My Ball Python manual says that you should start with your BP on newsprint or newspaper until he is acclimated. So that you can easily clean and monitor feces, etc. And then they suggest you can switch to a more decorative substrate.
Has anyone ever done this? I'm worried that he would get used to his new home with the newspaper and then get thrown off when I suddenly switch to a different substrate. Or would he not really notice? What do you guys think?