Substrate Safety Issues...Safest ones for Corn Snakes?

Yeah, pretty funny to watch me at the dump where we have county recycling including junk mail, clothes, thin cardboard, corragated cardboard, magazines and newspaper, plastic, glass and metals. I dump my stuff and grab the nearest thick, clean pile of newspapers. Pathetic. But free!

Would shredded paper work as a substrate? I haven't tried it or thought about it till recently when I realized how many bags of shredded paper we have each month.

From the FAQ:

Recommended Substrate:

- Aspen Shavings
- Astroturf
- Butcher Paper
- Cypress Mulch
- Newspaper
- Paper Towels

As for shredded vs non-shredded. I don't think it would harm the snake. I've received snakes shipped in shredded newspaper.

Originally Posted by Chris Steele

Would shredded paper work as a substrate? I haven't tried it or thought about it till recently when I realized how many bags of shredded paper we have each month.

Shredded newspaper works well, but I would be careful about other paper products. The ink in newspaper is ordinarily soy-based and eco-friendly; I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to what chemicals are in most printers' ink.

That being said, which would most people prefer? Shredded newspaper or sheets? Sheets I assume? How many sheets thick to keep the bottom clean or is this even a relevant question knowing that they'll be under it a lot?

Originally Posted by Chris Steele

That being said, which would most people prefer? Shredded newspaper or sheets? Sheets I assume? How many sheets thick to keep the bottom clean or is this even a relevant question knowing that they'll be under it a lot?

Two sheets on the bottom to make cleaning easier, covered by a couple inches of shredded so the snake can burrow in it.

This is the substrate I get from my local reptile store..., its' called Cellsorb, it's re-cycled paper/cardboard, it makes cleaning the snake poo a snap because it just clings to it, when you get the level down you just fill it up again, I do however do a complete substrate change every 8 weeks or so though, this is the stuff you can find in rabbit cages in pet shops also used in rodent cages. I've seen other uses for it such as oil spills on concrete too, it's got quite an absorbent factor to it, hope this helps, Marshall P..

I have tried everything from aspen to shredded coconut bark and while newspaper or paper towel are very good substrates, for simple aesthetical purposes I use astroturf. I keep my enclosures in the living room and it looks alittle bit nicer. It is also cheap( my enclosure is about the size of a 20-long and enough for about 8-10 pieces was $9.00) and fairly easy to clean, when it gets soiled I take it out and replace it, and clean it. It also seems to assist with shedding