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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5091 Posts |
 Posted - 15/11/2011 : 16:20:09
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OK, so I was intending to use aspen as I think that seems the best? But when we got our hatchling she had bark in her tub and we were provided with a bag of bark in our setup. I know that is not ideal for a corn but wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible in her new home. As that's what she was used to I put a few layers of kitchen towel down, then bark in the cool end. Now she has shed but still has a few scraggy bits remaining, so I have put some extra bark in for her to rub through.
I have read that at first it can be difficult to know what to look for to clean out when using aspen, and it's still not that obvious to me! Is it OK for us to continue in this way for a little while, and then switch to aspen later? Or would you ditch the bark pronto?
Thanks. |
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Simmy_82
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1272 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2011 : 16:27:29
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Firstly with there being a few bits of shed still on your snake its best to get a tea towel or flannel, soak it with some warm water and let the snake pass through it a few times to see if it comes off.
With regards to the substrate. I used kitchen roll for the first month or so until i got used to what i was looking for(poo wise). Then once i knew what to look for i changed her onto beech chips. Aspen i've heard makes it harder to spot the poo as hatchie poo dries up and turns to dust pretty quick.
As long as you have a thin layer over the warm end (so that heat can pass through it) then either will be fine 
Its really up to you what you use. The snake will be fine with which ever you use. Aspen is good for burrowing, tho mine manages just fine burrowing under the beech chips in the deeper cool end of the faun. |
 
0.1.0 - Cat - Tallulah
0.0.1 - Carolina Corn Snake - Lilith |
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garrie
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1148 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2011 : 16:29:06
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There isn't really a problem with you switching to Aspen...or continuing to use bark. The thing that a lot of owners do with hatchlings is to simply put down kitchen roll (never toilet roll though, due to how it disolves) on its' own - this makes is really easy to clean, gets you used to what the poop looks like (and makes it very easy to spot)...and is quite simply, much much cheaper and easier.
Corns in the wild don't get the luxury of Aspen, Bark or kitchen roll as their flooring - so I would imagine she will be happy with whatever you put her on. |
^click for more pics^
Garrie - Halesworth, Suffolk. 1.0 AURYN (fire morph corn) 0.1 Puzzle (Cat) |
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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5091 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2011 : 16:35:15
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Corns in the wild don't get the luxury of Aspen, Bark or kitchen roll as their flooring - so I would imagine she will be happy with whatever you put her on.
Lol very true!
The only reason I haven't tried to handle her with a wet towel etc is because we only got her a coule of days ago, so didn't want to stress her out too much - trying to obey the 'leave alone for a week' rule lol! That's why I thought check her again in a couple of days, and try it then if she was still retaining. Do you think it would be better to just help her straight away? I did wonder about maybe putting a small jar in with wet kitchen roll in, if I could find one small enough to fit! |
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huffy_86
Hatchling
United Kingdom
113 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2011 : 16:58:43
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We use aspen but there's a number of suitable substrates you can use. We were recommended aspen as it's extremely absorbant so your snake has a wee or poo it's contained in a smaller area until you can clean it preventing any spread of bacteria.
It is a bit tricky to spot however as it can often be a yellow coloured dust that blends perfectly with aspen! Once you know what you're looking for though you'll be ok |
James aka Huffy, Leighton Buzzard. |
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Question about substrate
