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substrate

When iget my pair im going to use Aspen, like some use for mice and such.

this allows them to burrow, but you should feed in a different enclosure, so they dont injest any wood
 
DO NOT USE ASPEN SHAVINGS

I would prefer a type of jungle mix bark, do not use aquarium rocks litter or cedar, pine, or ASPEN, choose something that will hold moisture. :(
 
why do you not recommend aspen? It's low in dust and works great. Jungle bark is usually much dirtier and contains irritants that aspen does not.

I use aspen for all my hogs w/o problems and I know several other breeders that do as well.
 
additionally, why would you want to hold moisture for a species that is from a relitively arid region? Too much moisture can be dangerous to hogs particularly westerns.
 
Aspen contains small traces of cedar, and cedar is not healthy for snakes. your welcome.try something like coconut bedding.
 
uhh.....yeah, alot of the sort, i've done numerous tests on it, also different kinds, if you were smart enough to try out some experiments, maybe you would agree. when aspen is processed, they use other woods to improve scent and moisture absorbtion....so i think im sure that what im saying is true...i've done atleast 15 tests along with other herpetologists.....:nuts:
 
uhh.....yeah, alot of the sort, i've done numerous tests on it, also different kinds, if you were smart enough to try out some experiments, maybe you would agree. when aspen is processed, they use other woods to improve scent and moisture absorbtion....so i think im sure that what im saying is true...i've done atleast 15 tests along with other herpetologists.....
Click to expand...

What sort of tests have you done? Could you ask the other herpetologists to come here and provide their findings as well?
 
Remember for a test to be valid, scientifically speaking, it MUST be able to be reproduced with predictable results. I sincerely doubt the validity of these tests! PROVE IT.

Additionally, TRACES of cedar won't be harmful!. Snakes don't live in a sterile environment in the wild!
 
umm you know what, I actually would suggest sand. thats what i use and it works great. i always see my baby diggin around and poppin her little head back up. its the cutest thing. make sure its deep enough so the snake could dig around. you can also get sand that has vitamins and/or calcium. :rotflmao:
 
I use sand, playground sand. The same thing I use with my beardy. I sift it to get all the rocks and clumps out first. Some people bake it, but I don't bother. My hog seems to love it, she does what ladyserpent's does. I think it's funny when she buries her head into the sand and stays like that, it's like she thinks she's completely hiden cause her head is :rotflmao: . I also have 2 logs in the cage, one on the heated side and the other on the cold side. They allow her to go inside, under and over, and she loves to use them.
 
I agree, I also use sand. Well, mainly sand and i have a little bit of cypress mulch in there just for a different look. My little hoggie always buries herself and she will pop up just her head, with sand all over it, and look around. Very cute :)

I would like to see those tests too, since I use aspen in my other snake enclosures. They have been fine on it, and a lot of people use it as well. I have never hear of aspen having traces of cedar in it.
 
Substrate

Calcium-enriched sand, a layer of rocks, "repti-bark" (or any mulched wood that's snake-compatable; I stick with store-bought varieties since they're usually clean and reptile-safe)... Hognoses like to burrow. It's what they do. So lots of substrate is a good thing. They also REALLY like a hide-box with moss and high humidity. And for whoever argued against high humidity for w. hognoses earlier... well, I think it's just fine as long as the temp. is not too low. According to my hogs it's better than fine; they have to be coaxed out of the damn thing.
 
I use aspen and mine are doing fine (I use it for all my other snakes too). If you do use sand, I would not recommend calci or vitasands. In lizards these have a tendency to clump together in the digestive tract (the particles are too large to be readily dissolved) and form blockages. These calcium masses will also neutralize stomach acid and may interfere with digestion. If you want to learn more, this article: http://www.pythons.com/calcium.html makes for an interesting read.

-Alice
 
sand is best

i also use regular sand, my snakes love it, and its easy to clean , I never feed them in the sand. i,ll take them out give em' a quick rinse if they have sand stuck to them , then i place them them in seperate containers and feed them this way.once they are done eating i put them back in the sand. never had any problems with compaction. :ack2:
 
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