Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a friend who has built a large enclosure for a few of his ball pythons. The floor dimensions are 4' x 8' (and I think it might be 5' high).

1.) What would be the best substrate for this size of an enclosure? The enclosure will be rigged with two misters also. The floor and the wood are water proofed. We were thinking cypress mulch. Any opinions on that?

2.)And if he did use cypress mulch, would he need to bake it (for mites and insects)? Thanks for all input in advance.

I'll tell you what I've heard generally said to the questions you've asked:

Good substrate for a cage that high are pillows - to soften the fall from that height. Nice sized cage, but height like that is generally wasted on BPs. They are also clumsy climbers and tend to fall.

Anyway, opinions I've heard are that misters are not needed - and are a waste. They don't come from the rainforest and too wet of substrate/environment can lead to RI.

Cypress Mulch is a good substrate for BPs - holds humidity well. I've not used it, but I believe you use it straight from the bag.
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