Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well i changed out the sand like ppl been tellin me and put paper towel in (was wondering if 2towels is enough?) and fed him and put in a lid of calcium for him,,and i want to put a moist hide in there also like i been told i got a old butter container with lid but i not sure what to put in there i heard moss and or vermiceli i dont know how its spelled....what is that? and where would i get it?

You can use moist paper towels as humid hide material, but they tend to dry out pretty fast. Vermiculite is a gardening material that holds moisture pretty well (thats vermiculite and perlite are often used as incubation mediums for reptile eggs) and can be found at any garden store (Walmart, Home Depot, etc). Another option is Eco-Earth or Bed-A-Beast which can be found at petstores. This type of stuff comes in a brick form and is soaked to create a soil-like bedding. If your leo is a digger (or a breeding female) this type of stuff is great.

forgot to add that moss is also commonly used as humid hide/egg laying bedding. it retains moisture well and is very natural looking. most commercial mosses are sold dried in bags, so make sure that it hasn't been treated with any chemicals and that you thoroughly soak it (then squeeze out the excess moisture) before putting it in the hide.

I use and love spagnum moss. It holds moisture well and doesn't mold like gren tree moss. Which also can spore which is harmful to herps.
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Brian
www.thewindycitygecko.com

oh ok i will go to garden and pet store to look for it..do these moist hides help them do something? also how do i get his skin off his toes? we tried to pick it off but he squirms soo much it wasnt possible so im wondering how to help him along?

http://ca.geocities.com/mojo4ca/gecko.jpg

You can soak him in warm water and then roll the skin of with Q-tips. As for a humid hide I use Glad disposable tupperware. I get the sandwich sized on and cut a hole in the top for entry. Inside I put spagnum moss half filled damp with water.
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Brian
www.thewindycitygecko.com

oh ok great ty for all yr advise...didnt know Q-tips would work lol...and this spagnum moss is that sold in petstores?

I would not buy any kinds of substrates from the pet stores, they like to hike the price up. I get all my substrates from lawn and garden centers. Just make sure they haven't been sprayed with any kind of pesticides, etc... Hope this helps.

Michelle

oh ok then yes it does i have garden center closer to me then petstore is... thx