Can I use old newspapers as substrate for my snakes cage?

I keep and raise many corn snakes and have had numerous successful hatchings...they are a lot of fun. Age and size will determine the enclosure they will need to start with. A 20 gallon long will do fine for a few years...make sure you get the type with the sliding locking lid to prevent escapes.



I use under tank heat pads for my snakes typically abbreviated UTH (under tank heat). I UTh on the side I choose to be warm and nothing in the other side ...so in effect you have a hot side and a cool side. The hot side will be maintained at 82-85F and the cool side is room temp. usually no lower than 71-73F in my house except on the coldest of winter nights. but thats OK because the snake will migrate to the warm side as it desires.



Now we need to address the substrate. After many years I have settled on ASPEN bedding ....inexpensive. clean and free of harmful odors and caustic oils. Cedar and Pine and Redwood have toxic chemicals that over a long term exposure can cause problems like caustic burns and respiratory issues. Please use ASPEN. Snakes love to burrow through the aspen bedding. Or on the cheaper side newspaper is common and easily replaced when soiled. Aspen bedding can be spot cleaned for a month or 2 and then replaced depending on the amount of feces and size.



A water bowl is required and a place to hide out...A small box for free from the USPS the PRIORITY small box is perfect and free if you need to replace it. cut a few openings on the side and the top so the snake can get in and out.



Feeding of rodents / mammals is required. The snake is a carnivore. You must learn to feed frozen thawed rodents available at the pet stores or raise your own. Depending on the size of the snake you will need to feed it something as big as the largest part of the snake. Usually a corn snake at 2 years of age can eat adult mice ...or young adult mice. Another term often used is a HOPPER mouse which is a younger / smaller mouse fed to 1 year old snakes. Newborn snakes require pinkie mice / newborn mice and will quickly graduate to fuzzie mice in 6 months time.

The reason I say frozen thawed rodents is for the safety of the snake. It is possible for the adult mice to bite the snake and do damage to the snake, if you choose to feed live rodents. I realize after many years and seeing the results of my snake being bitten by a rodent ...it happens and I prefer to feed frozen thawed. The damage was minor but if the mouse had bitten the snake any closer to the eye cap it might have been serious and irreparable.



As your snake grows and sheds it can live for many years. Shedding skin is another area that requires a bit of common sense...offer the snake more moisture when the eyes get cloudy and dull. After a week the snake will turn clear again and then shortly after it will shed its skin. During this time misting of the enclosure and a moist damp towel / washcloth will keep the humidity up to facilitate shedding.



Any more questions I will be happy to help with if I can.

I have had a Hognose for over a year now and I use a combination of soil and sand. As a species, Hognose snakes are known to be burrowers.

Some of the best types of substrates for a boa are paper towel, newspaper, pine shavings, wood chips and bark mulch. I would avoid using cedar shavings though as they can cause skin blisters.

I do not recommend using newspaper as a substrate for amphibians. The chemicals cause a lot of sensitivity to their skin.

There are some types of substrates that are preferred for snakes including newspaper/paper towel, reptile carpeting and aspen.

Iguanas are known to "******-flick" their environment, so the type of substrate you choose can be very crucial. You do not want something that can stick to their tongues and later be ingested and harmful. Try products such as paper towel, non-toxic ink newspaper, or butcher paper. Many people also like to use artificial grass.

I believe the most common colors are the natural colors like green, brown and gray. Check this out: http://www.livefoodsbypost.co.uk/cage-carpets-361-c.asp

o, you must unfreeze it first. Put the frozenrat or mouse in warm water for half an hour, dry it (make sure you don't give yourpet wet food) then throw it to your snakes' cage.

To ensure that your reptile is happy and healthy, one of themost important issues when having a pet reptile is the cage heating issue.Basically you need to have a heating device and a thermometer in order tofollow the cage conditions. Reptile environment should be between 20 C - 32 C. You can read more here: http://www.reptiles-info.co.uk/reptile-heating.html

hello Adrian. I am suspicious that the standing drain pipe behind your machine may sometimes over flow. To find out, pack some dry newspaper around the drain hose where it enters the drain line behind the machine. If that newspaper gets wet you will know that the drain is sometimes overflowing. If that is the case, snake that drain or force a garden hose down it and run hot water thru it for ten minutes. J.