What type of bedding/substrate do you use for your gravid females and why?

I haven't seen this question posted yet and thought it would be a really good question to post. So what is it you guys use for your gravid females? What type of bedding/substrate do you use and why do you use it? :D

Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say, this should be good :banana:

I put my breeder females on newspaper from cooldown until they drop eggs (or I give up). This prevents my male from potentially getting bedding stuck to his penes and pulled into his body during breeding (abcesses = bad). Once they lay eggs, I switch them back to cypress mulch so I don't have to mist as often. I don't see any reason to switch them back sooner, since I don't even always catch the ovy.

Nothing different from usual. At the moment, I'm using aspen shavings or shredded aspen. I've never had any males have any issues, either.
In the past, I've used newspaper. My only complaint with newspaper is that the clutch sometimes sticks to it, and then the paper adheres to eggs, and can grow bacteria in the incubator.

I have all my animals in rack systems. I opt to not use any substrate when I think they are about to drop. If you are diligent about taking notes, you should have a pretty good idea when the girls will lay their eggs. Watching their body language helps too. I just pull out the newspaper they are usually on, so the eggs don't stick, and remove the water dish, just incase that turns into a great place to lay eggs. Don't want any mishaps. I do these things no more than 3 days prior to when I estimate her to lay.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Nothing different from usual. At the moment, I'm using aspen shavings or shredded aspen. I've never had any males have any issues, either.
In the past, I've used newspaper. My only complaint with newspaper is that the clutch sometimes sticks to it, and then the paper adheres to eggs, and can grow bacteria in the incubator.

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Really, thats the first time I've ever hear of that. Something to think about. Have you personally had this happen before? And if so what happened to the clutches?

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I put my breeder females on newspaper from cooldown until they drop eggs (or I give up). This prevents my male from potentially getting bedding stuck to his penes and pulled into his body during breeding (abcesses = bad). Once they lay eggs, I switch them back to cypress mulch so I don't have to mist as often. I don't see any reason to switch them back sooner, since I don't even always catch the ovy.

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Never heard of the males getting the mulch stuck in there, I have mine on newspaper so no worries there, I was curious what everybody used for their gravids, since all I have in my tubs now is newspaper.

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Originally Posted by SoundExotics

I have all my animals in rack systems. I opt to not use any substrate when I think they are about to drop. If you are diligent about taking notes, you should have a pretty good idea when the girls will lay their eggs. Watching their body language helps too. I just pull out the newspaper they are usually on, so the eggs don't stick, and remove the water dish, just incase that turns into a great place to lay eggs. Don't want any mishaps. I do these things no more than 3 days prior to when I estimate her to lay.

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You sounds like me, mine are in rack systems as well and I'm always all up in their business. So this sounds like a plan, one of my females is going to be a handful I know getting the clutch away from her, if all goes well and she doesn't just hang onto the sperm plugs. Good advice :gj:

I personally would not use anything different than what the female is always on... I want them to be as comfortable and calm as possible, I am waiting untill after girls lay this year to get away from shredded paper to cypress because of issues with shredded paper molding extremely quick when water bowls are spilt....I would change em now... but dont want to change anything during breeding season on potentially gravid females

We don't change anything, they are either on unprinted newspaper ends or paper towels.
Quite often they will shove everything aside and lay the eggs right on the floor of the tubs.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/PICT7517.jpg

All I use is newspaper, printed and unprinted, nothing changes when they lay.

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

All I use is newspaper, printed and unprinted, nothing changes when they lay.

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Ever had any issues like what was mentioned in the above with the eggs sticking to the newspaper or bacteria growing?

Newspaper. Never had a problem with eggs sticking.

Good old newspaper for me i check my animals every day so never had any problems with newspaper sticking to the eggs, but could quite easily happen if it gets a little damp in the rub

I keep them on newspaper at all times and never had any issues. The only thing I do different is when they are getting close to laying I remove the water bowl about a week before they lay and only offer water when I am watching because they tend to tip the bowls all the time. So to prevent the mold or excess moisture on the eggs I just take the bowl out. I also change the paper about a week before the eggs are due and add an extra layer or 2 but they always without fail move all of the paper aside and lay on the bottom of the tub.

