Substrate!

So it seems to always come up about what substrate to use for a ball python. I thought I would go over the common ones and which ones to avoid.

Basically you are looking for odor absorption, cost, mold resistance, and ability to control humidity.

I will not go over bio active soil mixes and substrates as that is advanced husbandry and you need to know about horticulture and these types of vivariums before attempting them for ball pythons.






So first off these are the substrates to avoid when it comes to ball pythons:


Pine or Cedar Shavings

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Why they are bad. Well this one is slightly controversial. Phenols which are aromatic compounds found in certain evergreens have been correlated with toxicity in people and rodents. It has been believed that the oils produced by these woods can harm reptiles as well. If nothing else this bedding is rather abrasive and horrendous for humidity control or mold resistance. So if nothing else just don't use it because its harsh on your snake's belly and is bad for controlling humidity.

Walnut shells (crushed)

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Why these are bad? They are like little sandpapers. Plus they are pretty indigestible nut shell material. They can scratch and irritate skin and eyes as well as are not great if ingested. They don't hold humidity at all so they are out for ball pythons.

Sand

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This goes without saying. Sand is abrasive, not great at all if ingested and terrible for humidity. Now one use of sand is mixed in bio active soil mixes but that is a different subject.


Sphagnum Moss *

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Ok this one is only bad if it is the sole substrate for your snake. Sphagnum Moss is actually very beneficial in bio active mixes as well as supplemental in enclosures for retaining humidity but it is not really advisable as the sole substrate as it is not odor absorbent, can be excessive with retaining moisture and does not hold up well to mold resistance. Add in it can get costly to use as the sole substrate unless you are lucky enough to find a vendor that sells unadulterated moss. On that note... avoid ornamental moss used in floral shops and the like as it is often chemically treated.


Reptile Carpet

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No, just no. It's not ideal in any way shape or form. It gets filthy, is hard to clean, is neither sanitary, humidity friendly, or worth mentioning. Just no.




Now less move on to the ok but not the best choices. These can be used but either can be not great for humidity, abrasive, prone to mold, or just not cost effective. Now some of these when mixed with the better substrates can actually make for a great bedding for your snake so don't be scared off by these.



Repti Bark / Douglas Fir

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Coconut Husk (not fiber)

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Either of these are not in themselves bad bedding (as in you should not use them for health reasons) but they can be rather abrasive on their own and can tend to hold too much moisture if not careful. I don't want to discourage this as people have successfully kept snakes on them and when mixed with other substrates can do wonders but are not really the best to use for a ball python alone. There just are better solutions out there that work as well and are better for your baby's delicate undercarriage ;)

I will say however that coarse coconut husk tends to mold out rather quickly if kept moist and as such isn't ideal.


Aspen

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This is a widely used bedding for all types of animals and actually a great option for Colubridae family of snakes. The problem with ball pythons come in is that in glass terrariums with overhead heat this can get really dry and not help at all for retaining humidity. There are people who use this without issue but if you have humidity issues, this one is a substrate to avoid.


Hemp

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No, this will not get your snake high! Hemp has been used for many years as livestock bedding and it is wonderful for odor control and absorbing waste but it, like aspen is not the best for humidity control in glass with overhead heating. It is very cheap and holds up well but can be slightly abrasive due to the nature of the cellular structure of hemp stalks. Best kept for hamsters and not ball pythons.





Moving on we come to some of the more recommended substrates. These are closet to meeting the criteria for a happy and healthy ball python.



Coconut Fiber

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This is a fantastic substrate, renewable materials, and comes in brick or loose form. They hold humidity very well, are gentle on scales, absorb odors, and are widely available. I won't go into different brands but if mixed up correctly, can do wonders for keeping humidity up in all types of enclosures.


Cypress Mulch

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The go to for a lot of snake keepers. Like coconut fiber it is widely available but unlike coco, it is not an easily renewable resource. It is the king of mold resistance, great with odor control and does a good job in humidity control but can require more misting than coco fiber. It is larger in size and can be a tad more abrasive than coco fiber but not enough to deter anyone from using this.



Newspaper, Brown paper/ Butcher Paper, Paper Towels

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These are fantastic alternatives to cypress mulch or coco fiber especially in tub setups. These are inexpensive, easy to clean up, and absorbent. They are not good for humidity control of course so really are not for glass setups with overhead heat but for tubs can be the go to substrate for no muss no fuss care. Paper towels are also wonderful for quarantine tanks as the white can visually pick up mites easily for detection.


Corrugated Paper

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/1sc9alz.jpg

This is often kept with larger species of snakes in enclosures but can work in tubs as well. It holds up well to larger snakes and is great for clean up. Not the best in glass but if you are looking for something a bit more sturdy than paper alone, this is a great option. Think of cardboard with one side stripped off.








So there you have it. Have other options? Disagree with the recommendations? Have anything to add? Let me know your thoughts.

Nice writeup! I've been using the Brown paper from Home Depot but I only use a single layer. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing but my humidity was ridiculously high w/ Reptichip. Seems to be working fine except for the hassle of having to cut it to size. I change it out once a week which is consistent w/ my BP going to the bathroom.

