What bedding do you use?

[Siretsap]

Ok, I am not sure if I should post this somewhere else.
What bedding do you guys use?
I am getting tired of newspaper, it takes at least 3 hours to clean the enclosures up with newspaper and I never feed them in their enclosures. I saw some people with woodchip or someting.
So what do you guys use? I want to try and house my ball pythons and cornsnakes on something else than newspaper.

Thanks
Michael

[ATC813]

well after my balls quarantine period i changed the subtrate that i use from white paper (used to check for mites) to green astroturf, she loves it, it's not toxic and it is super easy to maintain, once she deficates, it's as easy as taking the turf out and putting in a new clean piece, it also helps her with her shed.

[burmer]

I use newspaper for some and cypress mulch for the rest. I like both, newspaper is cheap or free and easy to replace. Cypress looks good, holds humidity well and is easy to spot clean.

[ANACONDASAURUS]

I myself use the following:

Green Astroturf (As stated above), Cypress mulch, shredded Newspaper, Grounded up egg cartons, Reptile bark, & thin carpet.

[DarkHunter]

If u want to use something like woodchips becauseful. Try to keep them on aspen!!! Its a little more expensive but its not bad for them!!! Avouisly dont feed on it but...its good...
Ceder is toxic!!!!!!!!!!!!
~hunter

[elevation24]

I use Carefresh.

[Wrath]

Dammit my kingdom for carefresh!! I think I'll have to try to find it online, I have NEVER seen it for sale anywhere!

[HetForHuman]

news paper and papertowel are by far my favorite.

[Colonel SB]

It all depends on the animal But for the most part aspen bedding or paper towel.

[LISA127]

I use newspaper and paper towel mostly. Sometimes I use aspen bedding. But I tend to favor the newspaper and paper towel because it's cheaper/free.

[Invictus]

I'm starting to greatly dislike newspaper. I have noticed the ink come off on my herps, and I just can't believe that it's not harmful to them. Although, our female BCI is still on newspaper. I think I might try paper towel for the smaller enclosures. Other than that, I always have a huge bag of aspen handy. I think it's not only better for the snake keeper, but the snakes love to bury in it. Heck, sometimes it can eliminate the need for a hide box. :)

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

Invictus beat me to it.. Back in the day Newspaper always gave my herps an added color and didnt care much for it.. I've been using leaves and sand for several years, depending on animal, and Ive found it to work nicely. Just what works for me.

[GI Joe]

Reptibark is my favorite.

[liltattyprinces]

I was useing a bark substrate but have since switched to aspen it smells much better is easier to clean the snakes love to burrow through, for new guys in quarinteen i keep them on plain old white paper towel

[Linds]

I use newspaper, paper towel, or bath towels, depending on the size of enclosure and animal in it. If you are considering astro-turf I would strongly recommed just using bath towels. Much easier to keep clean since you can put it in a washing machine (IMHO astr-turf never gets fully clean). Towels come in the same colours, or any other colour you could possibly want :p

If you want something more natural looking I would recommend going with cypress mulch or carefresh (though its drabby grey appearance isn't very natural, still looks ok and can hold humidity, unlike aspen which molds quickly when dampened). Hardwood shavings are the only kind you can use, softwoods are all toxic, some are extremely mild [ex- fir (ie- repti-bark] so much that symptoms may go unoticed, but some like cedar which attack the neurosystem and can kill herps.

[Kappa]

I keep all my BPs on aspen once thier done quarateen(sp?) as hatcling repti turf is pretty good, if u can get a nice light color its also easy to check for mites and ticks. For those of you who are using repti bark or other pet store bought bark substartes i really hope you put them in the microwave or bake them before using them, alot of them have mites.

[brig]

:confused: cotton sheets, mostly, and a duvet cover with leopards on it... but why would you want to know???

Ohhh - my herps... sorry...;)

Either chipped wood or newspaper on a roll (i.e. before it's printed on) - don't know what you'd call it, but I agree with not liking the newsprint ink much. Having said that, it's the ONLY thing our BCI will use as a hide! What goes on in that tiny mind?

[lordkovacs]

i use cypress and newspaper... cypress for my Irian Jayas and newspaper for my corns.

[enso]

Shredded aspen. I feed in seperate containers.

[Sean_.E.]

I use a variety of substrates, I even mix some!

For snakes I use newspaper, paper towel and Beta Chip. I like newspaper and paper towel because they are inexpensive and easy to use. I also like Beta Chip because it is harmless when ingested in small amounts, easy to clean and the snakes love to burrow in it.


What I find works most effectively if you feed your snake in its enclosure is using half paper towel/newspaper and half Beta Chip. By doing this the snake gets the chance to burrow in the Beta Chip and feed safely on the paper towel/newspaper.

Beta Chip is made out of 100% virgin hardwood chips and is aspirated to remove dust. There are no extremely small particles in it. It is inexpensive (around $9.00 for or 2.5 cubic feet)but the downfall is that it is only place in Ontario carries it that I know of (Ren's Pet Depot in Oakville). If you don't live in Ontario you can order it directly from the manufacturer in the states or possibly even from Ren's....?

Here is a link to more informayion on this product:
http://www.nep-co.com/betachip.html

Hope this helps! Sean

[eyespy]

I use ground coconut husk like Bed a Beast or Eco Earth in most of my pets' enclosures but newspaper or paper towels in the hospital tanks I set up for rescues and recent post-ops. It's illegal to use toxic inks in newspapers in most states in the US, they must be soy based without formaldehyde, toluene and I forget what other nasties. Not sure if the same protections apply to the Canadian papers.

The masthead which lists all the editors, managers, telephone numbers, etc. often states whether soy or traditional inks are used in US papers so you can check to see if your local newspaper is safe.

[elevation24]

Originally posted by Linds
If you want something more natural looking I would recommend going with cypress mulch or carefresh (though its drabby grey appearance isn't very natural, still looks ok and can hold humidity, unlike aspen which molds quickly when dampened).

Carefresh comes in a whitish yellow color now too, which doesn't look nearly as ugly. It still doesn't look natural but it's not as unattractive.

[CDN-Cresties]

I use good ol' paper towel.

-Steve-

[jaybox_reptiles]

i use Cypres Mulch

[jay76]

I use aspen, brown packing paper (it's like newspaper but with no ink, and a bit stiffer) and paper towels. Oh, and peat moss/potting soil for my tarantula.

[sapphire_moon]

Yes I was using reptibark and my male bp got mites from it. I took back the opened bag or bark, and the half log hide that I got from them and got all my money back. But we are thinking about putting something down that is easier to spot
clean for the corn snake.

[matrix1829]

I use eco earth for my water monitor!!!!!

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

Lets see some pics of these beddings at use.. Leaves..

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/503/1227pygmy-med.jpg

[Burmies]

We here at the Slither Box! use a substrait call Bata Chips. They are what I find the best substrait that you can use for snakes. It is even easy on the digestive track of the snake, so if any are taken in during feeding there is in no way any harm.

[Lisa]

We use cypress for almost everything. works great.