I’ve seen various substrates in displays and am looking for the little square stuff that looks like foam or paper. Also open to suggestions. Would be for Leopard Geckos and Ball Pythons. Thanks!
1 Like
Well, you should pick something based on what’s best for the animal, not necessarily what looks good. Many times you can get something that meets both criteria. For ball pythons, coconut husk products seem to be very popular for many reasons. They work well to boost the humidity when misted, while being resistant to mold and mildew. Being brown, it looks kind of earthy and natural. And it’s easy to spot clean. I would stick with this for ball pythons.
I’ve also had great success with Care Fresh, the original, natural color. It looks like chewed up and spit out cardboard. Over time it kind of packs down and looks less fluffy as the BP slithers over it. It’s very easy to spot clean and I never had any odor issues. Humidity and bad sheds were never a problem where I lived and I never had to mist, so I’m not sure if it would mold or mildew if misted. I think it would look decent in a BP display.
3 Likes
I know impaction can be a concern for leos, and that many people prefer paper towels for that reason. Of course, paper towels don’t look very natural. While the health and safety of the animal should always come first, I know that some people do naturalistic or even bioactive setups for their leos, so I’m sure there are some safe options that look more natural, but I’ll let some of our leo experts chime in with their recommendations, as I’ve never kept them myself.
For the ball python, coco husk would probably be your best bet. Retains humidity, resists mold, and looks natural. For an added touch to make it look even more natural, you could mix in some leaf litter and/or sphagnum moss. I think with some fake or real plants and naturalistic hides, that substrate mix would look very nice while still meeting the needs of your snake.
I’m looking for substrate for show displays, not permanent enclosures. I see people use cut paper but I’ve seen that other square stuff and am not sure what it is called or where to find it.
Yes, that’s it!
1 Like
I use a mix of reptichips and coco fibre for my tropical snakes, topped off with a layer of magnolia leaves. For desert species, I use a thick layer of aspen. These mixes have done well for me, though you do need to mist the tropical substrate often to stop it from becoming dusty.
I use purple and blue carefresh sometimes. I put males on blue, females on purple and it helps customers easily see genders. I use white or black beans sometimes too but I feel like they’re overdone in general.
2 Likes
Is carefresh not too dusty?
There are some small dusty particles, but they are heavy and settle to the bottom as opposed to floating in the air and layering on surfaces. That’s my experience. You could sift it through a colander if it’s an issue for you.
Is this for a display case at a show?
In my experience, it’s less dusty than coco husk. I’ve been using it for my blood python the last few weeks (ran out of coco husk), and was pleasantly surprised by how not-dusty it is.
Sadly, it doesn’t hold humidity all that well, and I’m a little concerned about it molding, so I’m planning to switch back to coco husk, but that likely wouldn’t be an issue when used on a short-term basis in a table display at a show.
2 Likes
Yes, a display case for a show.
I mean yes and no. The animals have never seemed bothered but you will be cleaning dust off acrylic displays after. When they do potty in the displays I like how absorbent it is vs normal substrate. It also lights up nicely.
1 Like