Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am a novice keeper but i do agree with the experts Newspaper is great stuff as a substrate i dont mind the off set ie not natural, easy to clean dont cost, and it just works for me! one thing tho i notice my king try to burrow under it? he was disheartend when he couldnt so was i, is there any way that i can just cut it into cross cuts? that way i can actually have the best of both worlds? ps i know not to leave the undertank heater like the rest of the tank if i do shred keep a flat piece on the under tank heated side yes? just wondering? it would look cool to seem him burrowing around in the paper!Mike.

sure, you can shred it, chop it, slice and dice it. but be aware that you won't see him tunnelling in it, you'll see it, and not see him, cause he'll hide. but for providing him a comforting environment, if you prefer to do it that way instead of with a hide box, that's cool. keep in mind also that one reason paper makes an acceptable substrate is because it lies flat on the bottom of the cage or tray, so when the animal defecates it does so on the substrate, which can then be removed & cleaning is accomplished rather simply. if you shred it, the snake burrows beneath it, then poops, the poop's on the bottom of the cage or tray, the shredded paper (or other bulky substrates such as aspen bedding) hides the poop unless you dig through it or until you finally smell it. So as with so many things with reptile care, it's a tradeoff between efficiency and other objectives. compromises are always worth considering--if you shred some paper, put it on TOP of a layer of paper on the bottom, at least that still protects the cage bottom and makes cleaning a little easier; or maybe put a shoebox in, open top, and but the shredded paper in it? You could even paint a desert scene or whatever on the outside of the box, or tape a picture of a suitable environment from a magazine on the outside. Be creative, enjoy.
terry
albino tricolors

Thnx Terry, Your expetise advice has been A plus, i just throw two or three layers or so then throw the shreded stuff over top i dont mind that i cant see my kings when there under it burrowing i much rather enjoy them popping up outa the shreded newspaper then them not coming out of there hides at all becuz they dont feel secure enuff to do so, wit this method i have perfected they love it, i catch them all the time peeking at me saying hiya then dippin back underneath before i had this set up like so my new brooks rarely came out at all even now he loves the privacy,Mike.S ps lookin for a lavender cal king will trade for my awesome brooks!pps i also clean once a week or two weeks if im busy that day but i dont ever let my terrariums go for three wks witout a cleaning health n cleanliness is very important to me for my kings! oh one thing tho as i was cuttin up the newspaper i notice very small particles? this wont be a breathing prob will it?