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Cazador · 03-29-2007, 02:22 AM

Hi Hannah,

Just after you've refinished your enclosure is a rotten time to learn that the substrate you've chosen is potentially dangerous, but moisture + soil + heat + dark pockets can create prime conditions for bacterial and fungal growth. It seems natural that soil would be a good choice since wild snakes live their entire lives on it, but captivity and confinement present a whole different set of issues that have to be dealt with. The problem with soil is that it's very good at retaining moisture and has enough nutrients (particularily if organic matter is mixed in) to allow fungal and bacterial growth. It can also be difficult to clean thoroughly, particularily when excrements soak in deep. In captivity, the snake is confined to a comparatively small area. They're unable to get fresh air if nitrogenous wastes or bacterial/fungal spores accumulate, and are continually re-exposed to bacteria and fungi that grow in contaminated substrate. In captivity, waste products that penetrate down into the soil can't be degraded fast enough in their limited space, so being able to thoroughly clean and remove them as they're deposited becomes even more important.

Bacteria and and fungi can produce a whole range of toxins that are primarily a threat to the respiratory tract, but they can also cause problems to the kidneys, liver, skin, and digestive track (if ingested). In fact, stomatitis (AKA skin rot) is a fungal infection. Even if you bake the soil, common airborne pathogens can still easily colonize the soil when water is spilled or tracked out of the water dish or when the snake urinates/defecates.

My advise is just not to go too long between soil changes and switch to a healthier substrate after your next change. Most of the time, there isn't a problem, but it's a real shame when easily preventable problems affect the health of your snake.

The short recap is that soil retains moisture, provides nutrients, prime growing space, and becomes a good breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which are harmful to snakes that are continually re-exposed in their limited space. Kind regards,

Rick

03-29-2007, 02:22 AM	#25 (permalink)
Cazador Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,611	Re: The Best Substrate Hi Hannah, Just after you've refinished your enclosure is a rotten time to learn that the substrate you've chosen is potentially dangerous, but moisture + soil + heat + dark pockets can create prime conditions for bacterial and fungal growth. It seems natural that soil would be a good choice since wild snakes live their entire lives on it, but captivity and confinement present a whole different set of issues that have to be dealt with. The problem with soil is that it's very good at retaining moisture and has enough nutrients (particularily if organic matter is mixed in) to allow fungal and bacterial growth. It can also be difficult to clean thoroughly, particularily when excrements soak in deep. In captivity, the snake is confined to a comparatively small area. They're unable to get fresh air if nitrogenous wastes or bacterial/fungal spores accumulate, and are continually re-exposed to bacteria and fungi that grow in contaminated substrate. In captivity, waste products that penetrate down into the soil can't be degraded fast enough in their limited space, so being able to thoroughly clean and remove them as they're deposited becomes even more important. Bacteria and and fungi can produce a whole range of toxins that are primarily a threat to the respiratory tract, but they can also cause problems to the kidneys, liver, skin, and digestive track (if ingested). In fact, stomatitis (AKA skin rot) is a fungal infection. Even if you bake the soil, common airborne pathogens can still easily colonize the soil when water is spilled or tracked out of the water dish or when the snake urinates/defecates. My advise is just not to go too long between soil changes and switch to a healthier substrate after your next change. Most of the time, there isn't a problem, but it's a real shame when easily preventable problems affect the health of your snake. The short recap is that soil retains moisture, provides nutrients, prime growing space, and becomes a good breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which are harmful to snakes that are continually re-exposed in their limited space. Kind regards, Rick Last edited by Cazador; 03-29-2007 at 04:05 AM.