Aspen bedding in snakes mouth?

So my ball pythons are getting a bit bigger, they are in an ARS rack system, and I'm finding that some of them are getting aspen bedding in their mouths when they try to eat mice. Some haven't eaten the mouse when I open up the tray just a little while after feeding and they have a mouth full of aspen bedding! Tonight I actually had to pick one up and take a big flake of bedding out of his mouth, he wasn't happy about that. I've had others that are trying to get the bedding out by yawning, with the poor FK mouse sitting right next to the snake waiting to be eaten. I'm thinking that this substrate is not very good for ball pythons, seems to be working just fine for my king snakes... Any suggestions on moving to another type of bedding? Looking for something cost effective. I tried a cypress mulch but it started stinking real bad, not sure where I can get a clean supply, and not sure if that's much better... I like the idea of using just paper but not sure how to keep the humidity up since we live in a very low humidity climate? Obviously taking all 17 snakes out to eat in separate containers is not an option LOL. I have a 20 tray rack system, it's a combo of an ARS 7030 and ARS 8018, so I need quite a bit of bedding on a regular basis to fill all these tubs.

If it's possible for you you could always switch to paper and then bump the humidity up in the room rather than just the tubs. You can get a humidifier or damp towels on the radiators and what not. There's always a way lol
Best substrate I've ever used is bark chips but I couldn't use it in my tubs because even when I'd dry it for a while before using it it would still be to humid in the tubs as where I live is pretty good for humidity. . If it was lower it would have been perfect. I use bark chips in my wooden vivs tho and its definitely the best substrate I've used and i wouldn't change it.

Good Luck

I use either newspaper with Dri-Dek on top, or paper towels. I have no humidity issues in the plastic housing. In the glass tank I have to cover the lid, use a UTH, and put little bowls with sphagnum moss throughout the tank (it's massive).

EDIT: This way not only is it easy to monitor for mites (paper towels) but you can feed with no problem at all, and zero worries of the snakes getting anything stuck in their mouths.

Aspen or bark in there mouth is one good reason i use paper. Ok its ugly but i'm pretty sure the bp's don't really care. I love how on feeding day when they grab the rat i move on to the next and i now their not gonna get any thing in their mouths or ever worse swallow something. For humidity a bigger water bowl maybe or like scotty said a humidifier or something. Best of luck cchadwick.

I did use paper in my wooden vivs but hated the look of it so much and needed a bit more for humidity so I decided to go with bark. When I'm feeding tho I have a big roll of paper that I use to put in the viv on top of the bark and feed on that. It's not ideal but it's easy enough and don't have to have paper in there all the time which was my main goal. To each their own tho.
I use aspen in my rack but I feed in a separate tub altho I'm trying to get them all in wooden vivs and then feed in them.

Good Luck.

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Originally Posted by Scottywelsh

To each their own tho.

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Oh i'm with yah on that i think we should respect people's personal preferences in the reptile world more. To many petty differences these days. I completely respect your decision to use bark or aspen hope you respect mine to use paper. Also hope i'm not coming off stand offish or anything please don't think that. Here's a quick pic of my tube set up with the paper. I fold a crease in the top piece to make a little make shift hide they often use or just hide under the paper all together. Believe it or not i don't have humidity problems and that's not the case here this was a freshly cleaned tub and she's just having a drink of super fresh water.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file..._52_47_pro.jpg

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Originally Posted by EDR

Oh i'm with yah on that i think we should respect people's personal preferences in the reptile world more. To many petty differences these days. I completely respect your decision to use bark or aspen hope you respect mine to use paper. Also hope i'm not coming off stand offish or anything please don't think that. [/IMG]

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No I didn't think that for 1 second. And yes definitely way to many petty arguments and digs at people for doing things the way they want to do it. . If it works for you then that's all that matters.

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Originally Posted by cchardwick

So my ball pythons are getting a bit bigger, they are in an ARS rack system, and I'm finding that some of them are getting aspen bedding in their mouths when they try to eat mice. Some haven't eaten the mouse when I open up the tray just a little while after feeding and they have a mouth full of aspen bedding! Tonight I actually had to pick one up and take a big flake of bedding out of his mouth, he wasn't happy about that. I've had others that are trying to get the bedding out by yawning, with the poor FK mouse sitting right next to the snake waiting to be eaten. I'm thinking that this substrate is not very good for ball pythons, seems to be working just fine for my king snakes... Any suggestions on moving to another type of bedding? Looking for something cost effective. I tried a cypress mulch but it started stinking real bad, not sure where I can get a clean supply, and not sure if that's much better... I like the idea of using just paper but not sure how to keep the humidity up since we live in a very low humidity climate? Obviously taking all 17 snakes out to eat in separate containers is not an option LOL. I have a 20 tray rack system, it's a combo of an ARS 7030 and ARS 8018, so I need quite a bit of bedding on a regular basis to fill all these tubs.

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I use eco-earth and haven't had any problems with humidity or it getting into my snakes mouth.

I use Uline brand indented kraft paper. It is nice looking and very thick paper. I love it.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/pa...FRY7gQodInoJZg

You can buy it by the roll or pre cut individual sheets. I just buy it on a roll and cut what I need.

I use the Eco-earth

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/En...D=2&SearchID=1


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I use cypress bedding, and when I first got my snake he would occasionally get some twigs in his mouth too. I solved the problem by installing a 'table' for him to eat at. I found a thick flat rock that is about 6x8 inches and I feed off of that. It is right beside his hide, so when he is just starting to hunt I 'dance' the rat on it so he strikes and coils on the rock. He has not gotten any mulch in his mouth since.

:mouse2:Table Dancing Rats never fail :dance:

I use lignocel (finer than aspen) and the same happened to my phantom female.

I tried to get it out but like most royals she's head shy and I didn't want her to spit the rat up as she already ate it, so I just left her to it but I was still watching her and about 5 mins of yawning and rubbing her head on the viv she finally got it out.

I still use it but watch her carefully, I also put paper towels over the lignocel and put the rat on the paper (She likes to strike the rat but she still jumps me up with all the power she puts into her strikes lol, but she still strikes it when placed on the floor🙄).

I don't like the look of paper towels/newspaper in a vivarium that's why I chose lignocel, but when she moves into her adult vivarium I might change to bark or similar substrates..

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by L.West

I use Uline brand indented kraft paper. It is nice looking and very thick paper. I love it.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/pa...FRY7gQodInoJZg

You can buy it by the roll or pre cut individual sheets. I just buy it on a roll and cut what I need.

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I actually work at uline and was thinking about bringing home some precut newsprint. I've tried newspaper before and I wasn't too thrilled at the fact that urine soaks and travels through it. A relatively small urine spot makes the entire bottom soaked. And if the poop isn't seen withing the first day it get smeared all throughout the cage. Whereas the Aspen I feel coats it better and prevents this a bit. But I loved the ease of changing paper

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