Have Question About Substrate!!!

That really wasnt a debate about anything....

I was just wondering why he said they would prefer one substrate to another

I know everyone has thier own differnt opinions, but hes not a snake so i was just wondering how he knew.

i dont know what a snake would prefer but,
its just my opinion that a snake would prefer a more natural substrate because it is somewhat similar to what they live on in the wild.
thats just my opinion. i'm not saying anybody is wrong. thats just my opinion.
im sorry if i offended anybody.
thank you.

I don't think they care. As long as you have a hidespot, even a flat substrate like newspaper is fine. Personally I use cypress mulch because I like the looks of it and it is safe for the snakes.
What ever substrate you use, as long as it is proven safe, changed regularly and kept clean, you're fine.

Yes, me too, whatever works for you, works for you :)

Sorry if i came off rude in those last few posts, i really didnt mean to, sorry :)

I have used paper towels, newspaper, EcoEarth Bricks that you soak and they swell up and am now using Desert Blend Lizard Litter. It isn't just for Lizards though. It says it can be used for all reptiles.

It is made from ground up English Walnut shells. They are small round pieces...not small like sand though so can't get between scales without certainly being noticed.

It doesn't hold humidity as well as the EcoEarth did but it is very easy to clean. You use a scooper like a cat littler scoop that is made with screen.
When it gets wet it hardens a bit so you can pick it up and urates don't soak down where you can't get them.

My corns especially like to burrow in it but so do my balls.

I know that snakes are not like us humans but I just like the look of it in their cages. Whether they want softness or firmness to sleep, who knows. Sudan likes to sleep standing up in the corner alot. ;-)

The only drawback to this substrate is that it does cost a bit more than newspaper or paper towels. When I used those I hated having to move all the plants, bowls and hides when they pooped/peed. With this I just scoop up the stuff that is dirty and I always take a bit more around out also. As I take it out, I add fresh in.

I also feed out of their cages so no chance of impaction.

I would bew very hesitant to use the desert blend for BP's as it promotes (as the name would suggest) arid conditions. The tiny shell pieces would also make me nervous about feeding on it - so glad you do not. It seems to suck tons of moisture from the air.

We use it regularly for our Sudanese Plated Lizards - but they are better suited to those conditions. To each his own - i know how expensive that stuff is you are dead-on there - we buy it in the 50lb bags but it does last a good while.

Currently still loving my newsprint.

With the couple big snakes that i own, theres is NOTHING better than the simple ol' newspaper and/ paper towel.

repticarpet soaks up the liquid from the urates and holds the smell

aspen is too expensive and its a nuissance to change every week as is cypress multch and there is no such thing as spot cleaning them, in my oppinon you have to have super powers to get all the urates/liquid/deficates in one spot clean.

I keep my bp's on attractive looking indoor/outdoor carpet, and becuase of the small size of bps it works great

but nothin will ever come close to newspaper/papertowel for a snake 7' +

i use repti-carpet in both of my tanks. then i keep another set and everyweek i change them out and wash the others. they dont really smell when i take them out but that is what im trying to avoid. but repti-carpet works well for me i just change it when they go to the bathroom and replace it with a nice clean one :)

I have a bag of the Bone Aid Calci-Sand the man at the pet store(im thinkin is dumb) said that it was good for beding. the bag says Extencive calcium delivery system, 100% digestible, Reduced impactability, Beneficial when eaten,High contrast color for easy spot cleaning, Enhances natural colors.....the bag makes it sound good........but will it not hurt my python? its large grain but some of it looks small. Will this sand get under her skin and hurt her?????

I'd be less concerned about bits of it getting into their scales as I would be concerned about that type of substrate causing humidity problems in the cage.

You want to use a substrate that holds moisture, releasing it gradually into the air. This is necessary for ball pythons especially. They could encounter respitory distress if they are kept in overly dry conditions for extended periods of time. Any kind of sand or desert blend substrate is going to cause those types of dry conditions.

Desert blend walnut-shell is absolutely not digestible and you never know if your bp could ingest it while burrowing into it. Chances are they will just pass it, but you really never know.

Loose substrates are also very bad if your animal were to suffer from a prolapse. That stuff sticks to the protruding raw flesh, dries it out, and basically just makes the prolapse worse. IMO keeping ball pythons on sand or other non-bark loose substrate is really not a good idea.