Pine bedding....Help!

Hi all, I asked my mother to pick up some aspen bedding for my ball and, unbeknownst to me, she bought pine, thinking it was all the same. Now, I didn't realize this until I was halfway through cleaning my ball's tank tonight, and the pet store had already closed. I figured it would be fine, so I put some down for my snake and that was that. I had a nagging feeling afterward that it wasn't going to be okay, and checked to see if my suspicions were correct. They were. I can't get to the store until later this morning and we have no aspen in the house. Will she be okay until I can get to the store when it opens in a couple hours or should I remove it ASAP and replace it with paper towel? All the information I read simply stated that it was not good for snakes, something about the oil that the wood secretes, but nothing said if it was only bad after long term use or if it's a DO NOT PUT YOUR SNAKE ON IT EVEN FOR FIVE MINUTES kind of thing. Help, please!

Remove it. There's no reason to keep it in there. You're going to have to clean the tank because the oil will be everywhere the pine touched. Just put paper towels or newspaper down instead until you get aspen or cypress bedding.

Clean very well and yes paper towels are okay, that's all I use.

I use pine bedding for some of my snakes. There are people on here who have used it for years or even decades.

You should be fine using it.

Lol. Nothing wrong with pine bedding. Ask anyone who's warned you about it to post their bad experiences.

You won't find any. Just another BS myth spread by people who mindlessly parrot what they read on the internet.

I've been using it for three decades and have not had one issue with it. Neither will you.

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Originally Posted by numeroclaire

I figured it would be fine, so I put some down for my snake and that was that. I had a nagging feeling afterward that it wasn't going to be okay, and checked to see if my suspicions were correct. They were.

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How was it not okay? I'm sure like most critters some snakes will be more sensitive to certain stimuli than others.

I personally use newspaper, aspen and cypress because they were imprinted on me as the best options when I was a youngster. That said, I have found my fair share of snakes, and other herps, in the surrounding pine forests. These are nothing but pine woods with thick layers of pine straw on the ground and yet herps abound. Might find 1 scrub oak per several acres but I doubt all the herps are seeking refuge on these little islands.

While it certainly won't hurt to take out the pine and use newspaper until you get your preferred bedding, I doubt a few hours on the stuff will harm your snake. If in further doubt just place some newspaper on top of the bedding. If your snake is agitated by the bedding it will rest on top of the paper to avoid contact.

Thank you everyone! Her tank has been thoroughly cleaned and she now has fresh aspen substrate! No more pine for us.

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Originally Posted by numeroclaire

Thank you everyone! Her tank has been thoroughly cleaned and she now has fresh aspen substrate! No more pine for us.

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Hallelujah!

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Originally Posted by numeroclaire

Thank you everyone! Her tank has been thoroughly cleaned and she now has fresh aspen substrate! No more pine for us.

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What a strange end to this thread. I feel like there's 10 or 15 posts I just can't see.