Substrate Question

[Janus]

Hi everyone this is my first post. I've been reading for a while. I was just wondering what is the best substrate for a Burmese Python. I'm using Fir bark but its getting expensive, so I was told I should go to like Home Depot and buy Orchard Bark. Something like 8 quarts for like $3.91, but I'm not sure that would be okay for him. So some input would be nice about what I should use.

-Jason

[Jeff_Favelle]

Orchid bark IS fir bark and it is hella expensive. Cypress mulch works, and so does newspaper. Burms like decent humidity, but some people get away with aspen chips/shredded aspen. Corey W. has bred quite a few of these. PM him and ask him what's available in your area.

[Janus]

Okay thanks. But now I have a different, but similar question. How is Red Fir Bark? I found some at a local nursery they sell a 25 pound bag of it for 8 dollars. I've heard there are oils on it and that it may be chemically treated. Is this stuff okay?

[Piers]

I like newspaper, I know it's not pretty but it cheep/free easy to clean up and if you ever have the missfortune of getting mites its much easyer to get rid of them using paper than shavings,bark or mulch.
If you still would like a shaving/bark substrate, pine shavings are cheep. about 8 buck a 5 cubic bag. some brand are more dusty than others but if you spray the cage down its ok.
Piers

[Jeff_Favelle]

pine shavings are cheep. about 8 buck a 5 cubic bag. some brand are more dusty than others but if you spray the cage down its ok.


I would advise you to NEVER use pine shavings for any reptiles. No way.

[Piers]

I mainly use paper, but why not pine shavings? I know some people say their snakes get it in their mouths but I did use it for about 10 years without trouble. wet food i'd put on newspaper.
I use paper just for the ease of it if I get mites.
piers.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Phenols. Not as bad as cedar, but they are there. I wouldn't touch the stuff for my reptiles.

[northernsnake]

would go with cypress mulch it looks good and helps with humidity Its a widely excepted substrate for herps or go with newspaper

[Linds]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Phenols. Not as bad as cedar, but they are there. I wouldn't touch the stuff for my reptiles.

Ditto for fir...

[sapphire_moon]

What do you suggest Linds?

[mykee]

Shredded aspen.

[bebo]

Mulch is overrated, and aspen etc. has to much dust for my liking. Even the labratory(sp) stuff still has a certain amount of dust. Mulch is too much trouble to keep clean, you can spot clean but never get the whole area that is dirty. Then you end up cleaning out the whole cage when its real dirty. Newspaper works fine. As far as humidity is concerned , humidifiers can be purchased at a reasonable price. Or frequent misting is not that big a deal. I just keep a decent size tub of water in a safe area(so not to get knocked over) and it evaporates slowly, on top of misting. Just my thoughts.

[Lasher]

Cypress or Aspen seems to work well.

[Yasser]

We have used pine shavings for many of our animals for over 13 years, perhaps longer. And we've never had any issues associated with phenol exposure. The only substrate I cannot recommend is Aspen pine as it is so splintery, we have had a handful of snakes end up with stomatitis due to a sliver of that stuff sliding into their gumline and then go unnoticed for a while until infection is present.
Another neat product use use quite alot of is Carefresh bedding, it is recycled newpaper pulp.
But to each his own!
-Yasser

[Scotty Allen]

I agree with you Piers, there's an awful lot of "old timers" out there who have been using good old pine shavings for many, many years. To make things even worse (Oh the horror) some of them even use cedar shavings for their rodents. My current favourite is a product called "Beta Chip", but I do agree with newspaper though. It's clean, cheap and easily disposed of.

I think the whole substrate issue boils down to personal choice, depending on the species and habitat you are trying to provide. I wouldn't reccomend newspaper for aquatic turtles however, it could be messy.