Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted this in the cage forum but I figured some of the guys over here more than likely have some large collections so I might get a few tips here. What do all the guys use for substrate with large racks? Right now I'm using paper towles. It's not that expensive and I can feed in the racks which saves tons of time. The only problem is spot cleaning. I can't spot clean. I have to take the snake out, put it in a different container, take everything out, and change the paper towels everytime. I want to go to something like aspen where I can spot clean but then I have to remove the snakes to feed becaue of the chance of impaction from them swallowing substrate which makes it take longer because some of them take longer to choke down a small rat than it takes me to change tyhe paper towels. So what do the guys with 100 snakes in huge racks use? What can I use that will allow me to spot clean but still not make feeding take forever?

..and spot clean, works for all size ball pythons & most boas. I have several hundred set up like this and find it works great. Also if they spill their water bowl, its better than most kinds of paper to soak it up. The only ones I don't keep on Aspen are my adult boas, I prefer cage liners.

cheers, John
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John Berry Reptiles

www.johnberryreptiles.com

np

I use cypress mulch made by Kambark its triple shredded works great for spot cleaning also. I do feed on the mulch also. If the makes you worry try sani-chips they are really fine and work just as well..

Bryan Kollwitz

Does not develop bacteria when damp, easy to spot clean and you can use it for mulch on the garden when it's time to renew.

Where do you find Orchid bark? Never heard of it...is this a regional thing or is there somewhere I can order it from? I like the idea of a substrate that is resistant to developing a bacterial load. I take it that it is also resistant to mold...or am I off on that assumption? How long does it last before you need to change all of the substrate?

Thanks
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www.mosaicmorphs.com
Check out my FAQ page...

No mold either Brandon. We buy the Orchid bark in 70 litre bags, but it can been purchased in small bags as 'Repti-bark'. I am sure that you will locate a supplier in the USA, try typing Orchid bark into your browser and see where it takes you.
By spot cleaning, it will last as long as three months easily.

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www.mosaicmorphs.com
Check out my FAQ page...

Beta chip...newspaper...cypress mulch...paper towel. Now all I use is shredded aspen and have been for 3 years now exclusively. However I start all my hatchlings on paper towel until they move up to a bigger compartment.

Mark
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www.ballpython.ca

us too, and now we use the same Shredded Aspen large animals and paper towels for the hatchlings.

Debra and Diana
Camlon Reptiles

So nobody worries about the animal swallowing any of the substrate, or do you use stuff that is just shredded really well?

I use newspaper for babies and move them onto finely shredded aspen when they are a little bigger. I dont have a problem with the bigger ones eating the aspen. I only had trouble with the babies. Thats why there on newspaper now.

a vet that has shredded Aspen as a cause of impaction in a snake. I keep all mine on it (even the babies). It's fine, who watches out for them in the wild? If a snake gets impacted from aspen, more likley than not it is not healthy to begin with & would die nomatter what it was sitting on, or eating on. I've seen ALL of my snakes eat the shredded Aspen with meals (usually everytime they eat) and they are as healthy as any Ball you ever seen. Use it & stop watching their every move, they know what they are doing.
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Chad Bachman

Hydration has alot to do with impactions in snakes, not always what they accidently injest with their meals (stress also play an important part).
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Chad Bachman

...the chances of your ball becoming impacted from the substrate is slim. Their digestive "juices" can handle bones with no problems...why not a little cellulose? (Cellulose is the stuff many plant fibers are made of)

Generally, most animals cannot digest cellulose (which is why things like corn come out whole and why a cow needs to regurgitate it's cud to be further chewed). Just because it can be broken down does not mean it cannot pass through the digestive system. Fiber works this way for constipation...your body cannot break down the fiber so it essentially "pushes" out the blockage (the process is more complex than that but you get the drift). This does not mean that if your snake is compacted or constipated that you should be doling out the aspen bark at meal time!

But, usually, when your snake is feeding most of the larger pieces of aspen will fall off the prey. If you are worried about them consuming any of the substrate a simple "fix" (it's not 100% effective, but it helps) is to lay down a piece of newspaper or something similar over the substrate before feeding.

BTW, bark "chips" are generally larger and coarser than shredded aspen and can lead to problems. Many use them with no problems, but laying down something for them to feed on prior to offering the prey is not a bad idea. Some people move their snake to a feeding tank but this can cause stress for the snake and can lead to an unintentional fast. (There have been debates about this in the past so I won't get into it now).

Personally, I use Craft or Packing paper. It's the same stuff that "cage liners" are made from but I buy it on a roll and cut it myself. Look in the office supply section of Kmart or Walmart. Don't bother going to the post office for it because you'll be charged an arm and a leg for much less. I think I pay about $3 for a 30 foot roll.

Okay, I've rambled enough.

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www.mosaicmorphs.com
Check out my FAQ page...

Aspen is so easily passed that an impaction is........well...unheard of! Cypress can cause problems on occasion because of the large very hard/sharp chunks that come with it, but that would not discourage me from using it either (very rare or fluke situation it would be). These animals are equiped to pass substrates (they do it in the wild all the time).

Also: Sterile cages are not especially healthy for herps, & Ball Pythons are no exception, so keeping them on newspaper is probably like keeping us locked up in a hospital ( keeps you fairly healthy, but stresses the livin bleep out of you).

More of my $.02
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Chad Bachman

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