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I was curious if anyone has tried a substrate called Super Shavings. This product is made from low Aromatic Hemlock, Spruce, and Fir. It is advertised on the package as better then aspen. I purchased a small bag, and I'm going to give it a try. All my snakes are on newspaper, but I was going to use this product for one of my snakes, (Western Hognose)since they love to tunnel and bury in the substrate. Any opinions or experience with this product compared to Aspen? Thanks in advance.

Steve

i have used it, not with either of my snakes, but with my rats, mice and my sugar glider, my rats seemed to not notice anything different, it seemed "softer" for them to lay on.
my sugar glider on the other hand, i think because he is spoiled, pushed it out of the cage and made a fuss the whole night til i took him out of the cage, i went back to aspen the next day, and he was back to normal, the female glider, never goes to the bottom of the cage so i dont think she cares one way or the other.
the mice, nothing helps with mice, (im sorry) i have rats and mice, 8 rats, and 5 mice. and the mice have a stronger smell than the rats.

>>I was curious if anyone has tried a substrate called Super Shavings. This product is made from low Aromatic Hemlock, Spruce, and Fir. It is advertised on the package as better then aspen. I purchased a small bag, and I'm going to give it a try. All my snakes are on newspaper, but I was going to use this product for one of my snakes, (Western Hognose)since they love to tunnel and bury in the substrate. Any opinions or experience with this product compared to Aspen? Thanks in advance.
>>
>>Steve

I would be hesitant.
Those are evergreens and evergreens a have tendency to release oils when wet. I'm not sure what the shavings would do though. It tends to be more from the bark and I would assume the shavings are the wood and not the bark.
Not only that but hemlock is a poison. That alone would cause me to back off the product.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available

that hemlock was a poison...... im glad you mentioned that, i now know not to buy that again either..... thanx

>>that hemlock was a poison...... im glad you mentioned that, i now know not to buy that again either..... thanx

check this out.
There may be different kinds of hemlock and this does mention that the dryer the safer but if it gets wet does that increase the danger.
not for me..I would be worried
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant28.htm
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available

i agree, i got lucky with that i had because i had no ill effects to mention, but what was left got thrown out.

That's all I needed to know. Since you said that, I won't use the product. I didn't know that about Hemlock and spruce. I was going to try it for my Hognose, but I'll either go with aspen or newspaper.
Thanks

Steve

>>That's all I needed to know. Since you said that, I won't use the product. I didn't know that about Hemlock and spruce. I was going to try it for my Hognose, but I'll either go with aspen or newspaper.
>>Thanks
>>
>>Steve
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available