paper shreddings as substrate

[stinkyskinky]

I shred up brown paper bags from the grocery store to use as substrate for my cornsnake. She burrows in it, and it's worked great for her. I just really like that its a reused material. Call ne crunchy. Anyhow, just wondering if anyone has tried something similar or can think of any reason i cant do the same with my BTS.
Thanks,
Becca

[stinkyskinky]

Sorry,after posting i thought I should clarify that I shred with a paper shredded that leaves themaaterial in short pieces, not long strips.

[Bird_Brain]

I personally see no reason why this would not work. There has been concerns about possible paper cuts (like the eye) but IMO the possibility is as great as them getting a splinter in the eye from wood shavings. Pretty much nonexistent.

[Rani-May]

A lot of people do this without any problems. My reptile vet recommended it for a baby bluey even.

[stinkyskinky]

Good deal. The baggers hate me because I ask for the paper, but it makes me feel better.

[Shortie]

Thia is a pretty good question. I'm wondering if I could use the paper in the shredder right now but I'm worried about mine getting ink poisoning? Is it possible for skinks to get ink poisoning?

[Rani-May]

well personally i would use blank paper if used as substrate. i use newspaper as a lining however. But if i were to use it as substrate and it were to get wet... just doesnt seem good to me. but thats just my opinion. blank paper was suggested to me for babies so that'd be completely fins for adults too. just dunno about used newspaper

[Shortie]

Slinky shoves enough substrate into his water bowl as it is! O wells, the stuff in the shredder will get recycled then

[stinkyskinky]

Well, the paper getting wet hasn't been a problem with the snake, but she's not a bather and the skink is. So, time will tell if this works for him or not.

[Cathy20]

I use inky paper shreds and my skink doesn't eat his substrate and he hasn't been cut by it so I'm sure your skink will be fine just make sure if it gets in the water fish it out or something because IMO water = life to them and they'll drink up the paper with it.

[Fatal_S]

I use inky paper shreds and my skink doesn't eat his substrate and he hasn't been cut by it so I'm sure your skink will be fine just make sure if it gets in the water fish it out or something because IMO water = life to them and they'll drink up the paper with it.

I have to disagree. I could half-fill the water dishes with pieces of paper and I doubt more than a piece or two would every get consumed. Skinks (generally) aren't stupid. They don't chow down on water like they do food - they slowly lap it up. And they happen to be excellent and getting untasty-things out of their mouth. Now obviously it's not good to have messy water, but we don't give them nearly enough credit sometimes.

[dsteamn]

I use shredded white paper for our babies when they are born. Its nice for them to dig in and easy for me to see where they have done their business.

[Spindown]

I'd be concerned about the paper getting soggy, and being as its strips or shredded it could be harder to remove? I've never used this type of substrate though