to be perfectly honest, though it has only been a week, I sort of don't like the dirt setup. I only have space for a couple inches of it, so she isn't burrowing in it or anything, and it dries out much too fast (even with something covering the top). I also am really nervous about the size of some of the particles in the top soil. There's rocks that range in size anywhere from tiny fragments to pebbles nearly the size of her head, and every size rock in between. I know, you dirt users have never *experienced* an impaction, but it does happen, and I just don't want it to happen to my little (fat) girl. I think I may try something else in about a month, when I figure that I should be changing substrates anyways so as not to let bacteria build up (once again, though you haven't experienced it, it happens). Maybe I'll give sand a try or something. There's still a risk of impaction, but mostly just chronic impaction, which is less likely since an active reptile will usually pass the sand at a rate that it can't build up and clog them up. An impaction on a rock is basically a fatal impaction. The reptile will die right away because the rock will be blocking food from going through.



Just things I've been thinking about. Also, the dirt seems to get dusty quick. I have also noticed today that sam didn't even bother waking up for some reason until I woke her up this afternoon. Once I had waken her, she started eating some new greens I gave her since the ones in there were awful looking and she's basking now, but I am wondering what might have caused this sudden strange thing. She hasn't passed up a chance to eat since 4 days after I got her.



-ryan

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