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Heat Transmission:
Under tank heating like heat pads or heat strips are usually
the logic choice when it comes to supplying heat to ground dwelling reptiles and
amphibians. For heat to actually reach the animal, a good
heat transmitting substrate must be used. Transmitted heat can
be tested by placing a thermometer directly on top of the substrate. If the temperature is within the desired range the
substrate should do, but alternatively a better transmitting
substrate should be used or appropriate overhead heating
should rather be implemented. 
Accessories
& Other Stuff for Herptiles | Top |
Ability To Remain In
Place:
When using any in-cage heat pad or heat strip it is
important to prevent direct contact with the animal. Usually a deeper layer of bedding is used, but
deeper layers insulate heat better and prevent proper heat transmission. Heat transmitting substrates that stays in place
better than average can be used in lesser amounts.
Burrowing species needs a substrate that is
loose and light in weight. For brumating (hibernating) herps it is
also recommended that a deep layer of this substrate is used. It is
once again important to prevent direct contact with the heat
source. Good burrowing substrates include wood shavings, leafs and corn
cob.
| Top |
Safety With
Regard To Ingestion:
Herps might become ill after ingesting certain substrates.
Most "particlelized" substrates can potentially cause
intestinal obstruction after ingestion. Factors such as
particle size, digestibility and ability to absorb water and
swell should be taken into consideration.
The more dangerous substrates with regard to ingestion includes the following:
- Sand
- Soil
- Gravel
- Pebbles
- Bark nuggets
- Corn cob
- Wood shavings / sawdust
- Vermiculite
Although dangerous for lizards, corn cob makes excellent bedding for
burrowing snakes or snakes during the brumation period. It can also be
successfully used
as a traveling substrate. Wood shavings are regularly used as
bedding for snakes and gravel and sand are regularly used for lizards.
Problems comes in with hungry or greedy herps when they
accidentally ingest some of substrate while killing prey / eating or where the
substrate sticks to wet or soft food like in the case of
unthawed rodents. With snake species these substrates
should not pose any problem when they are fed in another
container or when a feeding platform or a shallow feeding dish
are used. Some lizard species will also purposefully ingest finer
(calcium rich) substrates
like sand to increase their calcium intake. This will eventually
lead to life threatening sand impaction. Although these animals
are usually depleted of calcium because of various possible
reasons, the problem should be rectified as soon as possible.
Unfortunately even when they problem is solved some herps still
show this behaviour. This is why it is recommended not to use
dangerous substrates from the start. Another reason to ingest substrates include the
fact that some species, i.e. some chelonians and hunting
lizards, might explore a new environment and pick the fresh
bedding up with the tip of their tongues which are then
inadvertently swallowed potentially leading to impaction. | Top |
Suitability
For Use With Feeding
Insects:
Insects such as crickets,
cockroaches
and
mealworms can
potentially hide under substrates that are loose, light in
weight and/or "particlelized". This is especially important
when it comes to the monitoring the eating behaviour of baby
and juvenile lizards. Substrates that serves potential
hiding places for insects include the following:
- Flat newspaper
- Wood shavings
- Indoor-outdoor carpet
- Soil
- Corn cob
- Pebbles
- Bark nuggets
- Vermiculite
- Gravel
Some of these substrates are also dangerous when accidentally
or purposefully ingested (see
above). It is
also not recommended to decorate the terrarium with
"fancy hiding places" for insects. Decoration
together with the abovementioned substrates should be saved until
the animal is well established and its feeding behaviour is
set.
| Top |
Odor, Dust Accompanying
& Toxicity:
Dusty or odour treated substrates can cause respiratory
problems. These include fine wood
shavings, sawdust and fine sand.
Cedar (Cedrus spp.) and shavings contain aromatic resins that may be toxic herptiles.
Redwood nuggets should be
avoided at all times.
| Top |
Absorbency, Disposability
& Compostability:
Wet and moist substrates serve as the perfect breeding
grounds for various micro-organisms such as bacteria, micoplasmas,
fungi and
potentially viruses. Some of these micro-organisms might be pathogenic (disease
causing) or even deadly to both the herptile and the owner (zoonoses). Tropical species may need higher humidities to function normally. In these conditions almost any
substrate will somehow absorb water and eventually become moist
enough for the multiplication of micro-organisms. This is why
containers with high humidities should be washed, disinfected
and cleaned on a regular basis. Cleaning will not be practical with
substrates that are too heavy, too costly or too difficult to
clean regularly.
Other species need very clean and dry (hot)
conditions. Some of these species benefit from very
absorbent beddings such as shredded aspen or recycled paper
or wood pulp pellets.
