pine bedding for substrate

[greghall]

Tried it all heard all the don'ts,who does use it.

[bsash]

I don't use pine for any thing except for rats. For my monitors I use the excavator clay so they can dig their burrows, and for all of the ball pythons that I have had, I used the expandable eco- earth dirt substrate because it was cheap, and held humidity great, as well as being very resistant to mold.

[mr. s]

You are asking who uses a toxic substrate for their ball pythons?

I get it. We find out everyone that uses it, then we tell them it will kill their snakes!
Hahaha

(Ok, but seriously, I don't get it).

[wilomn]

You are asking who uses a toxic substrate for their ball pythons?

I get it. We find out everyone that uses it, then we tell them it will kill their snakes!
Hahaha

(Ok, but seriously, I don't get it).

Toxic? On what, pray tell, do you base this on?

[2kdime]

Is it toxic if its kiln dried?

You are asking who uses a toxic substrate for their ball pythons?

I get it. We find out everyone that uses it, then we tell them it will kill their snakes!
Hahaha

(Ok, but seriously, I don't get it).

[mr. s]

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Now I feel like an idiot. (Which I probably am. And by "probably am", I mean, "am")

But, is it not a known fact that pine, like cedar are toxic for snakes?

[mr. s]

Is it toxic if its kiln dried?

Yes, I have heard of people using kiln dried for rats.....

[kc261]

Pine IS toxic, or at least certain oils in it are.

That doesn't mean it is toxic enough that keeping snakes on kiln dried pine will have any measurable negative effect on them. My understanding is that in the old days, most people used pine.

Personally, I like using newspaper.

[Crazy4Herps]

I have also heard of pine being toxic, but not as bad as cedar. Aspen would be a better bet, though, just to be safe. I used loose substrates for a few years, imho they're a waste of time and money (when used for non-burrowing snakes; I do use loose substrate for my frogs and geckos). Now I use all newspaper for snakes. Easy, cheap, safe. And I do have naturalistic enclosures for my BPs, the newspaper looks fine. But, whatever works for you guys.

[qui_65]

I've heard both sides, it is and isn't. But in any case why chance it? Personally I have no idea weather or not it will kill a snake but I'm not anxious to run the experiment...