Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a reptile enthusiast who has snakes, different lizards, amphibians and somet turtles. But I was recently given a greek tortoise who needed a good home. I did some research on substrate and I read that carefresh recycled paper was good, aspen, 50% Soil 50% sand mixture, hay, carpet and other things. I went with the easy burrowing sand/soil mixture. Is this wise or is there a better way? The person who originally had him used hay. I researched the forum archives but couldn't seem to come up with an answer that way. If anyone could give me an idea it would be greatly appreciated.

Harvey

I think you can't go wrong with a 50/50 soil/sand mixture, and it's what the majority of people in England use (although lately lots of people are switching to hemp (which, I think, is like aspen in the States). The only problem is that sometimes it can get a bit dusty and irritate their eyes, but you can spray it and dampen it down a bit.

Nina

Can you get this hemp product in the US?

I looked online at some links and they seemed to be UK or Canadian-based retailers.

I've seen hemp cloth items in the US, but not the hemp bedding.

Hemp is related to cannabis (marijuana) and so it's a politically charged topic in the US.

Aspen is a tree. Hemp is basically a weed cultivated for industrial uses.

At least it's on amazon

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00020BL38/103-8548580-7338259?v=glance&n=284507

It's really good stuff, and my horsfield loves it because he can burrow into it easily (the sand/soil mix is a bit too dry and loose for burrowing). Also, it has had all dust extracted, so nothing to irritate eyes or nose. Over here it has mainly been used for horses (until the tort community got wind of it). Now everyone seems to be switching to hemp. Here's a link to one of the main UK suppliers.
http://www.aubiose.co.uk/

Nina

I'll stick to the sand/soil mix. It's close to their natural setting, and all it requires is adding a little moisture every once in awhile and it works perfectly for keeping hatchlings indoors. Or at least I've had no problems managing it. I keep adults outdoors where they live on.... sand & soil!

I was just curious as to its availability in the US. Looks like a good substrate for snake keepers.