Substrate

[CoolioTiffany]

I went from using the carpet type substrate to using aspen bedding several weeks ago. The problem my ball seems to be having is that when he strikes at prey he gets it caught in his mouth. What I am wondering is, is what else I can use as substrate that would be better than aspen shavings. I had thought about sand but not sure about it. Any ideas?

To the OP, sorry for the thread hijack. Aspen shavings are just fine, all of my Ball pythons and colubrids are on that and I haven't had a problem with them getting impacted.

I've had my Kingsnake for probably 3 years now and he's always had aspen bedding. I haven't had one problem with him becoming impacted. If you do feel uncomfortable using aspen bedding, I would try something more solid such as newspaper, Kraft paper, or paper towels.

All are a pretty good choice and easy to clean up, but I guess I just prefer using aspen bedding after using paper towels and cleaning up soiled snake newspaper when I volunteer.

[j_h_smith]

No...cause snakes supposedly can be taught a time regement...that if you feed them a certain time of day at a certain time of the week, they'll know its feeding day

also my ball doesnt seem stressed when i put her in the box,she just stays in the middle and waits to eat,and when she's done i send her right back into the hot side...

plus I don't where people are getting its ok for them to get substrate in their mouth,isnt that one of the bigger causes of RI? so I guess if your snake does eat some substrate make sure its not stuck in their mouth and that they've digested it

Why would you want to teach your snake a "time regement"? Why not feed them more naturally? Feed them in their home. Feed them without the stress of being picked up and removed from their home then into somewhere else, just to get a meal.

I don't know how you can determine if your snake is stressed or not. If you can do that, you need to find a university to conduct a study on your technic. All snakes can be stressed without ever showing it.

You say you return the snake to it's home right after it eats. You don't think that stresses the snake?

Where have you learned that ingested substraste is the cause of RI? I've never heard of that before. They could possibly get impacted if they ate ALOT of substrate. However their stomach acids are so strong, that very rarely happens.

In the wild, snakes are always ingesting more than their prey item. Leaves, sticks, grass, dirt, etc are all eaten by snakes. Again, it's stomach acids usually takes care of all of this. Ideally you would want your snake to eat just it's prey item, but ideally you'd never have a snake miss a meal or have a bad shed either, but it happens.

I'm not saying you can't do this with your snake, I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong. But in my opinion, removing a snake into a fedder tub is a more stressful way of feeding a snake. If it works for you, that's fine.

Jim Smith

[Sarin]

Aspen is fine, and continue feeding him in his enclosure. He'll be just fine. Jim gave some great advice.

[Kaorte]

No...cause snakes supposedly can be taught a time regement...that if you feed them a certain time of day at a certain time of the week, they'll know its feeding day

also my ball doesnt seem stressed when i put her in the box,she just stays in the middle and waits to eat,and when she's done i send her right back into the hot side...

plus I don't where people are getting its ok for them to get substrate in their mouth,isnt that one of the bigger causes of RI? so I guess if your snake does eat some substrate make sure its not stuck in their mouth and that they've digested it

My snakes know when feeding day is. They are in feed mode as soon as I enter the room. Which means if I went to pick them up and move them to another container, I would most certainly get bit. I feed all my snakes in their home enclosures, handle them regularly, and I have never been bit. I use paper towels as substrate so I have had no issues with substrate ingestion.

To be clear, substrate ingestion does not cause respiratory infections. Having a stuck piece of substrate in the mouth for a long time can cause mouth rot but it is rather rare. Impaction is also quite rare with these species since they are built to digest whole animals.

[severe_bomber]

DONT use sand. It can cause all sorts of problems with snakes.

Don't think you said, but presume you're feeding live. I feed F/T and just stick a sheet of newspaper in first to avoid the substrate problem. Don't see why you couldn't do the same with live (line the bottom). It's a hassle, but worth it for the peace of mind!

He also eats in the tank with no problems. As has been said, if you dont smell like food, he (shouldn't!) attempt to eat you at other times!

[snakesRkewl]

As has been said, if you dont smell like food, he (shouldn't!) attempt to eat you at other times!

I handle my snakes a lot after handling rats and smelling like rats, funny thing is they never bite me when I do?
I smell a wives tale...

[Kaorte]

I handle my snakes a lot after handling rats and smelling like rats, funny thing is they never bite me when I do?
I smell a wives tale...

Maybe you have never been bit after handling a rodent but many many people who have been bit have only been bit when the smell of a rodent was either on them or in the air.

This is not a "wives tale" it is fact. If you snakes smells a rat, and it is hungry, and it sees something warm, it will most likely bite. Not saying that it happens 100% of the time but your risk of being bit goes up greatly when the smell of food is near.

[j_h_smith]

I handle my snakes a lot after handling rats and smelling like rats, funny thing is they never bite me when I do?
I smell a wives tale...

Sorry, not a wive's tail. Too many people have been bit after handling a rodent. Happened to a girl at the Havre de Grace Reptile show years ago. She had been holding a Dumbo rat earlier in the day, when she wanted to hold a burm. Everything went well, then all of a sudden the burm went after her hand like it was a rodent. Finally got the snake off of her. That's when she remembered the Dumbo rat. She was a worker at a local pet shop and knew better. She had just forgot about the rat.

It does happen. Maybe you're stink is stronger than a rodent's stink, just maybe?
Jim Smith

[severe_bomber]

I handle my snakes a lot after handling rats and smelling like rats, funny thing is they never bite me when I do?
I smell a wives tale...

haha. Have to admit, I haven't put it to the test myself. Just for the record though, I won't be either.

[snakesRkewl]

I'm saying I can handle rats and play in the rats substrate, then go handle any number of snakes and not get bit.

Thousands of times, no bites. strange how that works...