Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi, i am new to snake breeding. I was wondering what kind of substrate would you recommend works the best for incubating cal king eggs I have heard of people using spahgum moss, perlite and vermicutlite. Which do you think works the best and what is vermicutlite and perlite, where do you get it and how much does it cost? thanx for the help, chris

I use vermiculite, but that's only because that's given the best results controlling humidity.

You can get it any any Lawn and Garden store of nursery. It's cheap..about 4 bucks for a big bag.

you can purchase all three at the local garden supply store. Sphagnum moss is as described, I can't define perlite and vermiculite is a type of claylike soil. All have better than average capability to hold water. Vermiculite is messy and has been found to contain asbestos in some samples but works well as an incubation medium when mixed 1:1 with water by weight ( actually a little less water would be better). I have used sphagnum as a nesting substrate only and have yet to experiment with perlite. Good Luck
dB

sphagnum moss. It allows for better air circulation around the egg and helps prevent mold due to it being acidic. Ive also used vermiculite alone and vermiculite with sphagnum moss on top but simply use moss all around these days with good results.

Keith

What kind of water/moss mixture do you use Keith? Do you ever change the moss or does it resist rot/mold damage for the full term?

Van

I change the moss once a year and thats it. Yes its very resistant to mold etc... As far as moisture what I do is float a bunch in a bucket for 10 minutes or so then just wring it out as much as I can. It does dry out a little faster than vermiculite but but on the other hand its real easy to see when it needs spraying.

Keith