Towel for bedding?

I needed to clean Malfoy's tank today. He shed/pooped/peed while I was on vacation, and those things were all taken out by my pet sitter (who is afraid of snakes, so kudos to her!), and I finally had the chance to do a complete cleaning.

Since it was last-minute, I used a towel for bedding. I don't have a thermostat for my UTH yet, and I was worried about the glass being too cool, so didn't want to use just newspaper.

I'm just curious if anyone has done towels long-term, and what pros/cons would be, other than being able to throw the towel in the laundry when it needs cleaned.

I wouldn't do it. That towel even if you clean it from time to time is going to get incredibly dirty and gross. You would be wasting a lot of water to make sure it is cleaned; unless you don't mind your other clothes being washed in poop water. Paper towels and newspaper is cheap and easily replaceable and a much better option. Over time that towel will pick up lots of bacteria being in a humid environment, its not worth it.

A towel in a tank is going to get a stink on it in a hurry. :)

So many reasons why you don't want to use one, so I wouldn't.

I agree, ditch the towel.

I would also also turn off the UTH until you can get a thermostat. It's just not worth the risk of seriously burning your snake. Use a space heater in the meantime, but not too close to the tank, otherwise you can have a convection oven your hands. Ideally you want a thermostat on the heater, but we've already been down that trail. :rolleyes:

I use old towels and baby blankets as hides for my larger snakes that like to burrow, like my Dumerils boas. I remove them from the enclosure for feeding. These snakes do like their "blankies" and tossing them into the washing machine isn't a big deal as long as you knock any solid waste off of it first.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

I agree, ditch the towel.

I would also also turn off the UTH until you can get a thermostat. It's just not worth the risk of seriously burning your snake. Use a space heater in the meantime, but not too close to the tank, otherwise you can have a convection oven your hands. Ideally you want a thermostat on the heater, but we've already been down that trail. :rolleyes:

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I don't even have the UTH out of the packaging yet because I don't have a thermostat. :-)

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Originally Posted by Ba11er

I wouldn't do it. That towel even if you clean it from time to time is going to get incredibly dirty and gross. You would be wasting a lot of water to make sure it is cleaned; unless you don't mind your other clothes being washed in poop water. Paper towels and newspaper is cheap and easily replaceable and a much better option. Over time that towel will pick up lots of bacteria being in a humid environment, its not worth it.

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Worse than washing blankets and towels from tiny kitten fosters with diarrhea that may contain giardia, coccidia, roundworms....and my last fosters that were full of ringworm? :-)

I will have the towel in there for just a bit until I get new bedding, unless it gets too awful too quick. I am so used to dealing with with kitten laundry that unless it is too bad, it won't bother me. I was just worried about it being a huge and scary health risk in some way. Ick I can deal with. :-)

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Originally Posted by melcvt00

I don't even have the UTH out of the packaging yet because I don't have a thermostat. :-)

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Good to hear :)👍