Aspen substrate

[AkHerps]

Hello, should I give my baby ball python aspen as a substrate to help make him feel more secure? He's on paper towels right now, and has refused food for the last month or so, he hasn't eaten since I've had him, frozen or live.

Thanks for any and all help!

[hunter94]

I just got my BP and he has lived in a 6QT tub his whole life on news paper I think. I put aspen in his 10 gal and he seems to love it. He roamed around his tank 1 time in the day and it was the first day I got him. The second he slept the whole day and he was moving around for like 10 minutes today then went back to bed. He is also only 7 weeks and a couple days old. But yes I would recommend aspen.

[Adam Chandler]

If he isn't eating I doubt changing the substrate will make him feel more secure. I've never heard of BP not eating because of substrate being paper towels. He should eat equally well on aspen or paper towels.
There are many more factors that would influence him eating more than substrate. Temps, hides, etc.
The BP.net care sheet has alot of info on "why won't my BP eat" http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

[AkHerps]

All of his temps are just as they suggested on the care sheet on this forum, and he does't have parasites, so I didn't know if he just doesn't feel secure enough on paper towels.

I'm just thinking about trying anything right now..

[Vypyrz]

I have seen some of the breeders on here recommend using aspen for non-feeders. Don't ask me why or how it can work, because I don't know, unless it has something to do with the smell of it making the snake think it's in the wild. I'm just shooting in the dark...

[Adam Chandler]

All of his temps are just as they suggested on the care sheet on this forum, and he does't have parasites, so I didn't know if he just doesn't feel secure enough on paper towels.

I'm just thinking about trying anything right now..

Does he have secure hides on both the warm and cool side? Are you trying to feed in the evening?

[AkHerps]

Yes he has two small hides on the left, one on the right, and a humid hide. He has one of those corner hides that has two sets of stairs, and he likes to curl up on the top under the red heat lamp because I have to use it to keep the air temps up(Alaska) but it gets exactly 93.2* on the spot he curls up on. He has a heat pad too though.

I thnk I'm going to put some aspen in it tonight, I was thinking he might feel more secure if he can bury a little bit.

Yes I'm trying to feed in the evening.

[SnakeKB]

Give the Aspen a try. It's cheap enough. I got a huge bag for $10 from petco that im gonna use for the snake, hamster, and mice.

[kilabyte]

I doubt the Aspen will make him any hungrier. What you offer him is more important. Are you feeding mice or rats? Some bp's will only eat mice. Feeding the correct size may also be an issue.

[AkHerps]

Well, it's Alaska, we don't have live anything anymore because colored mice and rats are illegal. We have small live adult mice, that's it, they are probably only a couple weeks old. I'm trying to find anyone who breeds anything, mice or rats.

I mainly put the aspen in there because it shrunk up his hides to make them more secure.