Substrate

[Ahernandez1990]

Alfalfa pellets bad? Everywhere I go to look at little leos they tell me to use alfalfa pellets

 

[wellington]

Do not use pellets of any kind. The best in my opinion is coconut coir. Holds in moisture really good and won't mold. Stick to info you read on TFO, most pet stores are still doing things the old wrong way.

 

[Ahernandez1990]

Do not use pellets of any kind. The best in my opinion is coconut coir. Holds in moisture really good and won't mold. Stick to info you read on TFO, most pet stores are still doing things the old wrong way.

Thats what I figured I havent bought any substrate yet I was going to go with the coconut coir and cypress mulch because from the reading I have done they do require some humidity if I am correct im in the process of getting everything ready for the lil guy

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Good call questioning the use of pellets! I use coconut fiber, pretty much the same thing as listed. As long as the substrate will hold in moisture and not irritate the tort you'll be golden!

 

[Neal]

Peat moss and cypress mulch are better options than alfalfa pellets.

 

[Tom]

What you are being told is the old way of housing baby leopards and sulcatas. It is incorrectly assumed that they need dry, desert conditions, and that humidity will harm them. This old info is DEAD wrong and its the reason why a lot of them get dehydrated, pyramid, and sometimes die.

Ask them to show you adult leopards that were raised that way. Then take some time to look at the leopards raised here on the forum with high humidity, warmth and good hydration. Night and day, I tell ya'.

There are two giant threads on this, btw. A couple of decent care sheets too.

 

[Jacob]

That info should be old and outdated.
You want a substrate that holds in humidity and is safe in ingested.
Cypresss mulch or coco fiber is great

 

[Ahernandez1990]

I got coconut fiber last night and will get cypress mulch this week I am just waiting on a phone call letting me know I can pick the little guy/girl up

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

We use cypress mulch a lot. Never any issues.