Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which would you use for a King Cobra? Sean

both have advantages and disadvantages. I have found cypress to be difficult to keep clean. Taking that in consideration with the indigo-like defecating responses of king cobras, you will have a hard time keeping the substrate sufficiently clean. But, cypress holds humidity well and can be misted regularly. Perhaps the biggest concern when using cypress is the possibility for ingestion. One big splinter down the hatch, and your king is in big trouble. I always recommend covering the substrate prior to feeding if going this route.

Aspen is okay but tends to "wick" moisture and when water spills on it, it creates quite a mess. some snakes develop respiratory problems as a result of the dust that is created with this product (but many or most probably do just fine). Aspen is very easy to spot clean but for high humidity loving herps, it is probably less than the ideal substrate.

We have had some success using a mix of Torpedo Sand (kind of like a real fine pea gravel), sandy/soil mix, peat, leaf litter, and ESU Jungle Mix. When mixed up, it looks very natural and is actaully fairly easy to maintain. But any natural substrate has its downfalls and you will spend a LOT of time keeping the substrate looking nice.

Personally, I would recommend good olf fashioned newspaper. It is still the NUMBER ONE substrate out there in terms of functionality, hygiene, and COST. I may not look as nice but unless you are keeping your king in a large zoo type of exhibit that has concrete molded bottoms with special plumbing to allow the exhibit to be hosed down, you will be much better off with paper in the long run.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm, Lake Forest, IL