Re: Is a substrate really necessary?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NH93
Hmmm...
I think everyone here has good points. OPit kinda looks like you already have an answer in mind and are looking for someone to side with you (I could be wrong). I think that you are going to do what you like, and I guess you'll have to see for youself if that's the case :P
To chime in my opinion, I think that mimicing the snake's natural habitat would be the least stressful for them, so why not spend the extra buck on substrate (or even newspaper or paper towel if you've already got it; at least it's something other than cool plastic), and have less work for yourself to do? If it's a money thing, substrate really isn't all that expensive because snakes don't go through a tonne of it - compared to other small animals that use it, that's for sure!
If it's a looks thing, there are many options out there that you may find appealing.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
I thought I made myself clear in my first post: I keep all my snakes on newspaper right now, and the purpose of this thread is not to justify whatever change I want to bring to my own husbandry, but to establish an objective standard (now that sounds nerdy lol, but I don't know how else to put it), the minimal requirements for anyone keeping a BP.
You are right, I kind of wanted to hear someone say that substrates are not an absolute necessity for BPs, because it confirmed my doubts :P
but that doesn't mean I discarded all different ideas on the subject.
My albino ball would always push the newspaper aside and sit on bare plastic, so while I am a firm believer of evolutionary biology, it made me think that us mimicking the natural environment is not always what captive bred ball pythons want... Or maybe my albino is just weird :P
Thank you everybody for contributing to the discussion!
Re: Is a substrate really necessary?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pythonfriend
human analogy:
is toilet paper really necessary? no.
does it suck to not have toilet paper? yes. heck, in emergecy situations most people would rather use their own socks and flush them instead of doing nothing.
potential health issues from sitting in feces aside, i would not want to handle a BP and would not like the smell of it if it just spent hours in its own feces.
Omg....THAT is the funniest darn thing i read all week!! I almost choked on my breakfast! :D
sent from my incubator
