Feeding pythons on bark chips

[TA1PAN]

Hey does anyone feed there pythons on bark? Just wondering if it is safe to.

 

[python_dan89]

intresting why not just a clear tub?

 

[justbecausewhy]

I have spotted pythons and I feed mine on bark and have no problems...but my female hasnt eaten for 6 weeks now but Im not worried as she did this last year as well....also I put a male in with her and hopefully they will do the deed...yeah.
cheers...check out my pics on my profile.

 

[euphorion]

i just use newspaper as a substrate. used to use plastic tubs for feeding when i had fewer animals but now they all just get fed in their enclosures. sure if you have a nice display enclosure use some nice substrate but if its only one animal (or just a few) it would be easier and safer for you to use a tub to feed in. the only health risks, providing the substrate is cleaned regularly and isnt dusty, would be from ingestion of the chips. i would just say use newspaper or a tub to be safe

 

[Sel]

I use bark chips in one of my snake enclosures, she gets fed on it..and everything is fine. I was worried at the start that she might swallow some bark with the mouse..so i always supervised
But, never happened..

 

[syeph8]

i had a really bad experience once with bark, was a colubrid though, not a python so might be different. i wont risk it again though

 

[JUNGLEJAGUAR]

Yum Yum.. bark sounds soooo tasty..?

 

[syeph8]

Yum Yum.. bark sounds soooo tasty..?

haha roxy thought so... didnt come out the other side though.. needed some quite radical invasive techniques to remove after weeks of waiting /9and it was quite obviously causing pain for those weeks if you remember me telling you at the time Jane?

 

[Tikanderoga]

I had Boas on bark - fed them on bark - never had any issues.

 

[JUNGLEJAGUAR]

haha roxy thought so... didnt come out the other side though.. needed some quite radical invasive techniques to remove after weeks of waiting /9and it was quite obviously causing pain for those weeks if you remember me telling you at the time Jane?

Awwwww poor princess): i remember you telling me, you must of been so worried about her poor roxy);
I wasnt getting at you lol 100% was aimed at the thread feeding snakes on bark omg.

 

[ellie]

poor lexy poor sye lol that snake is suicidal id be a stress head if she were mine

 

[syeph8]

haha ta.. common consensus is that if she makes it to breeding age she will breed like crazy because shes obviously nuts like all the ones us fellas go for! shes goin strong now though after her 4th emergency (the only snake i have ever had one emergency with). i would use coconut husk if you want something similar to tan bark thats not going to be too bad, just beware humidity!

 

[syeph8]

Awwwww poor princess): i remember you telling me, you must of been so worried about her poor roxy);
I wasnt getting at you lol 100% was aimed at the thread feeding snakes on bark omg.

hahaha dont sweat it i couldnt take offence if i tried! PM sent explaining why!

 

[JAS101]

Hey does anyone feed there pythons on bark? Just wondering if it is safe to.

if your worried about it eating some of the bark , then put a large tile in and feed it on that .

 

[cockney red]

I feed one of mine on Bark, and its showing all the signs of becoming a fine looking tree

 

[Sel]

Awwwww poor princess): i remember you telling me, you must of been so worried about her poor roxy);
I wasnt getting at you lol 100% was aimed at the thread feeding snakes on bark omg.

Whats wrong with it?

 

[syeph8]

Whats wrong with it?

she swallowed a piece of park that stuck to her food, was quite an obvious protrusion, a very sharp piece of tan bark that would normally digest but i think it was from a knot, or nut or whatever that really had part is called (not really that big on my woodwork terminology). and so there was a very sharp piece of tan bark stuck in her for over two weeks which the vet said required surgery, but as she is only a yearling CTS, would most likely not have survived anyway, so we decided to go the cheaper of the two dangerous methods of filling her up and massaging it back out her mouth.. wasnt pretty and took a long time to recover from.. it is now many months later and she is eating and pooping well, although has continued to always get herself in the wierdest predicaments which stress her out and has really affected her behaviour.. she is a total recluse and i barely ever see her unless i am taking her out to feed her or have just put her back in.

 

[KatshirT]

Simply; I think people need to take into account that snakes in the wild will eat there prey items on all sorts of substrates.

I've seen more dead snake by vehicles than from any other source. I have fed snakes on all sorts of substrates and none have caused any issues with feeding, but health problems on the other hand.... absolutely heaps!

Main thing to keep in mind is so long as the substrate is clean you'll have a happy snakey..

 

[BARRAMUNDI]

I have maintained numerous Pythons and Elapids on varieties of substrates. The main thing is as said, keep it clean and ensure the food item is completely dry before feeding it out. If its dry, substrate wont stick to it.

Like KatshirT said, you have to think of snakes in the wild, they eat their food off almost anything, their digestive tract is also designed to digest all manner of bones, fur etc. Generally a bit of substrate swallowed wont cause too much harm. However strange things do happen....

If you are happy with a clinincal clean look, use newspaper and plastic hides.

If you like the natural look, use substrates and timber logs, just do what you can to minimise swallowing of substrate.
ie dry the food item, feed in a tub, place something over the substrate when feeding

 

[cement]

Thats what I do ,I lay sheets of newspaper over the substrate for them to feed on and then just remove it.