Choosing a proper substrate is very important when setting up bearded dragon enclosures. Some substrates can be dangerous to your beardie. Here are a few common substrates for bearded dragons.
Paper
Some owners like to use paper products as a substrate. Paper towels and newspaper are good. Owners prefer this type of substrate because of its ease of maintenance. Whenever it gets soiled, you just throw it away and replace it. Newspapers can be printed with toxic ink. Make sure you don’t use this kind for your beardie.
Carpet
Other owners prefer to use carpet. Carpeting designed for either indoor or outdoor use is fine. This type of substrate is relatively easy to maintain too. Whenever carpet gets dirty, you can simply clean it in a washing machine. The carpet you use for a substrate should never have any loose threads in it. Your dragon may swallow one of the threads and become impacted.
Wood Shavings
Some types of wood shavings may be suitable for use as a substrate for bearded dragons. However, you should never use pine or cedar shavings. Your dragon will likely experience impaction if you use pine. Cedar shavings produce aromatic oils that are harmful to your beardie.
Walnut
You should never use walnut shell as a substrate. The danger here is two-fold. It can cause impaction if swallowed. This type of substrate has extremely sharp edges also. It’s sharp enough to cause serious harm to your dragon.
Sand
Playground sand is one of the most popular options. You can get this from virtually any hardware store. Dragons live in sandy desert areas in the wild, so this type of substrate does a good job simulating that environment. Since you can simply scoop up soiled areas, this type of substrate is very easy to maintain. One potential problem with juveniles is accidental ingestion which could cause intestinal impaction.
As a beardie owner, there are many different things you need to know about how to care for it. Proper care involves things like proper lighting for bearded dragons. Bearded-dragon-care.net provides all the information you need to take proper care of your dragon. Click over right now to start learning.
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