How many of you guys use aspen?

I was using paper towels, but since I had to change Kallista's cage today and we had aspen bedding for small animals leftover after mom returned her hamster(had dental issues) I figured I'd give it a shot.
It's really rough and curly. It's odd, but I figure if I don't like it I can change it.

But my only concern would be with feeding. I'll be feeding live for awhile still and though she seems to strike well, if she gets some in her mouth when she eats the mouse, I know they can digest it, I'd just be concerned with it getting lodged in her throat like I've seen happen to someone's snake on here. I don't really want to have to pull aspen out of her throat.

So, I just wanted to know who uses it and what you like/dislike about using it.

I use to use it but we are up to 20 snakes now so we went to paper towels.
When we had 3 or 4 it was okay and not a big deal to remove them from their enclosures to feed but now it would take all day plus cleanup is a lot easier on paper towels and cheaper too.

I use aspen right now but, like Pit, I remove my snakes from their tanks to feed. I also only have a few snakes right now, so it's not a huge hassle to do this. Aspen, in my opinion, is one of the better "natural" beddings--it's not as dusty as several others, and it's really easy to spot clean. I use aspen mainly because my tanks are currently set up for display. It just looks nicer when you're going for that "natural habitat" presentation. I'll be setting up a rack system in the next month or two, and I do plan to use paper towels then, but I'll probably always use aspen with my glass tanks.

We've used both and we feed live. It depends on the snake aand your preferences, it won't hurt for now if you feel yoou need to change back to paper in the future. A trick you can try is putting a piece of caardboard down in his enclosure when your feeding him so that you can avoid him pulling aspen into his mouth, that way you get the benifits off a feed box without having to move him.

Ah, I see.
I just have one. And I feed inside her cage, just because I don't like to touch her right after she's eaten. But I could always feed separately. She doesn't seem to mind being touched.
It would eliminate the risk of her getting hurt by it.

I used aspen for many years without an issue. If you are looking for a more aesthetically pleasing bedding that is the way to go as long as you can provide the proper humidity. Once I got over 20 snakes I started using newspaper. If you have anyone with a subscription its even free for you (that works for me :D) If you are feeding in cage I would suggest you either use sandi-chips for really young snakes or wait until the babies are about a year old then use the larger stuff. Just my suggestion :D

Woops, missed those other posts. XD

It would be easy to put cardboard in there for her to eat on.
Okay, thanks for the replies. :3

I was wanting to use Eco Earth, but it makes the humidity way too high in my tub. (As in it says: HI)

I use newspaper for my bp's, its free and easy to clean up and it doesn't insulate against my UTH. I found any substrate deeper than 1 inch created issues with unstable heating. I've tried a lot different subs, and now just use paper for my bp's, little chance of ingestion, dustless, easy to clean, and inexpensive.

But my RRS likes to burrow to hide so she has aspen and 3 inches deep at that. But for her, heating isn't major issue.(70-80 deg, with a 85 basking spot)

I don't think it's much deeper than an inch in her cage. I just have enough to cover the bottom of it.

I've been usuing aspen for almost a year now and I keep them in with feeding and I have not lost any or had any issues. I switched over because of how low humidity is in my house. When I feed though I hold the food right in front of their face they strike kill and swallow so I feel there is less chance of them swallowing. I have almost 50 snakes and I go through a big block about a month which cost me about 20 dollars and when I would buy paper towels by the case it would cost me 18 dollars so not much price difference.

I use the Aspen Sani-Chips.

Yeah, the aspen I'm using isn't the type in the reptile area, but we have it and how different could it be from that other stuff?(not the sani-chips, I know those are different)

I'm currently using Pestell shredded aspen for my entire group. Well, babies on paper of course.

It's doing okay. Has its drawbacks like every other bedding out there does but it does the job I need it to. Wicks away liquids until I can get things cleaned up, holds humidity decently, etc. I haven't had any issues with anything getting stuck. The shavings are big enough that the snakes just spit them out.

I use aspen. I feed them in a separate container, F/T. I like the aspen and they like to make tunnels occasionally thru it.http://tapatalk.com/mu/63cd9e8a-85bc-8b45.jpg

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I have around 50 I use Aspen. Everyone eats live in the racks and No one has ingestion issues.


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Shredded type of aspen would probably be better, but mine is kinda curly. :3 Thanks for all the replies.
I'll feed in the tub and if she's got any problems with it, I'll change it, no problems no change.

