# Snake substrate, which do you think's best?



## boomslang40 (Nov 4, 2006)

Hey guys,
wasnt sure whether to post this in habitat or snakes. 
I just wondered what in all your combined experience together which substrate you felt was best for keeping snakes on, obviously it'll depend on the tiem of snake, tropical desert etc. but as a generalisation? pros and cons etc?


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## Asha (Mar 21, 2007)

Aubiose... made from hemp. Cheap to buy in bulk as it's used for horses:
Horse Bedding


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## boomslang40 (Nov 4, 2006)

oooh I was gonna buy some of that, but nowhere round here did it, apart from one place that would only deliver if i like ordered a tonne! :lol2:
where do you get yorus from?

X


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## boomslang40 (Nov 4, 2006)

actually,....is hemcore suitable too? that's what i was looking into: victory:


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## Asha (Mar 21, 2007)

I've just placed my first order as i'm hoping it's gonna work out much better for large BCCs and BCIs. The link I posted: Horse Bedding
should take you to the right place
That's a 20kg sack for £7.35. With courier to deliver it the price is still under £15... it should last ages!

I've used either newspaper or bark chips up til now. Only problem with the wood chips is the price has gone up in all my local shops... it's £4 for a bag which only just covers a 4ft viv.

I tried orchid bark for a while too for humidity when I had a royal... even more pricey and almost always came full of bugs. Really can't afford the time to be constantly baking my substrate!


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## Asha (Mar 21, 2007)

boomslang40 said:


> actually,....is hemcore suitable too? that's what i was looking into: victory:


I'm not sure but it doesn't look too different. Price is exactly the same on that site too.


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## boomslang40 (Nov 4, 2006)

yeah i find theres always stuff in any tropical damp bark, the beech style chippings i find have a short lifespan as they crush down and get pertty dirty fast. newspaper i detest as if theres any spillage, you have an instant aquarium lol, im quite a fan of aspen at the moment, apart frmo the price, but this hemp bedding has kidna the same texture and look to it, so may prove successful....do they kill you on postage for 20Kg?

this could bed out my racks quite nicely:lol2:


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## Asha (Mar 21, 2007)

Nope. The 20kg bag is £6.99 for a courier = £14.34 total


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## medusa0373 (Mar 18, 2008)

Hi, don't know if this helps, but I have seen another thread somewhere (can't remember if this forum or another) that *HEMCORE* is NOT good for reptiles as it contains *citronella*; it's good for horses as it keeps away the flies and other bugs, but not recommended for reps. Also, I read someplace that the hemcore is not as fine as the aubiose bedding; it's sharper apparently, and also is not packed as tightly so you get less for your money, sort of thing.

I am looking into getting aubiose bedding, I just need a supplier in my area now!!!!

Hope the above is useful, I wish I could remember where I saw it......


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## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

Aspen for dry snakes and orchid bark/repti-bark for the more tropical.

Or a coir/eco-earth + orchid bark mix for planted exos.


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## boomslang40 (Nov 4, 2006)

:up:thanks all! keep them coming!
lol


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## ReptileRescueHull (Dec 23, 2006)

aspn for any of your corns rats milks or kings mix of 50 percent orchid 50 percent cocohumus for the larger boids etc


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## Husky (Jan 29, 2008)

orchid bark for both my snakes!


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## CharliKrisBoa (Mar 18, 2010)

what do you think about Fine Vermiculite for snakes? 

ive got a brazilian rainbow boa and i use orchid bark at the moment but it just doesnt last and gets dirty so quickly! I wanted to try other substrates but dont no what to use? ive looked at the post btu that stuff is hard to get hold of round here. 

Any suggestions?


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

I use Aspen, as the snakes like to burrow underneath it


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## CharliKrisBoa (Mar 18, 2010)

i was thinking that but ive had problems with mites on the orchid i dont want the same problem. Is aspen better for this? 
xx


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## PawsForThought (Sep 7, 2007)

Depends on the snake of course, but I quite like repti maize as a dry substrate... made out of crunched up corn cobs. Easy for snakes to dig around in and safer if ingested than pretty much any other particle substrate... I still take the precaution of feeding out side the tank anyway...

regards
Mike


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## CharliKrisBoa (Mar 18, 2010)

thanks for ya reply:notworthy: i need it to be humid though, got a lil brazilian rainbow boa so needs to be humid for the lil guy lol. and he loves burying himself and making tunnels so need something that will hold so he can still make his tunnels. 

xx


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## PawsForThought (Sep 7, 2007)

hmm... well for a rainbow boa my first (personal) choice would be Komodo's tropical terrain... it is a very fine organic substrate so less likely to cause blockages if accidentally ingested, it holds moisture well, it holds its shape well, and if you buy it in the compact blocks it will almost definitely have no little nasties hiding in it but I've never found any in the loose bags of it either... 

only problem with the compact blocks is you have to soak it to re-expand it and if you put it straight in the viv like that then your humidity will sky rocket until it has had a chance to dry out!


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## CharliKrisBoa (Mar 18, 2010)

thats great thank you so much! ill give it a go :2thumb:


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Orchid bark or orchid bark + eco earth for planted


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