Thanks for the heads up. I mix mine with coco fiber because it's so messy by itself.
I take in wild turtles and pet turtles and tortoises that are sick or injured. The pet ones are dog or raccoon-chewed, or are victims of poor care (bad set-up, bad diet). Sometimes they have received inappropriate prior medical treatment. (Not all exotic vets are good with chelonians!!). Zoo Med Reptibark is, like all chip bark bedding, a possible source of gastrointestinal obstruction so I don't recommend it for chelonians. There are safer options.Is it the specific Zoo Med reptibark you don’t recommend? I do not use this for turtles.
You’re a rehabber? So you take in turtles that have been poorly cared for?
Isn't Reptibark just orchid bark?
I was also confused as Orchid bark is the main substrate recommended here.I thought it was as well, this is what @Tom has indicated in the past, it's fine Fir bark. He's also said before that substrate eating is often an indicator of a mineral deficiency, which can be remedied by feeding the supplement Miner-All. @KarenSoCal talked about her Burmese star eating cyprus mulch in the past, which I've also seen with my Greek tortoise, which is why I switched to the Reptibark. I thought the consensus was that the bark was the best option over sand or soil etc to reduce impaction risk. Maybe this is only a concern for poorly cared for box turtles? Are they more prone to eating substrate compared to tortoises?
FIne grade orchid bark is the best of all compromises for tortoise substrate. It is much less of a gastrointestinal obstruction risk than any other substrate recommended. There are NOT safer options, and there are not better options for tortoises.I take in wild turtles and pet turtles and tortoises that are sick or injured. The pet ones are dog or raccoon-chewed, or are victims of poor care (bad set-up, bad diet). Sometimes they have received inappropriate prior medical treatment. (Not all exotic vets are good with chelonians!!). Zoo Med Reptibark is, like all chip bark bedding, a possible source of gastrointestinal obstruction so I don't recommend it for chelonians. There are safer options.
I have worked with box turtles for more than 30 years. I have never known them to intentionally eat their substrate other than small white debris they happen upon, presumably misidentified as a mineral source (bone). However, they will inadvertently ingest surprisingly large objects that cling to food they are eating. Their front feet and beak are imperfect at removing clinging debris, and once in the mouth, some objects just keep going down. Reptibark is just the right size to cling to food and just big enough to not pass easily through the alimentary and out the anus. (I have had to maneuver it out with lubrication and forceps. Attached is a pic of about half of what I removed from a large male Eastern Box Turtle kept on Reptibark. He could not excrete any on his own and prolapsed his penis while straining. It was damaged and required excision. I have had other similar cases.I thought it was as well, this is what @Tom has indicated in the past, it's fine Fir bark. He's also said before that substrate eating is often an indicator of a mineral deficiency, which can be remedied by feeding the supplement Miner-All. @KarenSoCal talked about her Burmese star eating cyprus mulch in the past, which I've also seen with my Greek tortoise, which is why I switched to the Reptibark. I thought the consensus was that the bark was the best option over sand or soil etc to reduce impaction risk. Maybe this is only a concern for poorly cared for box turtles? Are they more prone to eating substrate compared to tortoises?
I think you got it here. Poorly cared for animals, it’s not the reptibark.I thought it was as well, this is what @Tom has indicated in the past, it's fine Fir bark. He's also said before that substrate eating is often an indicator of a mineral deficiency, which can be remedied by feeding the supplement Miner-All. @KarenSoCal talked about her Burmese star eating cyprus mulch in the past, which I've also seen with my Greek tortoise, which is why I switched to the Reptibark. I thought the consensus was that the bark was the best option over sand or soil etc to reduce impaction risk. Maybe this is only a concern for poorly cared for box turtles? Are they more prone to eating substrate compared to tortoises?
I think you got it here. Poorly cared for animals, it’s not the reptibark.