The only odd thing it now the humidity is down to 49%...
It's NEVER been that low since I got her. I'll see how it is later.
Normally the humidity is at least 75%

I used to use aspen until I got up around 40 or so snakes. I switched to newspaper at that point. I've widdled my collection down to a pretty small number so I've been thinking of switching back to aspen. I prefer the way it looks and the snakes will tunnel through it and use it as a hide. Probably within the next month or so I'll have them all on aspen again.

My empty tank has aspen, it's a mix between flakes and shavings, but I share it with my friend's dwarf hamster. Once it's over, I'll switch to sanichips

I bought aspen already but haven't used it yet till I solve my temp issues.

Here is how it looks like.

http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/bcccd6b4.jpg

Yeah, mine's not snake aspen, though I don't know what the difference between the two are.

prolly none, WELL, MAYBE the way it's cut (flakes and curls vs shavings) Although mine isn't specially for snakes and its shavings with some flakes

This guy uses aspen!

I never liked newspaper or paper towel. It was always messier than aspen and my snakes always ended up soiling under the paper. I might as well have been using no substrate at that point.

I personally don't like it, it doesn't hold humidity well and leaves the snakes with bad sheds. I don't mind it for colubrids, but for anything else I use newspaper or paper towel.

Fluffpuff, I use aspen. I buy it in a four foot tall block from my feed store for five dollars. I use it for all nine snakes. All the mice and my hedgehogs. Its nice using one thing for everyone :)

i use orchid bark to keep viv humidity up

I use aspen for my females that are about to lay and my hatchlings. I don't have to worry about feeding my females on it, but the hatchlings feed on it. So far I haven't had a lot of issues with feeding on aspen. I try not to mess with the babies much, so they just eat on the aspen. I would prefer that they didn't, but the aspen helps them to feel more secure-or at least I think so, lol.

I won't post the bloody aspen picture again(unless asked to, lol) but as I mentioned before it only takes once for a snake to hammer a rat and miss and strike the aspen and lodge it into the throat.
Using shredded aspen would alleviate this, I'd much rather my snake ingested some shredded aspen that get another piece of hard aspen stuck in her throat :mad:
If a snake can digest bones it can digest a little shredded aspen with ease...

I use nothing but brawny paper towels now.
BUT for those that have never seen that be a problem, do know that snakes have died constricting on paper towels and ingesting the whole paper towel in with the prey item.

Always monitor your feedings ;)

I think the issue of a snake swallowing beeding and becoming sick or dying from it is more a myth than anything else. The reason why is if a snake can digest bone and fur then a little aspen or another snake safe beeding is really not going to hurt your snake. The only issue I could see is if your snake ate heavily soiled beeding which could cause health issues. the solution to this is just keep up with your husbandry, by spot cleaning and changing the beeding regularly.

In the wild a snake is going to end up ingesting all kinds of things dirt, leaves, twigs, etc.

like I said before keep up with your husbandry and you will prevent most snake illnesses

I just switched to shredded aspen, and I'm very happy with. Newspapers were SUCH a pain...the snakes would soak the paper, and by morning, it would be dried and stuck over the heat tape! Paper towel just gets scrunched up in the corner and might as well not be there, plus it's expensive.

The aspen shavings are highly absorbent, so I can spot-clean without any mess or anything left behind. I used aspen shavings before, but they weren't absorbent enough. If a water bowl gets dumped, I don't have to deal with muck.

Unlike lizards, snakes aren't going to be harmed if they accidentally swallow some aspen. An actual wood-chip, maybe, but not shavings or shredded aspen.

I keep new hatchlings on paper towel until their first shed--I want a clean, smooth environment until their umbilicus attachment heals fully. :)

This year I started using aspen on my hatchlings however my adults are on Cypress except for the females being paired who are on newspaper.

Is this a good Aspen replacement? They are way cheaper and may be more cost effective for me to use than Aspen.


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where's the link?

Wooops, sorry, here it is:)

http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/116f5b14.jpg


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I use Aspen (sort of a mix of flakes and shavings) but I only have one snake at the moment and he eats in a different enclosure. I like it so far. My humidity levels seem to stay fairly consistent and it is easy to spot clean. I've not tried newspaper or paper towels but then again I've not had him all that long either. He must like it as well as I've seen him rubbing his head in it several times, but he is also in shed right now.