Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Cyclura fans,

have there been some cases of costipation due the use of sand as substrate into rhino cages? I've decided to change the newspaper floor of my cage with some more natural and hygenic one. I mean that sand, used by a lot of breeders, can be the solution, but I'm afraid of costipation as I've already read with beardies and other desert lizards died of costipation. Ther any rick according with your experiences?
Thanks a lot for your interest
Cheers
Stef

Hi, I have never used sand for rhinos but I CAN tell you they eat freakin anything left laying around that they can fit in their mouths. My female rhino who used to get free roaming priviledges has a sock, a plastic bag and a rubber band in her past diet. They all passed by themselves but she doesnt get to walk around the house anymore unsupervised. A friend of mine's large male rhino has several socks and a pair of underwear to his name and tried to haul of a large pink bath towel before he was apprehended one time.

The moral of the story is, they will probably pick at sand. Who knows how much tho.

Carole
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www.reptilecare.com

I am convinced that if diet and temperatures are correct a healthy cyclura will have no problem on sand and any that is ingested during normal feeding gets passed. They live on sand in the wild... SD Zoo has their cyclura on sand and they could use something different. That doesnt mean its right but that it does work.

NP