A substrate is a thing of prior importance when you want to keep a snake. For the shelter of corn snake you can use several things, but not all the items are good for their bedding. Here we will be discussing the various options for corn snake bedding and their pros and cons.
Contents
What is the best substrate for the corn snakes?
There are various options available for the bedding of corn snakes, but the most ideal item is aspen shavings. There are different pet supply brands that offer the package of aspen beddings; you can offer them to the shelter of your pet corn snake. The packaged aspen shavings come without any mite or microbes which is a great thing for pet snakes.
Other than that, you can also provide the reptile with cypress shavings or even paper towels. All these are good ideas for the flooring of the reptile shelters.
1. Fluker Labs Repta Bark All-Natural Bedding:
This is orchid bark bedding and it is a good option for corn snakes. This natural bedding will offer a high level of humidity and good absorption quality. The material comes in large chunks so your snake would not try to consume it and will not face ingestion.
There are varieties of packets available with different amounts. So you can buy it at your convenience. Some users complained about having mites in the packet so if you are afraid of such an issue, then soak it in water or bake it in the oven for 45 minutes to make it free of mites.
Pros:
- Natural product
- Great price
Cons:
- Some packets have mites
2. Pestell Pet Products Corn Cob Bedding:
This is also a budget product for corn snake bedding. This is again a natural product that will not cause any kind of toxicity. This will keep the humidity level of the cage at a good balance. This is comfortable for the corn snake and they can dig the substrate to make burrows.
This bedding product can be easily cleaned. The corn snake owners would find their pet to enjoy the touch and feel of this bedding material and thus this will be an ideal option for the flooring.
Pros:
- Natural product
- Easy to maintain
Cons:
- Some users complain about getting the fewer amount of product
3. Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate:
This is a good product for making a natural habitat for your corn snake. The brand is a popular one and thus you will get a good amount of products suitable for the pet’s habitat. This is an eco-friendly product so when you will dispose of it, you will not be harming the environment anyway.
You have to make it wet after unpacking it to make sure that it absorbs the humidity. This process will also break down the chunks and make them easy to be spread inside the cage. Also, this material absorbs the odor and keeps the temperature and humidity at the right level.
Pros:
- Balances the humidity
- Keeps snake healthy
Cons:
- Mite infestation
4. Zilla Reptile Terrarium Bedding Coconut Husk Brick:
This product comes from yet another reputed brand of pet supplier. This is a fully organic material and is made from coconut fiber. The amount of product increases when you break the chunk and let the airflow inside it. This bedding material retains moisture and thus you can fill the cage flooring with this product.
You have to keep it in a thick layer and it will be a comfortable place for the corn snakes to make burrow and lie down. Also, they would love to lay their eggs on such bedding as it will make them feel comfortable and at home.
Pros:
- Organic product
- Comfortable for snakes
- Balances humidity level
Cons:
- Only sold in chunks, not in small portions
5. Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding:
This is a safe option for bedding for your pet corn snake. There are no additives mixed in the aspen bedding pack of this brand. Your snake will have the best feeling when you lay down this high-quality natural aspen bedding on its cage.
This product comes in chunks and not in dust form so there will be no worry about the ingestion. Also, it is a recyclable product and thus there will be no waster formed when you change the bedding. This environment-friendly product is just great for the corn snakes as the wood shavings are sourced from natural logs and not from any synthetic or artificial source. These are kiln dried shavings so there is no tress of smell or oil in these.
Pros:
- Naturally sourced from logs
- Can be reused as compost
- No additives
Cons:
- Contains dust when unpacked
6. Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding:
This is cypress mulch which can be used as the bedding of your corn snake cage. The natural feel and look will surely impress your pet snake and it will feel at home when you put this product in their cage. This can be called a natural product as it contains no synthetic item mixed. It is also environment friendly and will not harm nature even after it is disposed of.
Users have stated that their snakes are enjoying this substrate and they are totally comfortable with this product in their cage. This product is available online and that too at a nominal price. This makes it a bedding option much in demand.
Pros:
- Great price
- Lots of product in a pack
- Comfortable for corn snakes
- Free from mites or bugs
Cons:
- Flies get attracted when wet
7. Zilla Snake and Lizard Litter:
This is also a bag of aspen chips but the quality of the product is really high. This one is to be used in laboratories thus your corn snake will be pampered with high-grade bedding options. This pack contains heat-treated chips and thus these are highly absorbent of liquids. There is no chance of getting an allergy from this product as the oil and secretion is eliminated from these chips.
