Best bedding

[JustinGatCat]

Hey guys!

I just wanted everyone's opinion on what bedding is best or good for Ball pythons. Right now, I'm using Coconut bedding and it does a good job maintaining humidity. What's everyone else using? Reason why I'm Asking is because coconut is a pain to get set up, and I'm continually upgrading my pythons home.

[BR8080]

I started with cypress mulch and it seemed to hold humidity well but since I moved from tanks to PVC enclosures, I LOVE Herptopia coco bedding....easy to clean, no odors, super absorbent, and it seems a lot easier for my snakes to burrow and hide. (just water spots on the hide)

[Smedley76]

Hey guys!

I just wanted everyone's opinion on what bedding is best or good for Ball pythons. Right now, I'm using Coconut bedding and it does a good job maintaining humidity. What's everyone else using? Reason why I'm Asking is because coconut is a pain to get set up, and I'm continually upgrading my pythons home.

I use herptopia and I swear by it. I've tried everything just about But herptopia is what I am sticking with. I would find what works best for you and stick with it.

[ElliotNess]

I'm on herptopia and it's absorbent, easy to spot clean and seems good for my snakes.

[sarahndipity]

We started out with reptichip, which helped with humidity for a week or so... but it was too husky for me and dried up quickly. That made spot cleaning semi-difficult. We're now on reptibark and I love it! It helps increase humidity on the hot side, looks nice in my opinion, is easily accessible, and is super easy to spot clean. Also seems "softer", so I feel better about my boy slithering around on it.


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

There is no best, it depends on what works for your animal, and spending on what you do or where you live it might be a very different substrate.

Aspen is fine but will mold fast if soiled, it also does not help with humidity, ow if you leave in the south that is not an issue if you live in a dry area it will be.

Coconut bedding is fine and keep humidity.

Newspaper works great easy to clean and if breeding prevent any pieces of substrate to get in the wrong area.

etc

[Sunnieskys]

I'm also on Herptopia. LOVE IT!

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[enginee837]

We use aspen, shaved for our balls and shredded for our womas (easier for them to burrow in).

[VIP CONSTRICTORS]

Yes Brians herptopia

[Oxylepy]

Deborah covered it best.

There are a few groups of substrate that are best, it depends on your situation.

Dehydrating Bedding
Someone recently purchased and used Reptile Litter, which is super dehydrated nuggets of aspen. This is Litter style bedding, highly absorbant and dry. Even in a very very humid environment, this isn't really advisable for Ball Pythons, you would want a dehumidifier if your humidity is that high.

Dry Bedding
This is bedding which doesn't increase the humidity, but it also doesn't tend to dry the area out much. Aspen and newsprint fall into this category. They tend to not be moist when introduced and tend to stay that way. (I've poured water on my aspen before, it can take minutes to be absorbed). These are good beddings for situations where you don't need to increase ambient humidity more than just the amount your water dish will increase humidity.

Moist Beddings
Mosses, coconut, orchid bark, coconut husk. These beddings are ideal for holding humidity, and maintaining a higher humidity in the enclosure. Perfect for dry rooms, open top enclosures... Essentially this is the bedding for when your dry beddings plus your water dish aren't cutting it.

My suggestion for anyone setting up an enclosure is to start with aspen. From there, reduce the humidity loss in the enclosure (covering screen lids in screen topped enclosures, upgrading water dish to a reasonable size) until you have exhausted the primary sources of humidity loss. If your humidity is still low, then upgrade to a higher humidity bedding. It will save money, serious effort, and stress for you if you do it this way.