which substrate should I switch to?

I'm currently keeping my BP on aspen but I noticed a problem today when feeding. Whenever he takes the f/t mouse he likes to drag it around the tank for a coupe minutes before eating it. Sometimes pieces of aspen stick to the mouse and he swallows that too. I don't want him to get constipated :weirdface . I was wondering what kind of substrate would be easier on his digestion while remaining aesthetically pleasing at the same time.


P.S. He refuses to eat outside of his tank.

hmmm, you may be able to try something like eco-earth, but i have a feeling the same problem would happen... might be worth a shot tho

u COULD use repti-bark...
because its larger pieces its less likely to stick to the food, but i dont reccomend anything other than aspin, or newspaper.

Hmmm. I haven't used either, but I think eco-earth would result in more, but at least smaller, pieces of stuck substrate. And repti-bark might not stick as much, but if/when it did get stuck on the prey and then eaten, then you have a big piece of wood in your snake.

Have you tried putting down a piece of paper towel or newspaper in the enclosure when it is feeding time?

Newspaper works great!

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Originally Posted by kc261

Have you tried putting down a piece of paper towel or newspaper in the enclosure when it is feeding time?

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Great idea Casey. I will try that next week.

If you do this make sure you watch I have heard of animals snagging the paper towel and trying to swallow it. :D

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

If you do this make sure you watch I have heard of animals snagging the paper towel and trying to swallow it. :D

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Thanks dude. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on him. ;)

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Originally Posted by FIEND_FO_LYFE

u COULD use repti-bark...
because its larger pieces its less likely to stick to the food, but i dont reccomend anything other than aspin, or newspaper.

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Mine swallowed the repti-bark too, occasionally. Go with the newspaper if you are going to feed in the tank.

The best idea has always been to feed in a different space than the main habitat anyway. We use the bathtub, but those tupperware tubs are great too.

Newspaper is the way to go in my opinion. Have never had a snake swallow any while it fed in this house!

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Originally Posted by bigben2390

I don't want him to get constipated :weirdface . I was wondering what kind of substrate would be easier on his digestion while remaining aesthetically pleasing at the same time.


P.S. He refuses to eat outside of his tank.

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I have always used newspaper in my racks and have never had the problem of one of my snakes swallowing something other than his food.

I have seen many threads with this same question and often wondered........ how big of a problem is it if your snake has swallowed a piece of repti bark or aspen.

The questioned asked was what kind of substrate would be easier on his digestion.

The digestive acid of a snake is so strong that it digests bones. I could see a problem of it getting lodge in the mouth area but not if had been swallowed. Am I crazy for thinking this way? Like I said I've always used paper.:taz:

i'd say white paper towel or repti bark.

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Originally Posted by 1Mojo

how big of a problem is it if your snake has swallowed a piece of repti bark or aspen.

The questioned asked was what kind of substrate would be easier on his digestion.

The digestive acid of a snake is so strong that it digests bones. I could see a problem of it getting lodge in the mouth area but not if had been swallowed. Am I crazy for thinking this way?

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A snake's digestive acid is strong, yes. But it is not designed to digest wood. Even termites can not digest wood without the help of some micro-organism that lives in their guts.

Probably most snakes that swallow a little bit of substrate, whatever substrate it is, pass it through their system with little or no harm. But that is passing through, not getting digested. So if a lot gets swallowed at once, or little bits don't pass through and eventually build up, or something else goes wrong, it has the potential to cause impaction or possibly other issues.

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Originally Posted by kc261

A snake's digestive acid is strong, yes. But it is not designed to digest wood. Even termites can not digest wood without the help of some micro-organism that lives in their guts.

Probably most snakes that swallow a little bit of substrate, whatever substrate it is, pass it through their system with little or no harm. But that is passing through, not getting digested. So if a lot gets swallowed at once, or little bits don't pass through and eventually build up, or something else goes wrong, it has the potential to cause impaction or possibly other issues.

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true, what do wild snakes eat on? newspaper or aspen? ;)

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Originally Posted by djansen

true, what do wild snakes eat on? newspaper or aspen? ;)

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Paper plates!!!!!!!!!:bow:


So a snakes digestive system can't digest wood but it can digest teeth.

Teeth are made of enamel it is the hardest substance in the body. Why? Like I said this is new to me.:confused: