Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is more of a substrate question, but that forum is so dead I am posting it here, I hope that is ok.
I've been doing a lot of research on bedding and of course, everyone has very different opinions on what is good.
I've been using aspen as a staple, but I live in MN and it's *humid* here. Also, my snakes all do well with higher humidity and love to soak. Problem is, the aspen is expensive and becomes musty smelling pretty fast. I am throwing out so much aspen the cost is getting ridiculous. I don't want to switch to newspaper because all my snakes are burrowers and enjoy hiding under the substrate.

What luck have people had with cyprus mulch? Where is the best place to get mass quantities of it? I know our local nurseries carry it but it's wet and meant for use around trees outdoors. Is there a shredded cyprus that isn't so sharp (kind of like the shredded aspen, which is really nice and soft).

Any recommendations? Thank you so much for your time!
The Foxloft

I like cypress mulch. I have heard concerns about danger if impacted and believe this is a potential problem, even though I feed my snakes directly on the stuff. Maybe I've just been lucky, I don't know.

I really like how it's an effective substrate when dry but also works very well as a very damp substrate. I have kept anything from Coachwhips to Gonyosoma on the stuff, and their requirements are about as different as it gets.

I no longer buy it in bulk so I'm not really sure. I used to get a great price from a garden center where I used to live. I now just pick up the occasional bag from Lowes.

Don't worry about buying it wet. Just spread some out in a large plastic tub or on some plastic sheet and let it dry. I also pick out some of the large chunks when I do this.

Some people complain of mites but I don't believe snake mites have ever been documented in cypress mulch. I do freeze it whenever I can, though.

Cypress mulch will hold moisture very well. Probably better than Aspen. If your Aspen is getting that damp, then so will the cypress mulch, only more so. Wouldn't that make your enclosure too humid for your snake?

I used aspen in my cages for many years, but I've recently switched most of my cages to cypress mulch, especially the humidity loving species. Cypress looks more natural to me and it can stand a much higher humidity level without mildewing. I've bought two different kinds of cypress without noticing, the first time I used it, it wasn't shredded into sharp sticks and I liked it better. I guess you can just shop around a little when you buy it and get the kind that looks better. I feed my snakes right on the aspen and the cypress and agree there is a risk if ingested, but I've seen them swallow bits of both stuck on the rodent. I guess I've been lucky too. One the other hand the good thing about aspen is that it's easier to see where it needs to be cleaned and also my kingsnakes like burrowing in it.

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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

Thank you all for your advice. I picked humidity-loving snakes because I know it's so humid here most of the year, I don't have any desert species. I have humidity gauges and they all shed well, feed well, and I've never had problems with respiratory infections or any sickness/mites, so I don't think the added humidity of cypress would be a problem - I just don't like the molding of aspen. Especially when they soak in their dishes and get water all over, the aspen gets musty and then I end up throwing a lot of expensive bedding out constantly.

There was some cyprus for sale at a local pet store but it was ridiculously priced; it's good to know I can just use the hardware store/outdoor type mulch. I just wanted to make sure that's what people did.

Thanks again, I'll give it a try!
The Foxloft

Have you ever thought about using leaves/leaf litter? Leaf litter is a much more natural substrate than cypress mulch, as chances are, if your snake is a forest or even scrub dwelling species, leaves are what make up the majority of the forest floor. Where in nature, in any habitat, do you find perfectly shredded mulch covering the forest floor?? I choose to use the knowledge we have of the ecologies and natural histories of the wild counterparts of the species we keep, to model my own husbandry around; after all, these animals have evolved in the wild for millions of years(on leaves, not mulch).

Leaves are great at retaining humidity- far better than cypress mulch in my opinion, and are easy to replace. Oak leaves and bamboo leaves are probably two of the best choices for leaf substrates, as they do not turn to mush when they start to break down, in the way that say a Maple would.

Leaves are much safer than cypress, as the nature of cypress mulch/bark is very long and splintered fragments, which can pose a serious threat if ingested improperly.

Just an 'alternative' idea to think about... I think leaves work wonders, and are superior to any other "commercially" prepared/packaged product- whether kept damp or dry.. IT'S NATURAL!!!!!!!!

cheers, good luck.

Bob
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