# Substrate



## Oscar's (Jan 2, 2018)

why do people use newspaper or papertowel as a substrate???


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## Bl69aze (Jan 2, 2018)

I use it because it’s easy to change if needs to be, cheap, doesn’t really look that bad (although proper substrate does look better)

I do however use proper substrate in larger enclosures


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## Scutellatus (Jan 2, 2018)

Convenience, cost, multiple animals, ease of change.
Really it is a personal preference, many people use it, many don't. 
I prefer the look of a natural substrate.


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## Oscar's (Jan 2, 2018)

but isnt it better for your reptile to feel like its in its natural enviroment, and if i gets wet in will go right through


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## Bl69aze (Jan 2, 2018)

Oscar's said:


> but isnt it better for your reptile to feel like its in its natural enviroment, and if i gets wet in will go right through


Paper towel has amazing absorbent ability 

With substrate it almost becomes a mud


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## littlemay (Jan 2, 2018)

I use newspaper because cleaning is just so much easier. I'm a lazy person, so it encourages me to clean more often. I can do a full enclosure clean in less than 5 minutes! I don't think it looks that bad


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jan 2, 2018)

Paper towel for me all the way.


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## Oscar's (Jan 2, 2018)

ok


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## Tobe404 (Jan 2, 2018)

Coir Peat for pretty much everything i have. Bricks are about 3 bucks. Absorbent enough that I really only have to spot clean. Doesn't have to be changed overly often either.

Only thing is it's a bit of a pain waiting for it to dry enough once it's been soaked/expended and then crushed up and it does get into the tracks of the glass sliding doors but apart from that.


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## pinefamily (Jan 3, 2018)

It all comes down to preference, as you can see. We've always used paper towel in hatchie tubs, and used use coir peat, but now use the recycled paper kitty litter pellets. They soak up a lot of the mess and odour.
To answer your question, the snake doesn't care. As long as you provide something that won't harm it, the snake will be more concerned with proper heat an a hide or two.


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## Snapped (Jan 3, 2018)

I just started to use newspaper (again) after trying the kitty letter pellets for about 8 months. They are harder to 'spot' clean, it feels dusty, and I worry I will miss something and it will lay there for ages causing germs or something. So back to newspaper I go, it's easy, cheap, convenient for cleaning, and you can see easily when they've pooped etc.

In click clacks (small plastic tubs for hatchies and young snakes) I've always used paper towels.


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## pinefamily (Jan 4, 2018)

You can't miss our snakes' poops, lol. 
The only time I've found them dusty is when putting in or cleaning out the whole enclosure.


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## Yellowtail (Jan 4, 2018)

I lay newspaper in 3 sections across the cage, the water bowl is on one, hide on middle, in theory they poop in one area so it is quick to just change one. Thats a 1200 wide enclosure, if 900 the papers overlap which means you slide the hide to one side to remove the ends. I try to keep it simple so I can quickly remove mess before they spread it and of course they are trained not to mess their hide. During the day the snake is usually in it's hide so easy to slide it over, if it's a snappy jungle I cover the opening, a method I used when I kept Vens, (they had a hide box with a lid) so you didn't need to handle the snake.


[doublepost=1515038901,1515037242][/doublepost]Occasionally I dress things up a bit, especially for the GTP's but the newspaper remains. The perches are in brackets so they can be changed quickly (GTP's stay on perch when I remove it for a full clean}


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## dragonlover1 (Jan 4, 2018)

I don't know...I prefer a natural looking environment..all my enclosures (except for the quarantine which has paper for obvious reasons) have something close to their home ground (hopefully) I enjoy seeing my critters moving around and hopefully for them it is something like home


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## Imported_tuatara (Jan 4, 2018)

it wouldn't be, they don't know home, there enclosure is home. they're captive bred(mostly i think) so what they're born and raised in is their closest thing for them to "home". Plus they don't really care.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jan 4, 2018)

Imported_tuatara said:


> it wouldn't be, they don't know home, there enclosure is home. they're captive bred(mostly i think) so what they're born and raised in is their closest thing for them to "home". Plus they don't really care.


Agree 100%


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## Wally (Jan 4, 2018)

Snakes crapping on photos of politicians ftw

Oh.... it's also convenient


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## Scutellatus (Jan 4, 2018)

Wally said:


> Snakes crapping on photos of politicians ftw
> 
> Oh.... it's also convenient


Is that the new FTW Wally or the old school FTW?
Either way fits, I like the old FTW personally.


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## Wally (Jan 4, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Is that the new FTW Wally or the old school FTW?
> Either way fits, I like the old FTW personally.



New testament.


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## dragonlover1 (Jan 4, 2018)

Imported_tuatara said:


> it wouldn't be, they don't know home, there enclosure is home. they're captive bred(mostly i think) so what they're born and raised in is their closest thing for them to "home". Plus they don't really care.


you might as well keep them in tubs then, stuff that


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## Imported_tuatara (Jan 4, 2018)

i'm not saying that. i'm just pointing out what their home is isn't their natural range, yes i prefer when there's bioactive setups etc.


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## Yellowtail (Jan 4, 2018)

My cages might be boring to look at but my adults are mostly in 1800 or 1200 wide cages with perches, hides and large water bowls, they only move around at night when they are hungry or horny.


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## AnthonyL (Jun 18, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> [doublepost=1515038901,1515037242][/doublepost]Occasionally I dress things up a bit, especially for the GTP's but the newspaper remains. The perches are in brackets so they can be changed quickly (GTP's stay on perch when I remove it for a full clean}
> View attachment 322629
> View attachment 322630



Is that real or faux bamboo foliage (not perch) in your GTP's enclosure? TIA
[doublepost=1529326226][/doublepost]


dragonlover1 said:


> you might as well keep them in tubs then, stuff that


Not really, because keeper can still enjoy looking at it in an enclosure even if newspaper is the substrate. They are also for us to enjoy and admire. Don't get that benefit in a tub.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jun 18, 2018)

I think newspaper actually promotes better cleanliness.
When substrate is cheap people tend to be happy to do a full change as soon as any waste is deposited. When substrate costs a lot, it gets a spot clean, followed by another and another. Expensive doesn't always mean better.


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## AnthonyL (Jun 18, 2018)

I love newspaper - and mine aren't in tubs. GTP lives in the lounge room with us in a glass enclosure. The first thing people see when they walk in is Green Boy, not newspaper. Yep agree with Paul in that it encourages regular full clean. Plus with substrate hard to see what they are excreting. Easier to monitor bowel and urine movements on newspaper, which can tell you at a glance how your snakes digestion is going without rummaging around substrate


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## Yellowtail (Jun 19, 2018)

AnthonyL said:


> Is that real or faux bamboo foliage (not perch) in your GTP's enclosure? TIA
> [doublepost=1529326226][/doublepost]
> Not really, because keeper can still enjoy looking at it in an enclosure even if newspaper is the substrate. They are also for us to enjoy and admire. Don't get that benefit in a tub.


Real live bamboo in a pot


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## Shire pythons (Jun 19, 2018)

I like the recycled paper kitty litter , switching over from newspaper and coconut husk and so far i think it controls odour a bit better and easy to spot clean . Also the breeders choice one is pretty much dust free


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## danyjv (Jun 19, 2018)

Shire pythons said:


> I like the recycled paper kitty litter , switching over from newspaper and coconut husk and so far i think it controls odour a bit better and easy to spot clean . Also the breeders choice one is pretty much dust free



Yes agree 100%. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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