# Corn Substrate



## | R.D.M. | (Aug 3, 2006)

Hi All, I have a corn snake, he is just over a year old, I have him on newspaper at the moment and he has been going underneath it. This was fine but recently he has got bigger and is now too big to fit under the paper without knocking over his water dish. 

So I was wondering, what substrate would be best for a year old corn?


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## Kerry1 (Jul 17, 2006)

I have a two month old aner corn and she is on Coral sand substrate. You could leave her on paper and get a heavy water dish. My boyfriend's Dumerils Boa is on paper and goes underneath, knocking his hides over but he's happy on it.

If your worried about feeding on coral sand, especially if you drop feed, place the food on a deli cup lid on top of the sand, so the snake doesn't ingest any.

Hope this helps.


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## SilverSteno (Feb 12, 2006)

Try aspen, snake can burrow to its hearts content.


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## Kerry1 (Jul 17, 2006)

No offence but aspen is the worst bedding for any reptile. Yeah it's cheap, but if reptiles ingest it, it's game over, dead reptiles! 

Astro turf is really good because the reptile waste can sink to the bottom of the turf and is then away from the reptile's belly. You could use corrugated cardboard as well as waste can sink into the grooves as well.


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

Noting wrong with aspen, so long as you're not daft and feed outside the viv. I keep all my snakes on aspen and wont be changing any time soon.

Astro turf is all well and good but most snakes enjoy burrowing and I dont feel I can deprive my snakes of this natural behaviour.

Kerry I notice you keep yours on coral sand - this has been known the get trapped under the scales causing irritation and sometimes abcesses so just keep an eye out for any problems.

Substrate is quite a personal thing, everyone has their own opinions, but my favourite is aspen (or hemp - very similar to aspen and much cheaper).


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## Kerry1 (Jul 17, 2006)

I agree that it's personal preference Pendle. Each substrate has pros & cons.


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## SilverSteno (Feb 12, 2006)

Well from what Pendlehog has just said, that coral sand doesn't look very nice either, and can't be comfortable to burrow in. As long as you don't feed in the viv (which isn't advisable anyway) no problems with impaction because the snake won't have the chance to swallow aspen, unlike finer material which can be picked up on the tongue and injested. When my corn had aspen he made lots of little tunnels in the aspen. (he doesn't have aspen now he has repti-carpet and dry terranium moss)


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## mourne (Apr 20, 2006)

I thought sand of any knid was a no no for most snakes


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## NNY (Feb 2, 2006)

yeah sands a no no for snakes.. as well as ingestion it can get stuck in their nostrils etc causing breathing problems. I use beech chips and theres no worries about ingestion as i feed all my snakes out of their vivs.. also means they dont assosciate viv with food.. mine only go mental when i put them in their feeding boxes.. i find beech chip good as i pay £25 for a large bag that lasts me about 4 -5 months and thats filling about 10 vivs.


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## snake100 (Mar 15, 2006)

I use newspaper for all my snakes and a heavy waterbowl so they cant knock it over 8)


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

That's what I was going to say - if you get on with newspaper just get a heavier water bowl!

I use beech chip, which looks nice but, same as with aspen, you have to be careful if feeding in the viv.

I've read a bit recently about using hemp-based horse bedding as substrate - got a bag last weekend but haven't tried anyone on it yet. It looks like aspen and is just as absorbent but it's a lot softer.
Most people who've used it seem to like it but the jury's still seems to be out as to whether it can be safely ingested by snakes.

A bale (equivalent size to the £25 bag of beech chip as mentioned by NNY) cost me £7.25 from a local "horse place", so dirt cheap, and it's dust extracted apparently.

Anyone on here ever used it?
It's this stuff:

http://www.aubiose.co.uk/


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

I use this stuff, just ran out so on aspen at the minute but very good and fantastically cheap! Too expensive for the horse mind, he just gets plain ole straw :lol:


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## NNY (Feb 2, 2006)

Sounds good actually.. ill ask the misses for a local "horse place" :lol: :lol:


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## CBR1100XX (Feb 19, 2006)

Definetly avoid sand :shock: , I cant believe you even dissed aspen and you use sand :lol: . 

I do use *Auboise* which is £6.50 a bale I get mine from a farm supplies and it would last you ages for one corn. :wink:

I use it for all my adult Snakes, Skinks, Tort, its even used for the 4 hamsters, 3 Rats, the rabbit and the chinchilla. Its great and so cheap.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Hey guys, we are soon to be getting our first snake, a corn.
umn we thought we had asked all the questions etc and wer planning on using aspen..altho that auboise stuff is a possibility as im about to start gettin bran from a farm supply place so could get that to.. anyway we didnt know about not feeding in the viv....
so you should always take the snake out for feeding? then put it back in straight afterwards?

Dean and trese


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## amanda75 (May 23, 2006)

DEANandTRESE said:


> so you should always take the snake out for feeding? then put it back in straight afterwards?


That's definitely the safest way to feed them, yes... although it's not always possible - for instance my royals are faaaar too shy to feed outside their viv, so I cover the substrate in the viv with kitchen towel on feeding day to remove any risk of them eating any lumps 'o' wood. 

Although some people do feed in the viv without problems, I personally would never feed any snake on loose substrate as there's always some risk of impaction and I'd rather err on the side of caution.


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## | R.D.M. | (Aug 3, 2006)

Thanks for the replies, I think im going to go with the aspen and begin taking the snake out the viv for feeding.

What should I put the snake in when hes out the viv and feeding?


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## amanda75 (May 23, 2006)

A (ventilated) plastic sandwich-type box will do.... you can then put the box back into the viv to let him out without handling him after he's fed.


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## pythonmorphs (Mar 13, 2006)

one word ASPEN


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## | R.D.M. | (Aug 3, 2006)

Ok, cheers


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## garysumpter (Apr 18, 2005)

Sand = DUMB

Paper = Cheap and Nasty UNLESS the animal is sick or similar

Aspen - IDEAL - Just feed outside the viv (which you should anyway!)

Gary


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## Deano (Oct 26, 2006)

Use beech chips for my corn, and always feed over the hide, which has a large, flat top. It digs into this occasionaly and I've never had any problems.

Started feeding my BRB out of the viv (don't want her biting when she gets big!). Can't get my head round getting her out of the feeding box to put her BACK without getting bitten though...


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Deano said:


> Started feeding my BRB out of the viv (don't want her biting when she gets big!). Can't get my head round getting her out of the feeding box to put her BACK without getting bitten though...


Use the largest size box that you can still fit into the viv - then when she's fed, just put the whole box in the viv, quickly remove the lid and shut the door. Then retrieve the box a bit later when it's safe


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## CBR1100XX (Feb 19, 2006)

Guys do you realise how old this post is :lol: :lol: , The auboise I use as now gone up to £8 a bale so its old. :lol: :lol:


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## SnakeyPete (Sep 22, 2006)

Anyone heard of or use stuff called Easibed :?: 

Take care


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