The Best Substrate

[GGarter]

(I know garters aren't really considered large, but when you're talking about naturalistic vivaria they can be kind of "big") you need a fairly large enclosure to ensure that the soil doesn't get "spoiled" too quickly.

How big a vivarium would you expect was needed to make the BSS work with garters?

I'm planning on acquiring a 4X2X2 foot setup for two or three garters

[adamanteus]

I understand now. I'm not sure that I would be comfortable with a non-cleaning regime......But then I'm something of an obsessive compulsive when it comes to vivarium hygiene. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has used BSS for Garters (or other snakes) though.

[GarterGuy]

I would think that the 4X2X2 vivaria would work for a pair of small garters. You would have to make completely sure though that they were parasite free......this type of environment lends its self to be a parasite breeding ground. I am with James though.....I'm WAY too paranoid about the health of my snakes to go with something like that. Not saying it can't work though and like he had said, I'd like to hear from someone who's used it and had success. Hmmmmm....maybe I need to go out and get "The Art of Keeping Snakes..."
Roy

[Gyre]

Well, I just re-furnished my girl's tank today with a half inch of topsoil and a glass dish for her to swim in.. (I caught her curled up very small, trying to soke in the 3x3 dish I had in there before. Extremely silly looking. )

But, anyway, does anyone heat their water? .. I know is seems like a strange question, but she took a swim, then slithered up as close to her light as possible.

Thanks,
Hannah

[Cazador]

Hi Hannah,

Just after you've refinished your enclosure is a rotten time to learn that the substrate you've chosen is potentially dangerous, but moisture + soil + heat + dark pockets can create prime conditions for bacterial and fungal growth. It seems natural that soil would be a good choice since wild snakes live their entire lives on it, but captivity and confinement present a whole different set of issues that have to be dealt with. The problem with soil is that it's very good at retaining moisture and has enough nutrients (particularily if organic matter is mixed in) to allow fungal and bacterial growth. It can also be difficult to clean thoroughly, particularily when excrements soak in deep. In captivity, the snake is confined to a comparatively small area. They're unable to get fresh air if nitrogenous wastes or bacterial/fungal spores accumulate, and are continually re-exposed to bacteria and fungi that grow in contaminated substrate. In captivity, waste products that penetrate down into the soil can't be degraded fast enough in their limited space, so being able to thoroughly clean and remove them as they're deposited becomes even more important.

Bacteria and and fungi can produce a whole range of toxins that are primarily a threat to the respiratory tract, but they can also cause problems to the kidneys, liver, skin, and digestive track (if ingested). In fact, stomatitis (AKA skin rot) is a fungal infection. Even if you bake the soil, common airborne pathogens can still easily colonize the soil when water is spilled or tracked out of the water dish or when the snake urinates/defecates.

My advise is just not to go too long between soil changes and switch to a healthier substrate after your next change. Most of the time, there isn't a problem, but it's a real shame when easily preventable problems affect the health of your snake.

The short recap is that soil retains moisture, provides nutrients, prime growing space, and becomes a good breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which are harmful to snakes that are continually re-exposed in their limited space. Kind regards,

Rick

[adamanteus]

I'm in total agreement. I once kept some Vipera berus in a very "natural" set-up, including soil. It looked great when I first did it, but it was close on impossible to maintain.

[Gyre]

Woah, Ok.. Yes, that all makes sense.

Alright, back on topic then.. I've heard that papertowels are really clean and cheap, but I'd hate to take away her digging space. She's always got her head in the dirt..

Are the beddings from, say, Petsmart any better then newspaper/papertowels? I'm switching to aspen bedding for my rat, but that's prob'ly not great for snakes.

[Cazador]

There are a continuum of healthy and not-so-healthy choices for substrate. It could be taken to an extreme (rediculous example alert) of just keeping them on glass and bleaching it daily. At the other end is probably fecally-covered soil. Someone will always say that one substrate is better than another, and most of the time they'll be correct, but unless you want to end up bleaching your glass substrate daily, most of the choices in between are probably just fine.

I've never used aspen bedding, but it's attractive, has anti-microbial properties, and is fairly cheap. I think the main concern is that it sticks to moist foods and can be easily ingested. Perhaps someone who has used it for quite a while could offer better advice. If you choose, it, you might decide to feed them in another enclosure or offer their food in a bowl to minimize the amount of aspen that they might ingest.

Crazyhedgehog did a great job of discussing the pros and cons of various substrates in the Care Sheet Section. Have a look: (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...ake_Care_Sheet).

[KITKAT]

I've never used aspen bedding, but it's attractive, has anti-microbial properties, and is fairly cheap. I think the main concern is that it sticks to moist foods and can be easily ingested. Perhaps someone who has used it for quite a while could offer better advice. If you choose, it, you might decide to feed them in another enclosure or offer their food in a bowl to minimize the amount of aspen that they might ingest.

I use aspen bedding, and have for about three years. It does a nice job of being clean and easy to change... and between changes, I can scoop out a spot and replace just that spot. I tend to keep my snakes in huge aquaria, and I change the complete bedding once a month, with scoop and replace in the weeks between.

Now that I have had the ill luck of getting a snake almost eaten by a cage mate, I am always there for feeding time... and that means that I not only watch for accidents between the two snakes, but I also watch for aspen getting stuck to the food. I actually stand there and use a pair of fine pointed forceps, and will "pluck" a piece of offending shavings from the food while it is being ingested. At first, my snakes will drop the food and run... but eventually they get used to my interference, and as long as I move quickly and efficiently, they ignore me.

When I am not able to stand there and watch them feed, I use the kind of plastic boxes that one might use to transport a Boa or Python, and feed each snake in its own box, with no substrate at all... just the garter and the food, which is sometimes on the floor of the box, and sometimes on a dish, depending on the food item.

I just come back about a half hour later and return them to their tanks...

[adamanteus]

Okay...trans-Atlantic translation required......Aspen bedding? Show us a picture if you could please.