from the Uromastyx people to use bird seed... similar to sand yet safe to ingest and easy to spot clean. is that insane or does that idea have some merit?

Also, i have to admit i like the aesthetics of the zoo med repti-sand products... anyone have anything positive or negative to say about those? I know sand, in general, is not well regarded for snakes, but I'm thinking the Woma may be an exception due to its natural habitat.

I also mighty try brown construction paper, as someone mentioned in a post some time ago. Newspaper is too ugly (beautiful snake on ugly substrate = do not want) and the ink rubs off, I just can't stand the stuff. I don't like aspen either. Yes, I am rather particular.

I use brown paper from a dealer on the cages classified. The easier it is to clean, the better it is for the snake....and you

I use the same, you can also get brown craft paper or packaging paper (packaging paper is pretty close to the stuff I have seen marketed as cage liners anyway).

I know some people that use white butcher paper as well.

For me, it really boils down to number of animals - if I only had one or two snakes, I would more then likely use shredded aspen, which is a great substrate for womas. You can give them a couple of inches of it, and they will dig themselves little tunnels and love it. But with a fair number of snakes, it becomes to much work, and paper is the only way to go.

>>For me, it really boils down to number of animals - if I only had one or two snakes, I would more then likely use shredded aspen, which is a great substrate for womas. You can give them a couple of inches of it, and they will dig themselves little tunnels and love it.

That sounds really cool actually. Anything that makes for a more stimulating environment and/or stimulates natural behaviors I'm all on board. I think I may give aspen a shot here.

Still considering the bird seed though...

I've never seen the need to "stimulate" snakes. Lizards and turtles, possibly. Snakes live long lives and breed in tubs. I think we're projecting our own thoughts and needs onto them when it's not necessary. I know there's a group of people who advocate that, but unless it's a display with a single animal (and the display is for the viewer), it's best to keep it simple. Many snakes are ambush predators and have no need to hunt, and will sit in one spot in the wild for weeks.

A need? Sure, there may not be any need, but why should there be? The snake will survive just fine with a hide box and some newspaper- But why be content with that? Because it is easy?

Frankly, I cannot see how any creature can truly thrive without environmental stimulation. Sure, the snake will survive, but where's the enthusiasm in that?

Snakes thrive all the time in boxes. The term you're refering to is "anthromorphizing", which means projecting human needs and wants on animals. The only time I've seen a snake excited is when food is offered.

All the snake wants or need is food, water, and shelter. Ok, breeding is always nice, lol. I understand your desire to stimulate a snake, but it's not really necessary for most snakes. A few, yes....but very few.

I have to disagree.

"Anthropomorphizing" is applying human attributes to creatures or objects. If I told you my snakes favorite color is purple, that would be anthropomorphizing. What I'm saying is that I feel snakes (and most organisms, really) thrive under conditions that offer them more stimulation. Stimulation being defined as the induction of certain natural behaviors and actions. My theory is that providing more than the basic husbandry requirements results in an animal that is more stimulated, more active, and perhaps even more secure.

Once upon a time, one might have said that offering hides was anthropomorphizing because snakes don't require them to survive. You see what I mean?

I don't want to send the wrong message, that keeping snakes in a more minimalist way is wrong or neglectful. I just think it's beneficial to offer more, and from my perspective, why not? It's interesting to observe how they utilize their environment.

Snakes need food, water, and shelter. That's it. They'll sit in one spot for a week or two wating for dinner to come along. If you want to pretty up the cage, it's for you. They don't need it.

And yes, we can disagree