A seldom (never?) noted advantage of flat substrate (newspaper, paper towel, etc)

[Bogertophis]

...it’s just what someone prefers for their animals. That’s why there’s so many different substrates available...

I agree, & it depends on what you're keeping, too. I mostly stay out of "substrate" questions because I don't keep BPs- my colubrids (etc) do well on things far different from what most here use.

FYI, for most of my tanks, I line them with paper towels- folding up 2-3" on all sides & doing something like "hospital corners" so they fit snug- then I layer shredded paper substrates over them. The paper towels make for easy clean up, as well as traction & absorption. Some snakes have humid hides with sphagnum moss or orchid bark, as needed/preferred. But over the years, I've used all sorts of things. Oh, and 2 of my snakes use indoor-outdoor carpeting- which gets hand-washed when soiled. It's a "green solution" if you don't mind the handwashing- it's virtually indestructible, with great traction, & it looks good too.)