Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think I know the answer but just want to be on the safe side.

Just switched all my balls to aspen bedding, has anyone had any problems feeding directly on aspen (inpaction, etc, etc)?

Thanks for the help!

Ross

I keep all mine on aspen/cypress mulch. I mix them because I think it looks cool lol. But when I feed I usually just throw the mouse in the cage and let them coil it and then gently put them on a seperate table and let them eat so they don't get the wood in their mouths.when they're done swallowing the mouse I gently put them back in. I know this probably goes against everything everyone does but that's what I do. And they don't seem to have a problem with it.

For years I took all of my snakes out and fed them in separate bare containers to avoid them ingesting their Aspen. Then I read that many people fed in their enclosures with no real problem. I gave it a try and never looked back. My baby balls are on paper towels so I don't have to worry with them.
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 100% het Caramel Albinos (Edward & Bella)
0.1 66% ph Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
1.0 Honey Bee (Aragog)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
0.1 Spider 66% ph Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojaves (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (Arwen)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (Katie)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)
0.1 Normal (Madame Olympe Maxime)
0.3 Baby 66% ph Caramel Albinos (Edward x Bella)
2.1 Baby Pastels (Jasper x Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (Jewel)
0.0.22 Babies (Romeo x Juliet)
0.0.18 Babies (Tumnus x Lucy)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color (Molly)

i feed all but my babies on there aspen. i just watch as everyone eats and if i see any bedding stuck to the rat or the side of their mouths i grab it and pull it off, but i know for a fact that all of them have ingested a few peices here and there but they pass it no problem. I would say your safe unless they get a full mouth full of bedding along with the rat.
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1.3.2 normals, 1.3.1 pastels, 0.1 mojave, 0.1 pinstripe, 0.1 albino, 1.0 yellow belly, 1.1 het pied, 1.0 amelanistic corn, 0.1 normal corn, 2.1 miniture dachshunds, 0.1 beautiful fiance
*snakes are like oreos, no one can just have one!*

I feed baby to giant balls on aspen....I used cypress before it became extinct.....I never mixed it...aspen needs to be dry and the cypress is better with a little moistness to it...LOL....
I feed on it...and they eat it...I have had a couple balls that I am sure have had troubles due to aspen getting in their gums...and yes it sucks...but they came out fine from it....no vet visits...no antibiotics...just keep an eye on them...

.....I do not use paper towels and never did...they are too flimsy...and I can just imagine going into a box and seeing the bare cage and a fat baby ball...with a paper towel in their gut....(big boas have eaten towels, teddy bears,shirts,,,I know of dogs that ate balls of foil, socks, head bands and all kinds of things....aspen is smaller....

good luck...if you are that afraid and don't want to have the sight of a dead $2000 baby ball in a cage...use and feed all on newspaper....works....

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................JY

Thanks for the help.

Planned on keeping babies on paper towl or newpaper, but once they are big didn't see the adults having any problems passing a piece of aspen.

my babies just eat better on aspen, better smell I think...more natural....good luck...!.......

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................JY