At 09:15 AM 12/15/00 -0800, Laura Ricketts wrote:
[quoting someone]
> >If you're worried about impaction, you might try
> >using a mixture of sand and peat, or sand and coco
> >fibers. Add some water to it and lay it into the
> >enclosure like mud (you can even shape it a little
> >when its like this). Let it dry, and it will become
> >hard and solid.
>
>I find this an interesting idea! Would like to get
>more information about how is maintains and how to
>clean and care for it! Do you use it for other herps?
>How "solid" is it... like cement? What kind of sand
>are you using?
I've used mixed substrates like this quite a bit with geckos---mostly
_Coleonyx_ and some assorted other terrestrials---with great success. The
sand-peat mixture solidifies into a pretty good approximation of coarse
hardpan, very like the soil I find _C. variegatus_ on in the wild (OK, the
soil I find them *on* is usually asphalt, but the nearby soil is typically
packed sandy alluvium). Something coarse like coconut fiber or vermiculite
will help hold it together as the geckos undermine the entire tank with
tunnels.
I've never had a problem with geckos eating this type of substrate, but
that isn't a guarantee that they wouldn't. In particular, I've never kept
leopards, who I gather have a bad habit of eating subtrates.
NT
######################################################################
THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV
WebSite: http://www.gekkota.com
The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings.
######################################################################
