Expanded clay pebble substrate

[DrKate]

OK, so... I have to feed my boys in their enclosure because they're just too panicky to pick up and move elsewhere to eat. But, they like to take food and run around with it for a little while before swallowing. So I've been looking for a substrate that's nicer/more natural than paper towels but isn't small enough to stick to the food and be swallowed (e.g. aspen or dirt) and that won't be confusingly food-like and appetizing if it gets fish slime or pinky guts on it (e.g. those newspaper pellets). I saw these in a local garden shop, and it got me thinking...

They're essentially terra cotta beads. In gardening they're supposed to hold water and release it evenly to the plant, so I hope they'll be good for the humidity, too. This is what they look like close up:

They range in size from just under 1/4" to a bit over 1/2". They were pretty dusty straight out of the bag so I rinsed them off well (kitchen colander and hose in the back yard). I pre-placed the plant and water dishes, then scooped in the pebbles:

I really liked the idea of live plants in the enclosure, but didn't want the hard-to-clean permanence of a real planted terrarium. So I decided to go semi-natural with potted plants. And some moss for inside the "pool house":

Added the pool house, hide log, and rough shedding rock, et voila! Stage I complete. (Stage II: Better basking area - stay tuned!)

Eco-friendly, too... I can spot clean by taking out individual pellets and either washing them off and reusing them, or chucking them into the garden if they're just too dirty. After a good rinse the pellets were pretty minimally dusty, but I do have a little bit of a concern that the clay might be drying to the snakes' skin. They spend most of their time in the plants and logs, so at least they're not just constantly in contact with the pebbles. I'll keep a close eye on the next couple sheds though.

One last pic... Spot is already out exploring at this point. Little brother seems to think he might just stay in the snake bag after all, despite the fight he put up getting in there.

[Stefan-A]

Very interesting idea. They do have a lot of nice properties, but my concern would be that they might dry out the snake's skin. It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to eat them, either. I can come up with a number of uses for them in the enclosure, though. for example around the water dish. I've had problems with my snakes dragging substrate (or currently, the contents of the humid hide) into the water dish, but that would help prevent that at least a bit. And it could indeed help with the humidity.

[DrKate]

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to eat them, either.

My plan is still to remove any that get visibly contaminated with food, of course, just like any other substrate. I'm just hoping the size and texture will be something of a deterrent, so they don't get one down before I have time to notice and remove it. Some of the beads are definitely small enough for my boys to swallow now, and of course an adult could take even the biggest ones. We'll see, I may opt for dumping a load of aspen in there after all, if it looks like it's going to be a problem.

[gregmonsta]

Aspen can be sharp and pointy and can perforate the intestinal track if swallowed. A number of people on here use 'Supreme Carefresh bedding' (a compressed paper mulch). I've been using it for a while now and it's great for burrowing and absorption of wastes. It's also safe if it is accidentally ingested

[guidofatherof5]

It looks like a lot of thought and care went into their living area.
Maybe they won't poop in the water dish as much or poop on the sides and smear it the length of the enclosure. Or any of the other things they do to purposely annoy us.


Great looking setup.

[Stefan-A]

It looks like a lot of thought and care went into their living area.
Maybe they won't poop in the water dish as much or poop on the sides and smear it the length of the enclosure. Or any of the other things they do to purposely annoy us.


Great looking setup.

Speaking of pooping, my snakes have learned a neat trick. They lie across the water dish with the head hanging over one edge, their belly in the water and the tail hanging over the edge on the other side of the dish, so that when they poop, they don't actually get anything in the water. Afterwards, of course, they drag their arse through the water dish, so that you have to change the water anyway.

It's cleaning day today, I could take pictures of the poop collection surrounding the water dish.

[guidofatherof5]

Since we're headed down the poop road. One of my big girls left this for me. Here in Iowa we have something call cow patties.
This is a radix patty. Sometimes they are not dry and I get a handful of wet poop. When that happens I swear I can hear faint laughing coming from all the hides.

[DrKate]

My boys have actually never pooped in the water dish! (Now that I say that, of course...) They really don't go in there much at all. I've been experimenting with water levels, but neither deep (so they can swim) nor shallow (so they can sit and soak) seem to be attractive.

Oh and Greg, if I were going to give up and use aspen I'd also be finding a way to get them into a separate enclosure to feed, sorry for not specifying. I'd do the same with carefresh, though, at least until they're adult size - despite marketing claims to the contrary, I honestly don't trust that a little baby snake would be safe after eating a huge flake of paper...

[gregmonsta]

Sure thing I always hover over them with my tweezers to tackle any unwanted sustenance.

[k2l3d4]

I have tried the carefresh.... and actually was not too much of a fan of it. I did not like how it smelled Currently I am using crushed walnut and they get their food served to them on a plate So as of yet no issues with substrate... it keeps teh smell down, and clumps up when wet.