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Corn Cob:
Description: Corn cob,
a natural, non-toxic by-product of maize processing,
probably incorrectly named after corn on cob (as in
maize/corn), It is a small, roundish, fibrous substrate and
is usually used as substrate for bird cages. Corn cob is
available
from some specialized pet shops.
Pros: Light, disposable, large insects cannot hide under
it, looks clean and neat, are more natural looking than wood
shavings and can be cleaned easily by removing droppings
manually.
Cons: Does not
transmit heat well, pushed aside easily, will support mould growth
when wet and must be changed
regularly, undigestible to herptiles and can potentially cause compaction
when ingested.
To Be Used For:
As transport or brumation substrates for snakes or for burrowing snake
species. Also popular to used as substrates for bird cages and
laboratory
rats
and mice.
Not To Be Used For: Lizards and the smaller and regular feeding
snake species (without feeding platform) and in containers with high
relative humidities.
Recommendation: Not
recommended as it can cause drying of dermal tissues and can cause intestinal
obstruction if
swallowed which may lead to death. When planning on using corn cob as substrate it is recommended
to feed the snake in another container without corn cob as substrate or
to use a feeding platform or shallow feeding container.
| Top |
Vermiculite:
 Description: Vermiculite
is a natural, non-toxic, mineral that expands with the
application of heat. It is available in a coarse and fine
grade and can be bought from
some specialized pet shops and some large nurseries where it is used as
hydrophonic plant medium or soil conditioner.
Pros: Light, semi-natural
looking, large insects cannot hide under it, can be cleaned easily by removing droppings manually,
good absorber of moist (used for this purpose), compostable and
relative safe with regard to ingestion.
Cons: Relatively
expensive (cheaper when bought in larger quantities from nurseries) and because of that, less disposable, can be easily
pushed aside, small insects can hide under it and not a good conductor
of heat. It can also be difficult to see small droppings amongst
the pieces.
To Be Used For:
Egg laying, egg incubating substrates, transporting or
brumating snakes or for burrowing snake species.
Not To Be Used For: Lizards
Recommendation:
Because vermiculite tend to break up in smaller parts,
especially when wet, it is recommended to replace regularly.
| Top |
Soil:
 Description: Soil from
the garden or potting soil.
Pros: Cheap, natural
looking, can be collected yourself, droppings can easily be
removed by hand, when whet it can raise the humidity of
container,
transmits and keeps heat relatively good, stays in place easily,
difficult for large insects to hide in.
Cons: Heavy, has to be
disinfected, has to be changed regularly, not easy to replace,
when whet it can raise the humidity of container and become
muddy, when dry it can become dusty, may cause
impaction when ingested, can stain the container it is used in and can be a suitable breeding ground for ants and
other small organisms.
To Be Used For: Display
purposes.
Not To Be Used For: Rest
Recommendation:
Unsterilized soil contains all the ingredients for the proliferation of various small ground
insects and ground micro-organisms that can serve as harmful parasites
or
pathogens to you and your herptile. I do not recommend using soil, even if it's
disinfected. Soil can be sterilized by baking it in a 200 -
250 °C / 392 - 482 °F oven for one to two hours. Soil must
be free from perlite, compost, insecticides and other
toxins.
| Top |
Compost:
 Description:
Bought from nurseries to fertilize soil.
Pros: Light, cheap, natural
looking, easy to remove droppings manually, when whet it can raise the humidity of
container,
transmits and keeps heat very good.
Cons: Has to be
disinfected when used for herptiles, has to be changed regularly,
when wet it can raise the humidity of container, stinks, may cause
impaction when ingested, is
difficult to replace and clean a container after compost was
removed and is a suitable breeding ground for ants and
other small organisms.
To Be Used For: Culturing
insects and other food. Planting substrate.
Not To Be Used For: Herptiles
Recommendation: Compost
must be free from perlite, insecticides and other toxins.
| Top |
Aquarium Pebbles:
Description: Pebbles
are basically small round rocks (usually colourful) which is sold
at most pet shops. They are available in different sizes and
colours and are usually used as aquarium substrates.
Pros: Attractive,
uniform in size, can be washed, disinfected and re-used, good
transmitter of heat, natural colours usually look quite
pleasing and cannot be pushed aside easily.
Cons: Can be ingested by
larger lizards, heavy, expensive, insects can hide under it and
difficult to clean droppings manually.