Good Info :gj::gj:


I ordered some Reptile Prime couple days ago, should be here on the 23rd. Read about it some more and watched some comparison video's on it to another "brick style" substrate and was pretty much sold on the Reptile Prime. See how that goes :)

Is cocopeat fine? Not sure if cocopeat=cocofiber since I'm Asian [emoji14]

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I recently switch to paper, so easy, no mess! Boom, done.

I saw a video where one guy was using bare tubs, no substrate at all! Everyone has their preferences, I use Prococo coconut husk and won't ever go back to anything else. Good to know about all the options above!

Coco peat is about the same as coconut fiber so you are good to go. Just make sure you do not make it too damp when you break it apart. Best to try and dry it out completely after getting it broken apart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SDA

Coco peat is about the same as coconut fiber so you are good to go. Just make sure you do not make it too damp when you break it apart. Best to try and dry it out completely after getting it broken apart.

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Okay, thanks S!

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When you say over head heat, I figure at least when stated you were talking glass tank and CHE? How does a RHP effect the substrate? How does a UTH also effect humidity of each? Does one type dry out faster then another? How about the basking temp from one to another? In other words do certain substrate heat up more or less? Or is it thickness dependent? All about the same with the recommended thickness? Looking for all opinions.

For example Godzilla78 went from unnamed substrate to paper how did that effect temps and humidity in what type of enclosure?

Great thread thank you! Sorry I have so many questions. But like to continue a good thread. And my questions might of course help other beginners. And get the veterans to add more content.
thanks!

Hey guys, also just curious, is sawdust okay as substrate? My dad bought some for his BP

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tonald Drump

Hey guys, also just curious, is sawdust okay as substrate? My dad bought some for his BP

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It depends. Aspen is okay(Although as stated above its horrible for humidity) Pine,I've heard people that use it and it's kind of iffy so I'd say no. If you don't know what kind of wood it is,don't use it. I'd just go with Cocofiber or Peat? Whatever it's called where you are :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

It depends. Aspen is okay(Although as stated above its horrible for humidity) Pine,I've heard people that use it and it's kind of iffy so I'd say no. If you don't know what kind of wood it is,don't use it. I'd just go with Cocofiber or Peat? Whatever it's called where you are :)

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Okay, thanks!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ss laser

When you say over head heat, I figure at least when stated you were talking glass tank and CHE? How does a RHP effect the substrate? How does a UTH also effect humidity of each? Does one type dry out faster then another? How about the basking temp from one to another? In other words do certain substrate heat up more or less? Or is it thickness dependent? All about the same with the recommended thickness? Looking for all opinions.

For example Godzilla78 went from unnamed substrate to paper how did that effect temps and humidity in what type of enclosure?

Great thread thank you! Sorry I have so many questions. But like to continue a good thread. And my questions might of course help other beginners. And get the veterans to add more content.
thanks!

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You really want coconut fiber, cypress bark, or orchid bark for a glass tank to help retain humidity. Temperature control should not even matter really with substrate and ball pythons as they will push and dig to get down to warmth. CHEs do tend to dry out much faster than RHPs due to the higher heat generated but as far as one cusbtrate retaining heat more than another, I don't have any hard and fast numbers. More substrate acts as insulation against an UTH so that would be why most people recommend 1 to 1 1/2 inch of substrate in a tank.

I appreciate what you are trying to do here, I have a couple of my thoughts.

-The pine that keepers have been using for years is kiln dried pine, not widely available so it it not that widely used.

-It is the keepers responsibility to control humidity in the enclosure. if a substrate has too much moisture, that is the keepers fault not the substrate.

-Coconut husk, coir, fiber, reptile prime, it is all the same thing. the only difference it the texture it is processed down to. One will not mold faster then the other, again that is a humidity issue that the keeper must address. Dust is the main issue with the brick style products.

-I love cypress mulch, it is a shame it is not as widely available because of the damage that harvesting causes. it is just as "abrasive" as the fir bark and coco chunks. which leads to the next point.

-Scales on our snakes are there for protection, they are meant to protect against rough and abrasive surfaces. They are not the delicate flowers that lately people have made them out to be. The biggest threat to them is constant contact with over saturated substrates that can lead to scale rot.

-The only issue with the repti-carpet is that it will get expensive replacing it when your snake soils it every week, It is no different or less sanitary then a sheet of newspaper unless you try and re-use, it is a pain to try and properly clean these. The stigma for this came years ago when lizards were catching their toe nails and ripping them off in it, does not apply to snakes. But there are way better options out there.

-I know you are speaking in general but, what new keepers need to understand is that where you live and where you keep your snakes will have have a impact on how the substrate works as well. That is why people out there have fine sheds with aspen and others don't. Some people have humidity controlled rooms and they can use anything, some live up north and have humidity issues in the winter even when using cypress mulch. you have to find out what works best for your environment and sometimes that can take some testing to get right.

- This is just what I have learned along the way, i'm not trying to come off mean, though I know it sounds that way.

-Oh, I don't think you mentioned Sani chips or that Desert snow bedding.

Cypress mulch is sold by zoo med as forest floor in every pet store chain and online so it is actually widely available.
Sani-chips are just aspen shavings that are chopped up and further heat treated
Eco earth loose and forest floor come moist in the bag so if you need it dry you will need to let it air dry or bake it before placing it in a snake cage.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Yay, my cocopeat is here!

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