substrate

[ConcinusMan]

Since you guys are so snake smart....please tell me your suggestions on the best kind/brand of substrate for my snake. I don't have ALOT of money to spend so I need one that would be the best for my money. Thanks!

We do have probably thousands of posts asking this and many other frequently asked questions regarding care of garter snakes. That is why we have this: Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets

Read it thoroughly. There is a section regarding substrate. It should answer any questions you might have. The care sheet is written by members of this forum.

[brain]

I used compressed aspen pellets.
Gentle Touch Products - All Natural Pet Litter and Bedding

Steve I'm not to clear here

Pet litter and bedding is produced using all natural aspen or all natural pinewood. Whichever is best for your animal.

Do they offer both Aspen and Pine or is that at thier descression what they use?

I like the Aspen shaved/chipped like Wayne.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I prefer aspen bedding or 100% natural cypress mulch.

[katach]

Pine is bad for the snakes.

[kibakiba]

You can choose whether to pick pinewood or aspen. It says that on the website.

[guidofatherof5]

Steve I'm not to clear here

Pet litter and bedding is produced using all natural aspen or all natural pinewood. Whichever is best for your animal.

Do they offer both Aspen and Pine or is that at thier descression what they use?

I like the Aspen shaved/chipped like Wayne.

They offer both and state what they can be used for.
I use the Aspen Pet Bedding. It a larger pellet and seems to work well with all my snakes.

[nekura]

Cypress is good?

[ConcinusMan]

Depends. If you're talking about the kind sold as garden mulch, It's not so clean and it can get jammed up under scales. I've seen problems with it. I wouldn't use it personally. It's rather splintery.

[nekura]

So there's no mulch type I could use? My mom suggest paper from the paper shredder, but I'd assume it'd cause paper cuts or something.

[ConcinusMan]

If you think you can get a paper cut across the smooth surface of your fingernail...? Just saying that snakes are highly unlikely to get a papercut. Their scales and shed skin is made of the same material as our hair and fingernails (keratin) It's tough, and water tight.

Nothing wrong with using shredded paper but I do usually consider that a temporary substrate when nothing better is available. Newspaper without much color, avoiding the glossy ad pages, etc., is not really bad for them in the short term. It would be better than say, using potting soil or sand.

I would suggest that you tell us more specifically, where you are and what substrates listed on the care sheets that are available. Do you even have a walmart around? What pet stores are around and what do they carry for substrate?

It's all up to the keeper to search the various stores that carry good substrates, evaluate their budget, snake's needs, etc. and come up with the best choice available. Same goes for food.

For me, walmart aspen is the cheapest, but also the best thing I can get at that price. At any price, it's great for the snakes and their comfort. Your cheapest, and best for the snakes substrate might be different. Personally, I'd use shredded newspaper with a flat newspaper lining before I would use garden cyprus mulch. Just my opinion. Others have used it. The wood itself isn't a problem. Other properties of it might be. (moisture content, contamination with other woods, size and sharpness of the particles, bacteria and mold content of "garden grade" etc)

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there's nothing wrong with using cyprus. Just depends on how it's prepared, shredded, contaminated, etc. Garden mulch grade, I would not recommend for snakes.

"reptibark" is douglas fir tree bark. I would use that. However, I can get landscaping/garden bark made of the same tree and I would not use that. Too much dust, splinters, mold, spores, etc. in it.