Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had this ball python since Nov. I have been using newspaper as substrate and wanted to use a diff. kind. So I went to my local pet store and bought a book called Ball Pythons (Author: John Coote). In this book it states: "...wide substrates available...pine bark chippings. The best quality to use is that which is graded for Orchid growing." So I go to Lowes today, can not purchase the Orchid growing kind because it is FIR wood with a mixture of other "stuff". I buy the "Pine Bark Mini Nugget" kind for use in outdoor mulching purposes. Can I bake this in the oven and use it as substrate? I am concerned because I found this website and see that people are advising against it because of oils, etc. I do not want to harm my snake and I have never owned a snake so I am still learning. Please help. Thanks!!!

Honestly, the baking and everything is probably not worth it, there are much easier substrates. I would use newspaper or aspen, they are easy. I keep 100 plus snakes on news paper. I put aspen in when I go out of town. I have also used pet store bought cypress in the past and it works fine.
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Matt Buchanan

I don't use pine anything for my snakes.
Aspen is the way to go for me.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

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you bought it...might as well try it....
don't bother baking it...make some oatmeal cookies instead...mmmmmmm
....pine...can't be that bad ...as long as there is no cedar....people have used pine for years...it will be dry....wet it down a little...this might make it smell of ...pine...go figure....if the smell is too bad ....might not be cool....depends on pine species and how much ventilation you have.....heat pad or heat lamp will make smells come out also....

....good luck....

(pine is not recomended by most people...yet I have seen people with $50,000 snakes laying in pine for years...and I have used pine for most rodent species that they say you can't.....)

good luck....

.....noone gave you exact scientific proof either way....!!!
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........JY

I have used pine shavings as bedding for many years... I love it. However, I would not consider using pine bark. From what I understand, the bark contains certain chemicals that act as a natural pesticide to repel insects - not sure that would be safe for snakes in a confined area.

Best of luck,
Dan

Well Dan, He may not have to ever worry about mites if he uses the bark....lol.
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JEMreptiles@gmail.com from sunny AZ.

Lots of cool Ball Pythons along with
0.0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty and some great Bull snakes.
1.1 Argentinian Black and White Tegus
1.0 Gotti Pitbull (Tank)
2.0 Beautiful Bengals (Stryker and Cynbad)
12 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children

Well I reviewed both sides and yes, although a matter of opinion I have come to think things like this...You know, I would not like to be some african natured snake, tossed into an aquarium and made to slide around on chips with pine oil. Imagine us, being around someone with high smelling purfume. Ewwww like a 50Cent cheaper hooker. So therefore, I am contacting my landlord who happens to manage a newspaper in a city nearby and use unprinted and practical. I think smart people use the most economical sense to get by since times are hard these days. Thanks for all your comments...I appreciate it.

Pine can cause uri in snakes and rodents there is proof I'm in school to become a lvmt and it states in our books written by vets that pine can cause problems it just depends on the animals I have seen breeders use it great and and I have seen breeders lose alot of snakes to sickness not dead but out from breeding intill they got better the oils can cause just like ceder can but cypress is good but lowes cypress is mixed with ceder I know because I work at lowes and asked and they the company they got it through said it was mixed aspen is the best and safest

>>Pine can cause uri in snakes and rodents there is proof I'm in school to become a lvmt and it states in our books written by vets that pine can cause problems it just depends on the animals I have seen breeders use it great and and I have seen breeders lose alot of snakes to sickness not dead but out from breeding intill they got better the oils can cause just like ceder can but cypress is good but lowes cypress is mixed with ceder I know because I work at lowes and asked and they the company they got it through said it was mixed aspen is the best and safest

I have always found aspen to be so dusty. If you can use Kiln dried is does not have a pine smell. I use cypress for most of my snakes.

Cypress is a good substrate as long as its not mixed or blended with other stuff it's really up to the owners preference I'm not saying don't use it because a lot do it just a caution that things can happen

wow
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Ritchie Luna
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Yea it's better then making 10 an hour working your but of for nothing when I graduate and take the state board exam I will be a liciened veterinary medical technician so what's your excuse I hate these kids on this form they think they now everything but welcome to the real world you don't we all still learn everyday from this hobby it changes a lot

Seriously?

Yea very seriously people want to make remarks so when people we have the right to say something back all I was saying in the previous post was just because people use stuff for bedding doesn't always mean it works for everyone else this isn't my opinion it a scientific fact but people get mad when someone tries help explain something to someone else