Aeon
Member
I've heard all about this impaction risk which has often got me to wondering where it all came from?
See I'm quite a practical thinker and I see things that maybe others miss.
Allow me to share my thoughts on what I've understood about substrate, namely sand and the term impaction.
I first heard of impaction when I got my Bearded Dragon Freyja about 4 years ago. I was told on many forums and also on YouTube vids that sand was a great big no no due to impaction.
My initial reaction was to start looking to other substrates to lay down in her vicarium. Being the practical kind of guy I am and also having the love for my animals that I do, I try to create a happy, as close to their natural environment as possible.
First thing I noticed is that they come from Australia in the desert. No sand there right I thought.
Confuzzled!!!
Also I have over many years studied birds, reptiles and dinosaurs all of which injest small stones often referred to as gizzard stones to help them digest food items mainly due to the fact that they don't have teeth, so they can't chew the same as we mammals can and start the breakdown of matter before it his the stomach.
Obviously if you are rolling peeled apples and bananas in the sand then feeding that to your Turtle, Dragon or Tortoise then you are gonna come across problems.
So my thoughts are that impaction 85% of the time is down to poor husbandry and a lack of care 25% it is unavoidable. I would also say the same applies in the wild.
Sand is everywhere reptiles are so how can sand be such a poor choice of substrate when it occurs so abundantly in nature.. .
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Aeon x
See I'm quite a practical thinker and I see things that maybe others miss.
Allow me to share my thoughts on what I've understood about substrate, namely sand and the term impaction.
I first heard of impaction when I got my Bearded Dragon Freyja about 4 years ago. I was told on many forums and also on YouTube vids that sand was a great big no no due to impaction.
My initial reaction was to start looking to other substrates to lay down in her vicarium. Being the practical kind of guy I am and also having the love for my animals that I do, I try to create a happy, as close to their natural environment as possible.
First thing I noticed is that they come from Australia in the desert. No sand there right I thought.
Confuzzled!!!
Also I have over many years studied birds, reptiles and dinosaurs all of which injest small stones often referred to as gizzard stones to help them digest food items mainly due to the fact that they don't have teeth, so they can't chew the same as we mammals can and start the breakdown of matter before it his the stomach.
Obviously if you are rolling peeled apples and bananas in the sand then feeding that to your Turtle, Dragon or Tortoise then you are gonna come across problems.
So my thoughts are that impaction 85% of the time is down to poor husbandry and a lack of care 25% it is unavoidable. I would also say the same applies in the wild.
Sand is everywhere reptiles are so how can sand be such a poor choice of substrate when it occurs so abundantly in nature.. .
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Aeon x