Paper Towels

If I were to use paper towels for my substrate how many should I use? And when they go to the bathroom should I just replace the whole paper towel?

I use enough to cover the bottom of the tub, in two layers. If that makes sense. Sooo lets see - I have 36qt tubs from walmart, and i use 4 towels, doubled up - covers the bottom perfectly.

When they soil the paper towel, just change it all. That's beauty of using PT...it's fairly inexpensive.

Yup - I change everything when they pee/poo. Wash the water dish and hide, throw away all towels, and then spray everything with a 50/50 water/white vinegar solution, dry, replace towels, dish and hide, insert snake. Takes about 5 minutes.

I'd not suggest paper towel but for very small hatchlings. Accidental ingestion has and can cause death.

http://www.iherp.com/Gallery/1/8113_...ygb6K54M6y.jpg


http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a...per-towels.jpg

the originals are loose on the web I am unsure whom shot them I hope the photographers don't mind re-linking them as it is for the intended purpose to warn of a potential hazard.

While paper towel ingestion is a potential risk, it's a VERY small chance and something that is totally avoidable if you supervise feedings.

I use paper towels in all of my enclosures. I use the Bounty select-a-size personally, and use it in 2 layers, enough to cover the bottoms and I leave about an inch extra on each side to curl up the very bottom of each side. Set the water bowl in the middle to hold them down.

To get this straight, I understand they can ingest it if they are feeding on the paper towel, but if I feed them in a different tub with a separate substrate is there a chance they may ingest some of the paper towel in their tub for who knows what reason?

ZBP- no. The snake will only open its mouth while feeding and the paper would get caught in an involuntary muscle response between the prey and its mouth, or something.

Is this risk reduced with newspaper or unprinted sheets? Apparently I need to observe feeding even for F/T...... good thing I only have 3 snakes...

When you consider the number of keepers who use PT as a substrate, the number of snakes that have ingested it while feeding is statistically insignificant. Even less if you make sure the prey item is dry, and even less than that if you supervise the feeding.

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Originally Posted by ZBP

To get this straight, I understand they can ingest it if they are feeding on the paper towel, but if I feed them in a different tub with a separate substrate is there a chance they may ingest some of the paper towel in their tub for who knows what reason?

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I use paper towels also, no issues here. There has never even been close to an issue here. I think one thing is if you feed frozen thawed then just make sure the rat isn't wet. Then the paper towel wont stick to it. I breed my own rats so pre killed is so much easier for me.

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