Substrate help

I currently have my ball python, Rose, on Eco Earth. The humidity is pretty hit and miss. I was wondering if I used aspen shaving instead if it might be a little better. She is in an open topped 40 gallon tank, I might just need to go out and buy a piece of plexiglass cut to size.

Would aspen hold the humidity without having to be super damp?

I prefer cypress mulch over aspen in the winter for my ball pythons and boas as it holds humidity better without molding. During the warmer weather they're on newspaper, but they're in a rack system or enclosures designed to maintain humidity, not tanks.

If you're going to keep her in a 40-gallon tank I'd suggest using cypress year-round, and cover the top with something like Glad Press n Seal to keep the humidity in.

No, aspen won't help anymore than Eco earth in a tank. If you are not using a heat lamp, I suggest plexiglass with some holes drilled.