Substrate help in Oregon USA please

Hey I live in the salem area of oregon. I have a fast growing collection of snakes especially ball pythons. I currently keep them on Coconut fiber stuff, like eco earth, the stuff that expands when you put it in water. I like it for the most part but I am starting to have some serious problems with it. My main problem is that when I feed the balls, I feed them I their cages. It is where they are comfortable and won't eat out of their cages.

So since I feed them in their cages they are starting to get the substrate in their mouths. This was a serious problem; today the substrate was caked in one of my balls mouths and he couldn't breath, he actually stopped moving and breath, so i grabbed him out of his cage and had to rise out his mouth with water. He is fine now but I scared the hell out of me. As you can see there is clearly a problem and I want to switch to a new substrate ASAP. I don't want to use newspaper or aspen, it holds moisture horribly (I keep my tanks at around 50% humidity) and I'm not a big fan of either. Newspaper can dye the snakes bellies, and aspen can mold if you aren't carefully.

So I need something that isn't pet store brand that doesn't cost a lot, and that I can get big quantities of locally. I have heard of cypress and eucalyptus mulch, they hold moisture well and are fairly cheap. The problem is I can't find it here locally at all, ever where I have called doesn't have it, i have tired asking if they can order it and most places can't, or i have to buy a whole plate which i don't need.

SO does anyone I the area have any ideas, suggestions, comments, anything that could help me???? I would really like to switch to a new substrate soon so please let me know if you have any ideas on good cheapish substrates that hold moisture well. Thanks in advance

Paper is my first choice, I also use double ground cypress mulch.

If need be, you can check out this website. They sell everything from brown kraft paper, white wrapping paper, to unprinted news paper, both in rolls and sheets.

http://www.papermart.com/Product%20P...?GroupID=18937

How about newspaper with some plain white paper thrown on top? Buy a big pack of cheap printer paper.
I also read somewher that you could put your snakes in a paper bag to eat and have it in there tank so they can get out after.
Or paper towel? Someone also spoke of some flannel material, then you can wash it easy.

Brawny paper towels, the quicker picker upper ;)

I don't want to use paper or paper towels, I don't like the look and feel it would be hard to keep the humidity up thanks anyway

I live 60 miles north of you and have zero problems with humidity, but then i use tubs.
Aspen works, cypress is expensive, paper towels just plain work, unless you use tanks...

I also use coco products personally I place a 'feeding mat' down a day before feeding I put a sheet of thin plastic over the substrate (stiff plastic it is sold a prep board at the dollar store here) and feed on that. I have had an impacted snake after she ate cyprus so I'll not go back to wood. Paper works but typically it works when the ventilation is greatly restricted so the animals own respiration amps up the humidity, personally I feel like it simply isn't enough air movement at that point. That leaves raising the snake room to 60% which is a pain.

Hey, I'd recommend cypress substrate. It looks good and is great at retaining moistly without growing mold.
Here is a place that ships cypress nationwide:http://www.serpenturf.com/

I assume they have walmart, home depot and lowes in oregon? If so finding cyrpress mulch should not be a problem. :gj:

Hey thanks guys, as of now I keep them in tanks, I'm going to build a rack system in about 4 months. Also I've tried home depot lowes and wal-mart and none of them carry cypress or eucalyptus mulch. plus idk how I would keep humidity up keeping them just on paper....

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Originally Posted by benwallage9

plus idk how I would keep humidity up keeping them just on paper....

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It would be difficult for sure.
Tubs don't need help which is why they are so popular, hopefully you can get the rack set up sooner than summer time so you aren't fighting the humidity issue.
I keep reading that cypress is harder to find on the west coast :confused:

yea it is.. Unless you buy it online or in a pet store, you can't find it here. Eucalyptus is suppose to grow real well over here, atleast that is what I read, but I can't seem to find it either. Eucalyptus is also suppose to be a lot like cypress so yea

Eucalyptus is seriously toxic. http://www.peteducation.com/article....+1913&aid=1612

Avoid it. Any wood that smells strong is likely to be harmful Eucalyptus is right up there with cedar.

Really????? I thought eucalyptus was like a good substrate to use cause I held moisture well and didn't rot or mold as easily

Cedar doesn't rot or mould or have insects natural occurring toxins. Same for Eucalyptus, check the chart and check others it makes more as far as I have seen. It is very strong smelling wood and typically they are the ones that have natural toxins.
Alex

I am getting away from the coconut shell stuff also. Exact same problem with it in the mouth of one of my Boa's. I have a lot of stuff to switch back to paper again. The heat tape and thermostat's for the new rack system can't get here fast enough.