Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay so I used to use mostly newspaper but my free supply dried up.So I switched to paper towels for the babies and eco earth for the adults.I dont care for the ecoearth except in the "naturalistic" setups.

I want to switch to Aspen only but can only get it in larger chips if I buy giant bags.The shredded only comes in little overpriced bags.

My question is this large chip aspen could cause impaction.I feed in the cages, some of my snakes are shy and wouldnt eat outside the cage plus it would be a pain to take all the snakes out to feed, and then put them back each time.What is the risk of impaction? I also defrost the rodents in hot water to speed it up,and wet mice will get covered in the substrate.Im just soo confused and want to make my life easier but keep the snakes happy.I did use aspen in two of my shy snakes cages and they love it.But then again I havent fed them yet either.

Try using a "plate". For one of my snakes that is a shy feeder I use a butter dish lid as a plate to put his food on in his cage so he can eat it without getting bedding in his mouth and swallowing it. After feeding you can take the plate out.

Try thawing your mice/rats in a plastic bag to keep them dry so bedding does not stick.

For bedding I use critter care. It is a recycled celuloce product that is highly absorbant and my snakes seem to like to burrow in it.

Hope this helps.

A
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1.0 BP Nicodemus
0.4 Cal Kings 3 alb 1 het Dora Queen Ace Pearl
2.0 Alb Corn Bizaar Elixir
0.0.1 Rev Alb Nelsons Oden?
0.0.1 toad Jabba

I simply do not like loose substrates for snakes, especially eco earth. Feeding inside the cage is best for many reasons. Try to find another source for newspaper. Many times if you inquire with your local newspaper company they will give you end rolls of the unprinted paper. Also you can buy rolls of indented craft paper. Bill
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...three years ago it was just another snake cult...
The Retic is King.
Anacondas-the other Dark Side.
Afrocks-the dark side of the Dark Side.

I use the cheapo giant bags of chipped aspen from Petco or Petsmart almost exclusively. I havent had any problems. However, I do blot my defrosted rodents very well with paper towels to dry prior to feeding. As Amanda suggested, you can also place them on plastic container lids or small paper plates to keep the food off the substrate.

I thaw all my rodents out on big baking trays that are lined with paper towels, and put all the frozen rodents according to size for each snake in the order they are in on the racks. Then I put them in front of a big box fan in the garage that thaws them out AND gradually blows them dry at the same time!........then I just feed them off one by one in the order they are already in on the trays. Who could ask for anything more efficient or simple?..

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

For most of my cages, I use brown paper that I buy at HD in 140 foot rolls ($10 or so each). I haven't bothered to work out how the price per cage compares to aspen, but it doesn't seem expensive (well, maybe compared to free newspaper).

If you go this route, a sharp knife will save you a lot of time (razor blades dull too quickly).

I do use aspen in a few cages. If you have a feed store nearby it may be much cheaper than a pet shop...
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

Check these places out!.......

http://www.petazon.com/price/product/Native-Earth-Shredded-Aspen-438-Cubic-Foot-Compressed-Bedding-former.html

http://www.labbedding.com/indexcards/usa-se-index-2.html

http://www.petfooddirect.com/product/9216/Native-Earth-Shredded-Aspen-4.38-Cubic-Foot-Compressed-Bedding

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Impaction is much more likely (still very rare) with hatchlings simply because they are so small and delicate. So paper towels are good for them, or even eco earth because eco earth particles are small and pass easily. I've raised baby milks on eco earth because I can keep it slightly moist (baby kings/milks need to retain moisture). They have fed on it and swallowed it with no problems.

Dust from wood is a concern with the cheap aspen chips. A great solution is shaking the substrate in a screen outside to remove the majority of the dust before you use it in cages.

Uline dot com has indented Kraft paper in sheets or rolls. They also sell unprinted newspaper rolls. That is another option.

Many years ago I kept snakes on corncob bedding. Everyone will tell you it is bad because of impaction, and to a baby snake it can pose a threat. I had adults swallow it. Some of those kings lived well over 20 yrs so I doubt impaction is a real danger. I think it is more our fear than real.

I use a plastic plate, I defrost the mice and rats in a zip loc bag so they don't get wet at all. Once thawed I place them on the paper plate and I turn the lights out so it is dark in the cage. The next morning the food is gone and I simply remove the plate. Like Amanda stated WalMart is selling Critter Care. It is a cellulose product and even comes in different colors. It is soft so it doesn't harm the snakes. It comes in a compressed brick and it goes a long, long way and is very affordable.