Egg laying substrate question:

[necoris]

This has been asked a lot, but I haven't seen any pics. Now, which one of these should I use:

Peat moss:
http://www.schultz.com/peatmoss.htm
http://www.schultz.com/images/pmoss.jpg

Or green moss (or something similar to this):
http://www.schultz.com/green_moss.htm
http://www.schultz.com/images/gmoss.jpg

The peat moss is a soil conditioner (and it looks like soil). I was just wondering which type I should use.

Thanks for any replies.

Dustin

[Jeff_Favelle]

Neither.

I use nothing, or I use sphagnum moss (dry). Peat is the broken down and decomposed version of it, and that's not what you want to use.

[necoris]

Thanks Jeff. Wouldn't want to have heard that answer from anyone else; you can always count on experience.

Later,
Dustin

[Jeff_Favelle]

No problem bro. Here's a pic of the moss if that's the route you want to go. Just stick a bunch in a Rubbermaid or in a hide and they will make a nest. I keep it on the dry-ish side.

Not a Ball:

http://members.shaw.ca/gallerya/JCF4_eggs%20001.jpg

[necoris]

Awesome Jungle. I bet it's nice to see that when you look in the cage... ;) Thanks for the advice. I haven't observed ovulation in my female yet, but she has been locked up off and on for 3 months. She locked up again yesterday and is still goin' at it. Maybe she's not ready to produce offspring? She's 2200 grams, so I know she's not underweight... :/

[Stockwell]

I do it the same way, with long strand Sphagnum moss, moistened.. I use separate pans with the moss, and simply swap them out when females are close to laying... I use the same moss, year after year. Once females lay, I remove the eggs and the moss filled pan, and put them back in on normal substrate.. Sometimes I will use the same moss pan for several specimens... by just moving it to the next to lay...
Jeff look how similar this pic is to yours, just a different species...You know these things have had about 5 latin names since I started working with them.. LOL
Liasis/Bothrochilis/Antaresia-childreni/maculosis
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/1801antaresiaeggs.jpg

[Jeff_Favelle]

You stole my nestbox!!! What the he!!??

Ha ha, that's great Roy!

Bothrochilis ?? I totally forgot about that genus. What about Leiopython?? Ahhhh the memories....

Thanks for sharing man. I also re-use the moss like the Roy-stah. I simply put it in the freezer for a month before and after to kill any fungus or mold (and I freeze it for a month when I go collect it from the forest...sshhhh....don't tell anyone).

Moss rules. I use it for colubrids as well! Everything but the live-bearers. Although, I do some of the Ball Pythons without any nesting material. Look at the "nest" these ones built without any extra substrate:



http://members.shaw.ca/gallerya/gravid_balls3.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/gallerya/gravid_balls4.jpg

[Corey Woods]

I used to use spagnum moss.............now I just let my balls and bloods lay their eggs on papertowl right in their rubbermaids. I used to have the burmese lay their eggs in large rubbermaid with no substrate......they'd just lay them on the plastic. I find spagnum moss too messy!

<img src="http://coreywoods.com/CoreyUpload/Nov01/Black%20Back%20het%20Axanthic%20on%20Eggs%203209.j pg">

<img src="http://coreywoods.com/CoreyUpload/Nov01/Black%20Back%20het%20Axanthic%20on%20Eggs%203206.j pg">

<img src="http://coreywoods.com/Burmese/PP%20Granite%20on%20Eggs%206910.JPG">

<img src="http://coreywoods.com/Burmese/Lucie%206728.JPG">

<img src="http://coreywoods.com/Burmese/Lucie%206766.JPG">

Corey

[dan2492]

How Come that Green Moss Couldnt be used??