Newspaper for me too. Unless I splurge and buy an industrial size package of paper towels....

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Originally Posted by Scaleyz

Really, thats the first time I've ever hear of that. Something to think about. Have you personally had this happen before? And if so what happened to the clutches?

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Yeah, I've had multiple clutches stuck to paper before. I'm not sure if they spill their water while twisting around to lay, or if they just produce a lot of fluids, but sometimes the paper is adhered so well that I can't peel it off. The eggs were ok, but I don't like the way the paper gets slimy and starts growing while they're incubating. Wouldn't want to lose any eggs as a result. I don't remove water on gravid females, I figure that being well hydrated is always in their best interests, particularly when laying eggs. I've never had any female lay anywhere near their water bowl. If wood chips stick, they can generally be pulled off, they don't laminate to the egg the way the paper does, lol.

I use cypress as my usual bedding. Since I maternally incubate my clutches I add a handful or so of moistened sphagnum moss to the tub around her due date and it usually winds up becoming part of her nest. The cypress and sphagnum hold moisture really well so I don't have to worry about humidity issues while she's brooding.

This season and last season I've bred on aspen. Right now everyone's on paper towels but they will be back on aspen soon. I feel that my males seem to feel more comfortable breeding on aspen.

Cypress mulch all year round... During breeding season I put fresh new wet mulch in all the cages- the bump in humidity really gets them into breeding mode.

Plus mulch does a much better job of absorbing excess moisture than paper... Python poops/pees on mulch, you have a small wet spot of mulch, python pees or poops on paper and you have a soggy bacteria-laden paper lining the cage! I also don't like it when eggs stick to the paper.

Mulch is also good at keeping any loose "unstuck" eggs from rolling around the tub getting scrambled.

As far as water bowls go, I just leave them in the cages... Although a friend of mine had his angolan python lay her eggs IN the water bowl last year. I have that female angolan now so I will be sure to pull the bowl when she's about to lay- I don't trust her ;)

I'm a bit of an odd ball when it comes to substrate. I use a towel about the size of a hand towel. It's absorbant, and can be washed and bleached when soiled and once I purchase them they can be reused pretty much forever.

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I use cypress as my usual bedding. Since I maternally incubate my clutches I add a handful or so of moistened sphagnum moss to the tub around her due date and it usually winds up becoming part of her nest. The cypress and sphagnum hold moisture really well so I don't have to worry about humidity issues while she's brooding.

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This is what I do but I add a smaller sterilite tub upside down with a hole in the side and add the sphagnum moss in there (which becomes her nest) with a prob just to see what the temp is in there cause i'm curious:D(usaully comes out between 86-89 for me) I keep my bp's in a rack system with 41qt sterilite tubs.

I use newspaper until they are getting close to laying, then I switch them to aspen. It's helps hold humidity and it's easier to get off the eggs. It would probably be just fine using newspaper, but it helped me last year when I didn't get to my eggs for about 9 hours they dimpled a little since it was a bit dry, but it was better than it would have been with newspaper. Like others said, they will move everything away from the eggs when they lay so it doesn't really matter what you put in there, they will most likely lay them directly on the tub.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ding/001-1.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...eeding/013.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ding/011-1.jpg

Paper...I've had plenty of eggs get paper stuck to them and it was never an issue.



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Originally Posted by Quiet Tempest

I use cypress as my usual bedding. Since I maternally incubate my clutches I add a handful or so of moistened sphagnum moss to the tub around her due date and it usually winds up becoming part of her nest. The cypress and sphagnum hold moisture really well so I don't have to worry about humidity issues while she's brooding.

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Thank you, I don't really get to hear from someone that lets their female nest. Thanks for the tip, I will keep that in mind.