How to prepare leaf substrate?

[Hannahmania]

I bought my beautiful new spotted python home today. (After a slight change of heart - I ended up with a different one to the one I originally purchased when the snake I was going to get gave the guy in the shop a rather nasty bite when he went to fetch it! Apparently it wasn't the "good handler" that the other person had told me it was... )

Anyway, one thing I have been trying to work out is how to use leaves as a substrate. At the moment I have just got newspaper down, but the enclosure is looking a little bare (with only a half-log shaped hide and a water dish) and I was thinking about scattering some leaves, but I cant for the life of me find any information on what to use or how to prepare it.

I have a japanese maple out the front that has coated the area around it in leaves... is this a suitable type of leaf to use? What do I need to do to prepare the leaves for use with the snake? Or should I be finding some kind of "special" leaves from somewhere? This just has me a little confused.

Thanks!

Sharon

 

[Hellemose]

i would gather the leaves and divide them out on a sunny area and dry them completely, then i cant see any reason not to use them as substrate/deco

 

[Hannahmania]

Are their any issues with risk of infection/parasites?

 

[Hellemose]

if they get dried out i think the risk is minimal, you can also soak them in boiling water first then dry them out, that should eliminate any potential parasites.