To Be Used For: Snakes
Not To Be Used For: -
Recommendation:
(also for Aquarium Gravel
mentioned below) A double set of pebbles can be prepared to save some time when cleaning. Pebbles
can be cleaned by soaking it in a large bucket for a few minutes. Then stir and rinse
until all the visible particles is removed
and the water runs clean. Disinfect by soaking in a chloride solution like diluted Jik™, Milton™
or F10 for at
least half an hour. Follow the preparation instructions
mentioned on the label of the disinfectant. Rinse everything very well and sundry
on a piece of
plastic or newspaper.
Make sure that pebbles are large enough to
prevent accidental ingestion by the animal housed on it.
| Top |
Aquarium Gravel:
 Description:
Natural small rock substrate. Used as substrate for
aquariums and is available in different shapes and sizes.
Available in small packets and bulk from most pet shops.
Pros: Cheaper than
aquarium pebbles, clean and natural looking,
transmits heats well, can be washed and re-used, not pushed
aside easily and easy to clean droppings manually.
Cons: Heavy, can be ingested
easily and may cause inmpaction, more expensive when disposed
regularly, more difficult to clean than pebbles, small insects
can hide under it and moisture
and water may pool at the bottom of the substrate.
To Be Used For:
Most herptile species especially ground dwelling insect eaters
and those needing higher relative humidities.
Not To Be Used For:
Lizards as they are the most probably to ingest it.
Recommendation:
Make sure that the gravel is large enough to prevent
accidental ingestion. See Aquarium Pebbles
section above for cleaning procedure.
| Top |
Build,
Plaster,
Play & River Sand & Calcisand™:
 Description: Sifted plaster sand,
building sand or
play sand can be bought from all building suppliers and some toy shops.
Calcium carbonate enriched or so called Calcisand™ are also
available. Clean river sand can also be bought or collected.
Pros: Relative cheap,
easy to clean droppings manually, natural looking, clean, not moved aside easily,
transmits heat relatively well and no hiding for small insects.
Cons: Heavy and
difficult to replace regularly, can lead to impactions when
ingested with food or when sand is ingested on purpose i.e.
one or other mineral deficiency (most probable Calcium) and
fine/dusty sand like plaster sand can cause respiratory problems.
To Be Used For: Desert
reptiles.
Not To Be Used For:
Even if marketed as "digestible", Calcisand™ should never be used for most ground dwelling lizards.
There are documented cases where this substrate caused
impactions. Although it is recommended by
some herpetologists any sand should not be used for lizard
with high calcium needs.
Recommendation:
Sand should always be washed to eliminate fine and
dusty particles and sterilized before use. It can be sterilized by baking it in
a 200 - 250 °C / 392 - 482 °F oven for one to two hours. Calcium sand should not be used with any
lizard as these animals have high requirements for Calcium and might get
impacted
when too much sand is ingested. River and play sand
are popular sand substrates to consider.
| Top |
Shredded Aspen:
Description: -
Pros: Somewhat natural
looking, eventually forms a dense mat, safe to use, disposable,
replacing is simple, very absorbent, minimize microbial contamination and dense mat not easily
moved and transmit heat
well.
Cons: Priced a bit
higher than wood shavings.
To Be Used For:
-
Not To Be Used For: -
Recommendation:
-
| Top |
Bark/Reptile Bark & Other
Wood Mulches & Nuggets:
 Description:
Commercially produced (disinfected) for herptiles or bark nuggets from plant
nurseries. Cypress or other wood/bark mulches are also popular.
Pros: Attractive, natural
looking and cannot be pushed aside easily.
Cons: Holds dangers when
ingested and should be prevented, commercial bark very
expensive and only available at some large pet shops, not a
good conductor of heat, may cause compaction problems, make suitable hiding places for
insects and can cause irritation and injuries to the legs and
snouts of digging reptiles.
To Be Used For:
Some lizards and snake species. Also used as substrate for
insects such as
Hissing
cockroaches.
Not To Be Used For:
Insect eating reptiles.
Recommendation: This
substrate is not recommended for use with greedy lizards as
it has a very high fiber content and is indigestible when
accidentally eaten.
| Top |
Butcher
Paper, Newspaper,
Brown Paper & Kitchen Towel:
Description: -
Pros: Cheapest,
disposable, easy to replace, ink (if
present) is generally non-toxic, clean and safe to use.
Cons: Unattractive,
makes good hiding place for snakes and large and small
insects, should usually not be used when under tank heating is
implemented where temperature is very hot.
To Be Used For:
Popular to use with juvenile snakes and lizards and as a transport
substrate for snakes.
Not To Be Used For:
Recommendation:
-
| Top |
Astroturf:
 Description:
AstroTurf™ is a registered trade mark (www.astroturfusa.com),
but the term isalso used more generally for any type of
artificial/synthetic turf. It differs from
carpet in that it resembles grass.