The chip sizes are much small and can be ingested so you should not use this product on the cages of a baby corn snake. However, there will be no problem with the adult snakes as they would not try to devour them. Spot cleaning is easy with this bedding option.
Pros:
- Heat-treated aspen chips
- No oil or allergen
- Natural product
Cons:
- Chips too small for baby corn snake
8. Small Pet Select All-Natural Pellet Bedding:
These pellets are somehow unique when it comes to floor bedding options for the corn snakes. There is no toxin involved in the product and thus your corn snake will not be harmed while you use this bedding option. This is an environment-friendly product and thus you will be able to recycle this product by composting it after removing it from the cage.
This product absorbs the smell too so you will have an odor-free household. Little of this product is needed to fill the bed of the cage and thus a packet of bedding will go a long way.
Pros:
- Smell free cage
- Comfortable for corn snake
- Natural product
- No toxicity
Cons:
- High price
9. OleyHemp OH! Small Pet Bedding:
This is a natural product that will keep your pet free from any mite or bug. Yet this product will be highly convenient for absorbing the liquids and maintaining the humidity. There will be no odor created by the wetness of the bedding material.
This is a biodegradable product and thus it is an environment-friendly product. This is a biodegradable product and thus you will be free from the guilt of damaging nature. This product is also long-lasting and thus one pack will last long for your pet cage.
Pros:
- Biodegradable product
- Absorbs smell
- Nature friendly
Cons:
- Packet is small
10. Josh’s Frogs Compressed Coco Husk Chips:
This is another eco-friendly option for your corn snake. This product can be used as a landfill when you need to remove it from the cage of the corn snake. This is a budget product as it is much expandable and thus a small amount of this product will fill the bed of the cage. This product has a draining quality and thus it will keep the corn snake free from wetness.
This is also a smart product for keeping the humidity level at a balance. This is a coarse material and thus it will be dug and burrows will be made from this product. Also, the odors will be soaked by this product so your snake habitat will not be a smelly place anymore.
Pros:
- Natural and odor absorbent
- Expandable
- Budget product
Cons:
- Pack cost high.
Faqs
Is sand an ideal option for corn snake bedding?
Sand is otherwise a good option for the bedding of the corn snakes until it is ingested by the corn snakes. Snakes love to stay on the sand and that also applies to their bedding option. But as it comes in dust form, the baby corn snakes may try to ingest it and that will be a fatal issue for its health.
How deep the substrate layer is in the cage of the corn snake?
The bedding should be at least two to three inches thick. You can keep the bedding smoothly on the cage of the corn snake to keep it peaceful and healthy.
Is using newspaper for the corn snake bedding a good idea?
Yes, the newspaper is a simple and budget-friendly option for bedding the corn snakes. This is a free item as we used to dump these after reading. If you want to keep the layer of the bedding thick, then use several sheets of newspaper or else shred it to make a pile of it. This will be a soft option for bedding in the cage of the corn snake.
However, you need to change the sheet after two to three days, as the water-retaining capacity of the newspaper is good. So it can suck up a good amount of water and later it can start scale rotting in your corn snake.
How often the bedding of the corn snake should be changed?
It is usually advised to change the bedding once in two months. There are spot cleanings found on the bedding which can be cleared by changing the flooring. The bedding of the corn snake does not get dirty very often though. They urinate in a lesser amount and you can give a break within the changing time of the whole bedding.
Why the bedding should be thick in the shelter of the snake?
Corn snakes love to dig and make a burrow. Thus you must keep the bedding in a thick layer that can be dug to keep the snake happy and feel at home.
Which substrates are not suitable for corn snakes?
Do not get reptile carpet to keep corn snake. This item does not come with much absorption capability and thus will not be suitable for the cage of corn snakes. Also, reptile carpets are high in terms of breeding or containing bacteria, thus you need to wash them every week with hot water and liquid soap to get them cleaned and disinfected.
Shelf liner or contact paper is another item that is disposable but not a suitable bedding option for the corn snakes. There are a variety of designs and colors available in this kind of paper but that does not make it a suitable choice for the bedding of corn snakes. Due to less or no absorption ability, you must not use this in the bedding of the corn snake cage.
Gravel should never be used on the floor of the corn snake cages. As this item does not have the least absorption power, it can lead to fungal growth in the terrarium. Also, the pieces are much large and thus your snake can get hurt when it comes to digging or burrowing on this item.
Now we can offer you a few suggestions in terms of bedding for the corn snake. Let us have a look at the list that we made.
More Substrate:
