Bedding is important for ball pythons for a few reasons. A bedding helps to keep their enclosure clean and free of waste. It provides a comfortable place for them to rest and sleep.
Also bedding can help to absorb excess moisture and keep the enclosure from becoming too humid.
What Bedding is Best for a Ball Python?
A good bedding for ball pythons is aspen shavings. You can also use newspaper, but aspen shavings are better because they allow the snake to burrow.
You should avoid using cedar shavings, as they can be harmful to snakes.
Many things you can consider before having the beat ball python. Among many ball python bedding, two of the best are described in brief here.
Zoo Med Aspen Snake Bedding
This bedding keeps the terrarium nice and dry, preventing any type of mildew buildup from spilled water or other waste. Change the bedding every one or two months. For regular cleaning up, it usually lasts much longer than that.
The bedding can also absorb all the tank odors. This bedding does not have a strong smell. It is a bit dusty when you first pour it into the terrarium, but it settles almost immediately.
They are comfortable with ball python. Easy to install and come in convenient sizes. It is safe and healthy for the ball python as it comes free of added toxic oils and other harmful shavings.
ReptiChip Compressed Coconut Chip Substrate
This Coco substrate offers superb humidity retention all year around. The bedding is odor absorption ensures a pleasant environment. It can handle corn snakes, boas, geckos, colubrids, monitors and iguanas.
The eco-friendly item has the capacity of 10 lbs of safe, comfortable reptile bedding for professional breeders and serious hobbyists. Properly cleaned so it is a dust and dirt-free hermit crab or ball python snake bedding.
They are popular nowadays for being natural. Comparatively, they are cheaper than other products of this line. Coconut products are naturally antimicrobial, meaning that they resist mold and fungus growth.
When added water into the bedding, it expands to take in more water and guarantee the enclosure humidity levels are kept at an optimal.
What to Look for in Ball Python Bedding
A reptile will have substrate similar to how you may have wood flooring, carpet, or tile in your home. Water Retention & Effect on Humidity must be considered before buying ball python bedding.
Some ball pythons have burrowing habits and having the proper bedding will allow it to do that. To get rid of any kinds of infections to the ball python, the bedding should be neat and clean all the time.
When choosing bedding for your ball python, it is important to consider the following factors:
- Absorbency: The bedding should be absorbent to help keep the enclosure clean and prevent the snake from getting wet.
- Moisture retention: The bedding should also hold humidity well to help create the right environment for the snake.
- Dustiness: The bedding should be non-dusty to help prevent respiratory problems in the snake.
- Cost: The bedding should be affordable and easy to find.
How Much Bedding Should a Ball Python Have?
Nothing is more comfortable than resting in a comfortable setting for both humans and animals. The bedding should be wide enough to capture humidity sufficiently.
If the ball python has the habit of digging in the floor, then check it before buying. Whatever the size is, it should be germ-free. That is why it should be cleaned or have a new one. The ideal one should be strong enough to kill disease-causing pathogens yet not cause any harm to your ball pythons.
Also Read: Best Fake Plants for Ball Python
What Bedding is Safe for Ball Pythons?
It is nice to get comfortable bedding for ball python that is safe. The bedding will be such that it can retain water but can be dried automatically. Get softer bedding just in case it prefers to dig the bedding as like wildlife.
A safe bed should not be that harder. Bacteria, fungus, and viruses should not make colonies on the bedding that can further infect the ball python.
Neat and clean bedding for ball and python is safe. Coco Chips, Newspaper, Coco fiber, Eco Earth, Cypress mulch, Lignocel, Aspen, Paper towels, and Orchid bark are very good to be safe for ball python bedding.
Can Ball Pythons Use Paper Bedding?
It is difficult to understand what type of bedding the specific ball python would prefer. Bedding should not be made of cheap paper. They will not last long.
Besides, the usual paper will not be comfortable after extracting water. They are softer to make ball python holes. If there is bedding made of paper, they should not be that soft. Synthetic paper is not eco-friendly but they are good to protect organisms that can spread diseases.
They are not costly and you can have multiple bedding. Bedding made of raw paper is difficult to clean.
Also Read: Do Ball Pythons Need Heat Lamp?
How Thick Should Ball Python Bedding Be?
At the beginning, a tiny ball python may need a simple one but at its full size, it will definitely need thick bedding for comfort.
We know that thick bedding can suck more humidity compared to thinner ones. The thickness should be such that after digging any hole, it can hide in the hole. Thick bedding is liked by most of the ball pythons.
The thickness should not bring heat from the bottom of the enclosure. But thick ones are not that cheap compared to thinner ones. Cleaning purposes should not be that difficult.
How Often Do You Have to Change Ball Python Bedding?
Different ball python bedding will go for different time periods. This will depend on how it is used. Different environments have different amounts of humidity.
In that case you might consider changing bedding from time to time. It is time to get a new one once you notice external damage that irritates your pet.
Moreover, fungus makes the situation worse and it is wise to change it to avoid the spreading of further infections. Cheaper bedding will not have that much effect on your total budget. Cleaning includes the removal of shed skin, spills, uneaten food, urates, or feces.
Conclusion
As they come in differences in size between bedding for ball python, you must know what will fit comfortably. A good company will provide support of the best quality and should live with you for many years to come. Biodegradable products should be the first choice.
To be summarized, the choice will depend mostly on the choice of a specific ball python. Cost is another issue to be considered.