Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading Dean's Reptile magazine article and took note of using cypress mulch as bedding. I was wondering if anyone knew where to get it? After coming back from Costa Rica recently and seeing their habitat as well as feeling the humidity I would like to switch my adults to something that will hold the humidity better.

Anyone have any ideas? I stopped in to Lowe's, Home depot and a Nursery and figured I am geographically handicapped in order to easily acquire cypress mulch. Would Peat be an option? or something else??

Thanks-

Brett

I'm no expert, but I've kept my pair successfully for a little over a year now on aspen shavings. It works out pretty well, especially if you give them a "humid hide," like a plastic container filled with moist sphagnum with an access hole. The only problem is that you have to make sure they don't get a mouthful while eating.
I've looked for cypress mulch pretty much everywhere, and I can't find it. There is some reptile bedding product out there that is pure cypress mulch, but it tends to be pretty expensive. I live in CA, and bulk cypress mulch is nonexistent. ProExotics' website says that you can order it from them, though it may get pricey with shipping. Good luck.
Robert

Thanks I appreciate your suggestions......I have them on aspen right now and wanted to keep their hide bare so that they can feed in it without getting in their mouths. I am going to try some large suppliers and see how that goes.

Has anyone ever tried Peat Moss?

Tried Peat Moss? I did and had a bad experience with Charina bottae. It tends to get very dry and dusty which seemed to irritate the nares and may have caused a swelling, I had trouble keeping it "just right" humidity, either too dry or too wet... I like the use of humid hides with spaghnum moss (which I think is "peat moss" that hasn't been dried...right?) I live in California where Cypress mulch is generally not available, so I too am looking for the ideal substrate. What do you Dry guys think about CareFresh, a wood pulp product? Thanks, Vic

I use carefresh for my rosy boas, but I don't like it as much for things that need high humidity (like my rainbow boas) or for things that poop a lot (like my indigos and cribos). I've had great experience with it for things that like it dry, but its too desiccating for some snakes, and if you mist it to keep it humid, it seems to mold pretty easily. It also molds quickly when pooped on. The advantage is that if something does poop or spill water or something, you can just scoop out the affected area if you catch it right away. And it keeps the cage smelling pretty good.
Where in CA are you from? I'm in scenic Lodi.
Robert

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I'm in the Pacific Northwest and Cypress Mulch is unavailable here also.

Peat moss is litterally mined from the ground from dried up bogs. It can be thousands of years old. Leave it in the ground a few million years and you get coal. They pull peat from the ground, pull out the sticks, put it in bags then sell it. I think it makes a bad substrate for a cage, but the best substrate for a nice humid hide box.

I think that the best choices we have here on the WC is aspen shavings or newspaper. I've heard Care-Fresh is quick to mold when wet which is bound to happen with indies. I've never used it myself as it's a lot cheaper for me to use safe and known aspen.

Just a few of my thoughts.

Doug T

>>Tried Peat Moss? I did and had a bad experience with Charina bottae. It tends to get very dry and dusty which seemed to irritate the nares and may have caused a swelling, I had trouble keeping it "just right" humidity, either too dry or too wet... I like the use of humid hides with spaghnum moss (which I think is "peat moss" that hasn't been dried...right?) I live in California where Cypress mulch is generally not available, so I too am looking for the ideal substrate. What do you Dry guys think about CareFresh, a wood pulp product? Thanks, Vic

I use end-roll paper for my primary substrate, the unprinted paper left at the end of a roll from the newspaper industry, as my local newspaper will give me such rolls, still have a couple hundred yards of paper left when they quit running them, so long as I return the spools when I am through with the paper, easy enough as I can drop them off when I return for more rolls.
For a humid hide, I used to use dampened cypress mulch contained within a sweater box with an opening, cleaned it by boiling it when it became soiled, but have since started using dampened cloth towels within the box, since I acquired a stackable washer and dryer to keep within my herp facility dedicated to cleaning such. My wife, though she loves Drys, was not inclined to wash soiled snake linens within the family laundry room. So far, this arrangement has worked quite well…

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Pro-Exotics sells bags of Cypress mulch and ships it out for around $42 a bag, only problem is I would need 2 bags. I checked everywhere in my area and it does not appear that I will be able to acquire it without shelling out the dough.

Has anyone had success breeding them on aspen only?? Would spaghnum moss in the hide and a larger water dish suffice in order to bring the humidity up? Thanks for all the posts.

There's probably several folks who've had success with just aspen. Aspen in the main, damp peat moss in the hide and a large water bowl are all I've ever had with mine.

Doug T

>>Pro-Exotics sells bags of Cypress mulch and ships it out for around $42 a bag, only problem is I would need 2 bags. I checked everywhere in my area and it does not appear that I will be able to acquire it without shelling out the dough.
>>
>>Has anyone had success breeding them on aspen only?? Would spaghnum moss in the hide and a larger water dish suffice in order to bring the humidity up? Thanks for all the posts.

that up as we speak now. There was aspen to begin with but on both sides. Much appreciated.

The damp peat moss is in a large plastic box, with a hole cut in the lid. It creates something of a "Gopher Hole" for them to crawl in. It also keeps the peat from drying out and messing up the entire cage.

Doug T

Cypress can be purchased at any large nursery. Cypress should smell fresh not like mushrooms or ammonia. I let the cypress dry out between misting; it has a large capacity to hold water and is slow to decompose. Sphagnum and peat moss seems to breed certain fly species and also is said to irritate the lungs of certain snakes.