Ya true, I just don't really want my snakes to swallow the substrate. I know it won't harm them (switched to Aspen now) but I know the substrate really isn't meant to be swallowed so just avoiding possible future impaction from swallowing the substrate cuz it always can happen. Especially when I had the Cypress Mulch.. I would never feed in the enclosure with it. The Cypress was dry, sharp, and rough so I was afraid that if swallowed it would tear the insides of my BPs and possibly cause a painful impaction.