The previous pet store diet is probably responsible for the fat deposits you're seeing now. It sounds like you've adjusted the diet accordingly though. I have not seen what you're talking about in any of my Plateds or for that matter any other Plateds I've seen. I have however seen excessive fatty deposits in some other lizards that were fed an excessively high protein diet. The only thing you can do at this point is cut back on the higher fat foods and provide a large enough enclosure with variable terrain so that your Plated can run around some and get exercise. As for your substrate question, I would not use the peat moss just by itself. By itself it is a very dusty substrate and has the potential to clog nostrils and be a general irritant to the lizard. Instead you might consider making up your own substrate using an all organic topsoil mixed with the peat moss and some hardwood mulch or fir bark to give the soil mix some air space. Try to avoid topsoil that might have organic fertilizers which will almost always mean cow or chicken feces - these you don't want in your substrate!
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Matt Campbell
25 years herp keeping experience
Full-time zookeeper
Personal collection - 21 snakes (9 genera), 20 lizards (4 genera), 6 chelonians (2 genera)

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