Underlays

What is the best bedding for a ball python?

I've had my ball python for many years, and I've used many different types of bedding. What kind of bedding do you use for you ball python, or snakes in general? Also, is there any reason you prefer that type of bedding than other types?

Public Comments

1. I live in a pretty dry area so, I use a special substrate mix to help provide more humidity. I mix 70 percent fir bark with 30% peat moss. When this mix is misted with warm water and rotated around, it has good humidity release qualities in my snake's enclosure. This mix does not get soggy or moldy unless you over mist it. Normally, cypress bed, fir bark, repti-bark or orchid bark all work well with ball pythons and look natural.. Many ball python owners use aspen and that is fine but, aspen does not have any humidity release qualities. Aspen is better for non-tropical and forest species of snakes that do not require higher humidity levels to thrive. Ball pythons do burrow. This mix that I use allows for this natural ball python behavior which is another plus. It almost seems like they enjoy playing in it sometimes.
2. I use newspaper or paper towels for two reasons. One, it's fool proof, there is 0 chance that my snakes are going to die from impaction=accidentally ingesting wood/dirt/sand etc. Two, it's free or very cheap!