Substrates reptibark vs aspen

Does anyone have experience with repti bark? After their first shed went bad, I've been trying different things for humidity. Aspen isn't too good for that so I've been getting the kid of their tubs wet but it seems to dry in a day. It also isn't fun to clean and disinfect tubs every couple days because aspen does nothing for feces/urine and it gets to the bottom of the tub. Just changed their bedding to repti bark in hopes of better sheds and actually being able to spot clean rather than clean the entire tubs. So do you guys think this will be good?


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Just be careful when feeding. It's not (per my vet) recommended to feed in the tub if you have a substrate that can get stuck in their mouths. I've noticed a few people using it and recommend it. Coconut husk is another good one.

If you're still having issues with bad sheds, try a temporary humid hide or small "Dixie cups" filled with soaked/damp sphagnum moss.

Sure, reptibark is a good choice to increase humidity. 100% Cypress mulch is my overall choice to use.:gj:

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Originally Posted by AnnaK231

Just be careful when feeding. It's not (per my vet) recommended to feed in the tub if you have a substrate that can get stuck in their mouths. I've noticed a few people using it and recommend it. Coconut husk is another good one.

If you're still having issues with bad sheds, try a temporary humid hide or small "Dixie cups" filled with soaked/damp sphagnum moss.

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You can feed in a tub with substrate. Mine get mouthfuls of pine shavings fairly regularly and everyone is healthy. They evolved to eat on jungle floors which are loaded with undigestible garbage, a little bit of wood shavings or coco husk won't hurt them.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

You can feed in a tub with substrate. Mine get mouthfuls of pine shavings fairly regularly and everyone is healthy. They evolved to eat on jungle floors which are loaded with undigestible garbage, a little bit of wood shavings or coco husk won't hurt them.

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Depends on the substrate. Reptibark definitely can be an issue. I've used it with hatchlings in the past and on multiple occasions had a piece become lodged between a python's jaws vertically upright. Not a fun scenario.

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Originally Posted by STjepkes

Depends on the substrate. Reptibark definitely can be an issue. I've used it with hatchlings in the past and on multiple occasions had a piece become lodged between a python's jaws vertically upright. Not a fun scenario.

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Yeah they would usually get a few pieces of aspen when feeding which is no problem if they are able to digest rodent bones. But I can just see this repti bark getting stick in their mouth/throat.
So what do I do for a separate container to feed? Just put them in a smaller tub for 30 minutes and when the f/to is in their belly move them back?


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Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Sure, reptibark is a good choice to increase humidity. 100% Cypress mulch is my overall choice to use.:gj:

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I'm probably going to end up with that next time I'm buying feeders. I got the repti bark because it was a much smaller bag and I wanted to test a moister substrate incase I had any issues.


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Originally Posted by Citrus

Yeah they would usually get a few pieces of aspen when feeding which is no problem if they are able to digest rodent bones. But I can just see this repti bark getting stick in their mouth/throat.
So what do I do for a separate container to feed? Just put them in a smaller tub for 30 minutes and when the f/to is in their belly move them back?


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Yeah, When I had very few snakes I'd feed in a separate container pretty much like you described. But it honestly is a hassle and is the #1 easiest way to get bit by your snakes. Regardless of using a tank or tub, if humidity is your issue, I'd suggest cypress mulch probably. You'll have a better time feeding in-enclosure with that than Reptibark or Coco Fiber.

Just my 2 cents.

I just use aspen on all my snakes. Sure its harder to get humidity right but I just throw in a few folded paper towels soaked in water in there around the CHE on top of their warm hides and refresh it daily during shed time and its been fine. As others have said, reptibark can pose problems. I've used Eco Earth too and I hate that stuff. If you let that stuff dry out, it gets really dusty. I noticed Rosey had Eco Earth in her nostrils all the time. I switched to aspen and she is fine and my little sunglow baby loves to bury herself in the stuff with just her nose and eyes sticking out and both their nostrils are nice and clear. I have never used reptibark because im not a fan of the big chunky substrates as snakes are fine at swallowing aspen shavings or other small stuff sometimes but I would imagine a few big chunks of bark in a small snake could cause a problem.

The paper towels sounds like a good idea but I'm afraid of one of my snakes swallowing it. They are babies still, one is hatchling sized the other is about 20". I may end up switching back to aspen because I really don't want them I swallow this stuff.


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Well unless the paper towel smells like a rat or mouse, I wouldn't imagine them trying to eat it. Now if you put a rat on top of the paper towel, then the paper towel might get wrapped in the rat and get eaten. To them it looks like just another cage item. I put mine on top of their RBI hides under their CHEs. But if you are worried, then go for what you feel. My sunglow is only 24" but she is playing ambush predator now and sits under the aspen with just her nose and eyes sticking out looking out the front of the cage. I bet she is waiting for a mouse lol and my beeper is a pet rock who only leaves her hide for water, rat or to poop and my big BCI girl is too big to even pay attention to a folded up wet paper towel lol.

I use clean white paper.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Well unless the paper towel smells like a rat or mouse, I wouldn't imagine them trying to eat it. Now if you put a rat on top of the paper towel, then the paper towel might get wrapped in the rat and get eaten. To them it looks like just another cage item. I put mine on top of their RBI hides under their CHEs. But if you are worried, then go for what you feel. My sunglow is only 24" but she is playing ambush predator now and sits under the aspen with just her nose and eyes sticking out looking out the front of the cage. I bet she is waiting for a mouse lol and my beeper is a pet rock who only leaves her hide for water, rat or to poop and my big BCI girl is too big to even pay attention to a folded up wet paper towel lol.

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The ambush sunglow sounds adorable!


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Lol she is a blast. I used to see her climbing around as I made her a PVC jungle gym for her cage but like I said, recently she has become ninja snake and I only see new tunnels she makes during the night in the aspen. I have to look around the little aspen mounds for her nose and eyes poking out somewhere close to them lol. Then when I dig her out, she looks around like "OMG I've been discovered!!" :P Definitely got some personality, cant wait for a few years to see how she matures.

You need more humidity, move the water bowl back towards the heat tape area. You need less, move it back up front.

I use reptile bark in all my enclosures without any issue. It's my favorite substrate. I like the way it looks, it smells, and it doesn't get all over everything. All my snakes are fed in their enclosures and non had had any trouble with it.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

You can feed in a tub with substrate. Mine get mouthfuls of pine shavings fairly regularly and everyone is healthy. They evolved to eat on jungle floors which are loaded with undigestible garbage, a little bit of wood shavings or coco husk won't hurt them.

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Aren't pine and cedar toxic to snakes....?

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Originally Posted by Peoples

Aren't pine and cedar toxic to snakes....?

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Cedar is not good, pine is okay.

I use Repti-Bark for all of my enclosures without issue. It's great for controlling humidity.

Reptibark is good stuff. It holds crazy humidity without even spraying in a glass tank.