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Choosing the proper substrate for our snakes is very important and for very, very many
different reasons. Number one, it's important that they live in a very clean terrarium,
so choosing the right substrate for cleansing is very important. If you use something that's
absorbable, it needs to be scooped and changed very frequently.
If you're using something that is rough, be very conscious of when they shed. It can irritate
their skin, believe it or not. Never ever use a substrate that is an aromatic wood.
Those are pine and cedar things that have strong scents, because those oils, those vapors
irritate their eyes and their throat and make them very sick. A substrate like AstroTurf
is very, very good, because it does a couple things.
It makes it very, very easy to clean and it also separates them from their waste. The
waste will drop down below it. Be very conscious of the type of chips that you may use or wood
or fiber that you may use, especially when they're eating, because remember that these
guys can't digest those fibers and if they get stuck to the bait and they take the mouse
and the substrate, they won't digest the substrate and you can cause obstructions or other gastroenteral
problems.
So it's very important to understand the types of substrate, the effects on our snakes and
always remember it's very important that we keep that area clean, so that is another thing
that we want to worry about with substrate. So there's a few helpful hints for you.