Which substrate is best?

[Mrr]

Hey there,

So I'm looking to change substrates for my two ball pythons and young African house snake. Currently they're all in tubs with paper towel, but I'd like to make them a bit less sterile looking.

The number one substrate that's been recommended to me for my ball pythons is Coco coir (Eco Earth brand).. but will this be too humid for my house snake? I'd ideally like to only have to buy one substrate that can be used for all 3.. but I've heard that aspen (which I feel would be ideal for the house snake) is too dry for ball pythons, and cypress/repti bark has the risk of ingestion. I feel like I'm stuck here..

So what do you guys think would be my best bet for all 3? Or is it better to get different substrates for each species?

[Aaron_S]

I keep my adult house snakes on coco husk. Same type of thing. It wouldn't be too humid.

Since they come from similar parts of the world I keep them pretty much the same.

I do use aspen for younger house snakes as I found they didn't like the chunkiness of the coco husk.

I've also used aspen or aspen beta chip for balls with success.

Also, I wouldn't worry about ingestion. Snakes digest bones with ease. A healthy animal will pass any nominal substrate.

[Mrr]

I keep my adult house snakes on coco husk. Same type of thing. It wouldn't be too humid.

Since they come from similar parts of the world I keep them pretty much the same.

I do use aspen for younger house snakes as I found they didn't like the chunkiness of the coco husk.

I've also used aspen or aspen beta chip for balls with success.

Also, I wouldn't worry about ingestion. Snakes digest bones with ease. A healthy animal will pass any nominal substrate.

The aspen wasn't too dry for your ball pythons? That's the only issue that I've heard so far in regards to using with that species.

If the coco husk isn't too humid for the house snake then I might just buy that for all 3. In all of my reading on house snake set up, they always say to avoid substrates which provide too much humidity, so it made me wonder. I'm assuming I would just have to dry it out more than with the balls?

I've also heard that the coconut fiber can potentially clog the heat pits on a ball python, is this a typical issue for this substrate?

[Aaron_S]

The aspen wasn't too dry for your ball pythons? That's the only issue that I've heard so far in regards to using with that species.

If the coco husk isn't too humid for the house snake then I might just buy that for all 3. In all of my reading on house snake set up, they always say to avoid substrates which provide too much humidity, so it made me wonder. I'm assuming I would just have to dry it out more than with the balls?

I've also heard that the coconut fiber can potentially clog the heat pits on a ball python, is this a typical issue for this substrate?

I've never had clogged heat pits on snakes. I've used many different substrates.

Aspen isn't too dry for the balls. Well with proper water bowls and proper ventilation. I got tired of all the little bits and switched to newspaper. Some of my balls are on cocohusk.

For the house snakes, no, I just stick a good sized water bowl in there and it keeps it adequate humidity. I don't wet anything except for during shed cycles.