Pros: Transmits heat
well, cannot be pushed aside, there's no hiding place for
insects, safe and can be re-used.
Cons: Tends to rot
easily when wetted, should be rotated regularly and serves as
hiding place for insects.
To Be Used For: -
Not To Be Used For:
Astroturf should not be used in a moist container with a high
humidity.
Recommendation:
Wash and let it dry in the sun before re-using.
| Top |
Carpet:
 Description:
A piece of indoor-outdoor, (cricket) pitch or reptile carpet.
Theoretically any carpet can be used, but easy of cleaning &
price need to be considered. The green pitch carpet that resembles
flat grass can
be bought in bulk from most carpet stores and cut to size. Ready
cut reptile carpet can be bought for higher prices at some
larger pet shops.
Pros: Semi-natural
looking, safe, can be washed and re-used for a long time,
transmits heat well, easy to clean, cannot be moved easily and can be used
with higher relative humidities.
Cons: Expensive,
labour intensive to clean, should be replaced and washed regularly and if not
cut to the correct size it can curl up to give hiding
places for snakes and insects and may stink permanently.
To Be Used For:
Most herps.
Not To Be Used For: -
Recommendation:
Because of its difficulty to clean
quickly, carpet should be used in a rotatory system. The extra piece should be
washed/scrubbed, disinfected (stench can stay in for a very long
time) and sun dried weekly. In case of an emergency carpets can be removed and vacuumed.
| Top |
Rabbit Or Lucerne/Alfalfa Pellets:
Description: Pellets
that you feed your rabbits can be bought from most pet shops.
Pros: Safe to ingest,
not much hiding for insects, easy to clean manually and to
replace.
Cons: Loose and can be
moved aside easily and crumbles when absorbing water so cannot
be used in higher humidities.
To Be Used For:
Raising lizards and some other reptiles.
Not To Be Used For:
Cages with high humidities.
Recommendation:
-
| Top |
Maize Meal (Corn):
Description:
Produced as food product for human consumption and sold at
most food stores.
Pros: Light, safe to use, disposable,
easily replaceable, easy to clean droppings manually and transmits heat
well.
Cons: Relative
expensive, ferments and gets sour easily, need to be replaced regularly, easily pushed aside.
To Be Used For:
When transporting or brumating/hibernating snakes or for burrowing snake
species and as substrates for small lizards.
Not To Be Used For:
Splashing lizards as they splash in
their water and cause the maize to get wet and sour.
Recommendation:
-
Other: Maize meal as
substrate tends to ferment
when wet. This is a problem especially when keeping batches of
hatchling lizards in the same container.
| Top |
Sphagnum Moss:
 Description:
Commercial sphagnum moss is a dried mixture of natural mosses
in the genus Sphagnum. It is also known as Bog or Peat moss.
They have a high water holding capacity and because of their
strong cellular structure they do not decay readily.
Sphagnum moss are available from specialized pet shops.
Pros: Attractive, natural
looking and absorbs and keep water well.
Cons: Expensive and only available at some
specialized pet shops, may cause compaction problems when
ingested, make suitable hiding places for smaller insects and
can be a source of fungal infections.
To Be Used For:
Some amphibians and wetland environment reptiles as the main
substrate or for humidifying shelters or hide bozes (i.e. Leopard
geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Can also be used
as egg-laying medium.
Not To Be Used For: Desert
reptiles.
Recommendation: Sphagnum
moss can be prepared by soaking it in water and manual expression
of excess water.
| Top |
Other Substrates:
Other useful substrates which are not yet discussed on this
page includes leaves, recycled
paper pellets, shredded newspaper, stripped or shredded office
paper, shredded coconut hull, bran, water and no bedding at all.
Other dangerous substrates include crushed walnut.
Rabbit pellets are a popular substrate for tortoises.
Water can be used as partial or main substrate for some
herptile species such as frogs, toads and some snakes. Some
of the important aspects of water as substrate includes the
pH (brackish or salt), the chloride content and bacteria.
Chloride can and usually should be removed from water either
reverse osmosis or filtration. Bacteria are used as biological water
filters to remove molecules such as ammonium, nitrates and
nitrites.
| Top |
Substrates
For The Job
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Description:
Wood shavings ("skaafsels") or sawdust ("saagsels")
is a natural by-product of wood processing, It is available
form most pet shops or in bulk from wood processing
factories.
Transport containers also need suitable substrates. Depending on the size of the
transport container a large or a small towel for
snake or lizard species can be used. This will
give them some grip and suitable hiding. Something lighter like newspaper
should be used for smaller snakes and snake species. Snakes can also be transported in containers
with corn cob, dust free wood shavings or maize/corn meal.
