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Curious about substrates.

K

Khaw

New member
We don't feed our snakes in their vivs. I read this,

"Q: What substrates can I use, and which shouldn't I use?
A: Most recommend aspen, as do I. It is cheap, totally safe, and easy to find. Other perfectly acceptable forms of substrate include but are not limited to Reptibark, newspaper, newsprint, paper towels, Eco-earth (or similar substrates like bed-a-beast) and cypress mulch. You should not use cedar, pine, sand, gravel, or astroturf. Cedar and pine are toxic to small animals and the others are either irritating to the snake or harbor bacteria and are very difficult to clean.

*Note about substrate- If you are using any substrate that can adhere to the mice, you need to feed the snake outside of it's cage. Feeding inside the cage on substrate can lead to the snake ingesting the substrate and causing an impaction. Impactions will be discussed further in the Health Issues FAQ."

but it doesn't mention coconut husk. Is coconut husk okay to use? The reason I ask is I do some landscaping as part of my occupation. I often buy bricks of compressed coconut husk fibers for soil additive when planting to promote water retention in the soil. I've also seen these blocks of compressed fiber and even loose fiber sold in pet stores for "all types of reptiles". I'm just wondering if it's okay to use?

Thanks :)
 
Eco-earth is coconut husk. I just switched over to it from aspen. I think the majority if people use aspen, but coconut husk isn't uncommon.
 
Ah, I did not realize Eco-Earth was coconut fiber. Good to know because I have about 20 bricks of compressed fibers I can use. I used it once when I was out of aspen and my anery seemed to really like it. She would burrow down into it. I changed he viv today with it and as soon as I set her back in, she immediately burrowed down into it again :).
 
I feed in their vivs, but I put the mice on plastic lids. Once they are done eating I take the lid away. This keeps substrate from getting on the mouse and into the snake. As for substrate, I prefer Aspen. It is much cheaper if you purchase it from the rodent section as opposed to the reptile section.
 
i feed outside too but since mine tend to rear up while eating, i doubt any aspen could become attached even if i fed in viv.
 
I feed inside the viv and use aspen. I do typically dry off my mice so minimal substrate adheres, as well as offer on a deli lid, though the mice are usually dragged right off.
 
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