Quote Originally Posted by BallPythonLOVER View Post
Definitely not. Pine shavings can be toxic and oils from it can kill your snake. I recommend using either Cypress Mulch, Aspen Bedding, or Eco Earth. Those are great substrates for Ball pythons. I use Cypress Mulch for my BPs, and I've used Aspen on them before. Those are the best substrates to use for BPs, and here are some that you should never use:
-Soils
-Sands
-Pine
-Cedar
-Wood shavings
-Bark chips

Those substrates are not the best for Ball pythons. Sands and soils can get the snake impacted, Pine and Cedar are toxic, Wood shavings can injure your snake, and Bark chips can get your snake impacted if swallowed.


You recommend using aspen and cypress but then caution against wood shavings?

Ever had a snake get impacted from swallowing wood substrate? Any substrate?

I ask because it is always brought up as an imminent hazard. I've been using wood substrate (hey, there was a period where I used *gasp* corn cob!) for almost 20 years and I have a lot of snakes. I never had an impaction problem. My vet is a dedicated herp vet who has seen only one case in her career....and that was a case in which the snake already had thickened stomach due to crypto).........

..........and when I talked to the vets at UCD (while one of my snakes was undergoing a biopsy), two of them (including one with over 25 years practice) stated they had never seen it.

So c'mon - is this something you have experienced and verified with a biopsy?

.........or is the same as everyone warning against using pine? You know the same people who haven't used it and are only repeating what they've read over and over on these forums?

As for soils, I watched a king snake eat a western fence lizard in my backyard last week. Little bugger was COVERED in soil. Guess that snake is a goner.........