What type of bedding/substrate do you use for your gravid females and why?

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

All I use is newspaper, printed and unprinted, nothing changes when they lay.

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Ever had any issues like what was mentioned in the above with the eggs sticking to the newspaper or bacteria growing?

Newspaper. Never had a problem with eggs sticking.

Good old newspaper for me i check my animals every day so never had any problems with newspaper sticking to the eggs, but could quite easily happen if it gets a little damp in the rub

I keep them on newspaper at all times and never had any issues. The only thing I do different is when they are getting close to laying I remove the water bowl about a week before they lay and only offer water when I am watching because they tend to tip the bowls all the time. So to prevent the mold or excess moisture on the eggs I just take the bowl out. I also change the paper about a week before the eggs are due and add an extra layer or 2 but they always without fail move all of the paper aside and lay on the bottom of the tub.

Newspaper for me too. Unless I splurge and buy an industrial size package of paper towels....

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Originally Posted by Scaleyz

Really, thats the first time I've ever hear of that. Something to think about. Have you personally had this happen before? And if so what happened to the clutches?

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Yeah, I've had multiple clutches stuck to paper before. I'm not sure if they spill their water while twisting around to lay, or if they just produce a lot of fluids, but sometimes the paper is adhered so well that I can't peel it off. The eggs were ok, but I don't like the way the paper gets slimy and starts growing while they're incubating. Wouldn't want to lose any eggs as a result. I don't remove water on gravid females, I figure that being well hydrated is always in their best interests, particularly when laying eggs. I've never had any female lay anywhere near their water bowl. If wood chips stick, they can generally be pulled off, they don't laminate to the egg the way the paper does, lol.

I use cypress as my usual bedding. Since I maternally incubate my clutches I add a handful or so of moistened sphagnum moss to the tub around her due date and it usually winds up becoming part of her nest. The cypress and sphagnum hold moisture really well so I don't have to worry about humidity issues while she's brooding.

This season and last season I've bred on aspen. Right now everyone's on paper towels but they will be back on aspen soon. I feel that my males seem to feel more comfortable breeding on aspen.

Cypress mulch all year round... During breeding season I put fresh new wet mulch in all the cages- the bump in humidity really gets them into breeding mode.

Plus mulch does a much better job of absorbing excess moisture than paper... Python poops/pees on mulch, you have a small wet spot of mulch, python pees or poops on paper and you have a soggy bacteria-laden paper lining the cage! I also don't like it when eggs stick to the paper.

Mulch is also good at keeping any loose "unstuck" eggs from rolling around the tub getting scrambled.

As far as water bowls go, I just leave them in the cages... Although a friend of mine had his angolan python lay her eggs IN the water bowl last year. I have that female angolan now so I will be sure to pull the bowl when she's about to lay- I don't trust her ;)

I'm a bit of an odd ball when it comes to substrate. I use a towel about the size of a hand towel. It's absorbant, and can be washed and bleached when soiled and once I purchase them they can be reused pretty much forever.