Is it safe to feed my royal python on lignocel?

[enoughbubbles456]

She was kept on paper towels since she hatched and I recently put her in a vivarium and put lignocel in as substrate.

I am feeding her tonight and I just thought would it be safe for her as the rat is always wet as it is frozen thawed and I heat it up in warm water and when I put it into her tank she always strikes and coils it, but there is no doubt that she will get lignocel onto the rat..

I was thinking of putting newspaper over the lignocel and let her eat on top of that then take it out after she's finished? Or is that not nessisary?




Thanks in advance

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[PeanutButler]

I thaw my rodents in hot water too, but I put them in a small ziplock bag first. This keeps them dry so that the substrate isn't sticking to them all over. Some substrates are supposedly harmless if ingested in small amounts, but it sounds like a lot of it will be sticking to the rat if it is actually wet.

[chrid16371]

Yeah just put your rat in a zip lock or any bag that doesn't leak and thaw it. My snakes won't even touch a wet rat lol. If you use the bag to thaw you can still put newspaper or paper towels down over the substrate if your worried but definitely put some down if your going to feed wet. I use care fresh bedding and I've never had a problem with impaction, idk if they have even swallowed any. I think it would take a lot to be ingested and be a problem do to the fact they digest rodent bones and such and pass them just fine.

[stickyalvinroll]

Ok... If you thought your substrate is unsafe for your snake if ingested, why are you using it?????????????

[enoughbubbles456]

I don't thaw my rodents in hot water, I leave the rats to thaw overnight and heat them up with warm water

I think she is shedding because she was in her humid hide, but she still ate, I put paper towels on the floor just incase.
I put the rat on top of her humid hide and she couldn't get out quick enough! She came out the hide went about 10 inches vertically then quickly turned back on her self and striked at the rat! Never seen her do that lol

@stickyalvinroll, I was just double checking just incase she digested alot of it and since it is wood I was being abit cautious..
+ I don't really want to put newspaper or paper towels in a vivarium as it isn't very nice to look at..

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[dkatz4]

I also keep my rats in a zip-lock while thawing in water. It keeps the cage and snake cleaner and also afterward i'm not left with a bowl of funky rat juice (which i think of as herper bong-water)
I just use paper towels as bedding, not pretty but effective and shows messes clearly; after feeding a "dry" rat there might be one little spot of blood at most.