My girl and I picked up a couple of black rat snake hatchlings this evening, and got some cages and so on. It turns out that the substrate we got, which is called Bark Blend Lizard Litter Premium Reptile Bedding, by ESU Reptile is made from the bark of fir trees. I did't realize that it was made from fir, or I wouldn't have let her buy it, but here we are. So, I'm pretty sure that I remember that pine and cedar will kill young snakes. Pine and fir are the same trees, right? So we should get her snake out of that substrate posthaste, right? I'm just making sure because it says that it's for lizards and snakes, and it's made by a company which I'm assuming (ESU Reptile) makes products specifcally for snakes and lizards, so I don't know quite what to think. As we speak, her snake is in it, and mine is on paper towels. Please advise.
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Fir/Pine
Replies (2)
I don't know anything about fir bark. I haven't heard anything good/bad about it. Pine, however is another story. It's fine as long as it remains dry. But, when exposed to water, it does expose the fumes or whatever that can be toxic to your snakes. Knowing how messy snakes can be, you're better off just avoiding it altogether. Keep the snakes on paper towels for now until you find out more about the fir bark. If you want a more naturalistic substrate, go with cypress mulch (easy to find at hardware/garden stores east of the Mississippi).
Bry
As a previous post a bit down on here states, fir trees are in the same family as pine trees, and will have a lot of the same oils which can be harmful. In your best bet not to use it.
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