i know sand can be digested but cant the aspen chips and other stuff just as easily get digested?

Question

i want to know y i have to buy stuff that i think a snake will eat just like cooked sand so i am wondering if i really ought to but that stufff when it could just as easily contain mites.........am i wrong or right

Answer 1

You asked a couple different questions here, I hope I can answer everything you need to know. (-:

- Sand is more likely to stick to a snake's food, but the real problem comes because sand really /can't/ be digested. It can be ingested (it can enter the snake's system), but it is very difficult to digest (be properly processed and eliminated). The sand won't go through the snake's digestive system properly and can cause an impaction. If aspen is ingested it is more likely to also be digested and passed through the system, and is therefore safer for your animal.

- It is definately advised to feed your snake in a seperate container. a) Your snake will learn that food never comes into it's cage, and will be less likely to snap at your hand, b) the sepaate container should have no bedding and therefore has no chance of sand or aspen or anything else entering your poor snake's system, and c) many snakes feel more secure eating in a smaller container than in their large cage.

If you feed your snake in a separate container, there is no reason it should "eat" its bedding at all. (-:

- Aspen or other woods are probably more likely to contain mites than sand, as it's a better environment. However, I haven't heard of anyone getting mites through store-bought bedding, and if the mites come from an outside source it doesn't matter which bedding your have a far as that goes.


Overall, I would definately recommend aspen over any other bedding that a snake can bury in, and newspaper is the easiest and most practical bedding that a snake cannot bury in. Outdoor carpeting is also fine, although if you go that route please remember to wash it thoroughly when it gets soiled!

God bless in your reptile keeping!

Answer 2

I think that your belief that store bought substrates contain mites is misplaced and its causing you more anxiety then it needs to. Mites come from infected snakes. Once the eggs hatch they require a blood meal from a snake to continue through their life cycle. Unless an open bag of substrate was sitting next to an infested cage there is little real possibility of mites being transmitted. Mites stay close to their food source.
Human are the far more likely vector for bringing mites home to their reptiles. Be very careful when you ask to handle a snake at any store or expo.

Snakes species that live in loose sand have specially adapted scales and other physiology to deal with sand. Unless you have one of these species I would stick with newspaper or one of the the safe wood beddings.

Answer 3

Most people use aspen but you're right that ingesting it during feeding isn't a good thing. You could put the snake in a separate secure container with just newspaper in it during feeding. Newspaper is good in habitats because it's cheap and easy to replace when soiled, but not to attractive. Having two pieces of indoor outdoor carpet is good. Having an extra piece allows you to replace the soiled one right away. Then you can wash the dirty one and have it for next time.

Answer 4

You're right.

The best thing to use is outdoor carpet. It's washable, which prevents pest infestation, and there's no way for them to eat it.

It's a little expensive, but worth it in the long run. No expensive vet bills caused by the substrate (sand, bark, etc)