Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading the KS Anole Care www.kingsnake.com/anolecare/10.htm I am redoing the kids big enclosure and am very tempted to do this. It will allow for more height b/c the substrate won't have any depth.

Anyway, I see LOTS of benefits and minimal cons so would really like to hear keepers opinions and experience!

thanks,
lele

I haven't been able to find organic sterile potting soil to use as the substrate (and am too lazy to bake the unsterile stuff), so I've had Leeloo on paper towels for a couple of months. The advantages you've mentioned are quite valid. There's also not the concern of mold.

Problems exist as well. It tends to slip and rumple when I'm cleaning poo out, leaving lots of hidey holes for crickets to disappear into. It's also rather ugly. My cage is tall, so I can't get to the bottom corners (even with tweezers) without pulling everything out. The dark poo sits like poo-beacons on the white paper.

All in all, it's fine. And it's much easier to clean out.
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Torey
1.0 Uromastyx Geyri (Arthur)
0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

I have a degree in Horticulture and have a hard time finding quality sterile potting soil. I can certainly get it in BIG quantities but not worth it. Now, so many manufacturesr add vermiculite, perlite, etc. which is fine for the plants.

I've been using eco-earth and just read on Al's site (the one I linked before) that he doesn't recommend it. Rather than paper towel I am thinking of using the brown packing paper that you buy on a roll - cheap! At least the color is a little better and I would think that PT would get wet too quickly from misting. How do you find that to be? Or does it dry our quickly as well? I think too that the pkg, paper would stay in place better and you could fold in the corners for a snug fit.

Do you have live or fake plants??

>>I haven't been able to find organic sterile potting soil to use as the substrate (and am too lazy to bake the unsterile stuff), so I've had Leeloo on paper towels for a couple of months. The advantages you've mentioned are quite valid. There's also not the concern of mold.
>>
>>Problems exist as well. It tends to slip and rumple when I'm cleaning poo out, leaving lots of hidey holes for crickets to disappear into. It's also rather ugly. My cage is tall, so I can't get to the bottom corners (even with tweezers) without pulling everything out. The dark poo sits like poo-beacons on the white paper.
>>
>>All in all, it's fine. And it's much easier to clean out.
>>-----
>>Torey
>>1.0 Uromastyx Geyri (Arthur)
>>0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
>>1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
>>1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)
>>

The brown paper probably would be better for the rumpling. I might try that next time.

I have a whole mess of fake plants in there (ivy and fern) as well as manzanita and bamboo for basking. I live in a fairly humid area (western Oregon), but with the fake plants, light misting two or three times a day just barely keeps humidity at minimum. I'm thinking of putting in a live pothos to moisten things up a bit.

Because of the dense foliage in there, the toweling doesn't get very wet, so it's not a problem. I aim for the back and side walls and as much of the greenery as I can hit and try NOT to hit the floor.

It seems to be working well for me, and Leeloo doesn't care. She only ventures to the floor for crickets.
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Torey
1.0 Uromastyx Geyri (Arthur)
0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

You live in Oregon? Same here. I guess I'm not the only Oregonian here. Where do live? I live in Eugene. I have 2 anoles, one male and one female. I kept them for 3 years. I have one philodendron, 2 fake plants, and a twisted branch for lizards to bask on. I use bed-a-beast soil as substrate. I think you can use substrate as paper for anoles, although I never used it before. I wouldn't recommend it though, because when you spray the water, it'll get wet, wrinkled up fast, and when your anoles land on it, it could tear off.

Tim

I'm in Salem, though I lived in Eugene for years. Are you going to the captive breeder expo? I don't imagine there will be anoles there, but you never know.

The paper I have in there is the "strong when wet" kind, so it doesn't tear or degrade with misting, though it does rumple. I've been thinking about reptile carpet, though I've not touched it, so I don't know how it would be on teeny anole toes. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
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Torey
1.0 Uromastyx Geyri (Arthur)
0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

The "carpet" is addressed on this site:
Link

I don't see why they say not to use sand because anoles don't come from sandy places... No, anoles come from coastal places that are in large part made of sand. Sand isn't the best substrate and has a risk of impaction, but most anole species do come from relatively sandy places.

Anyway, I don't think there would ever be a problem with using a non-toxic paper...
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

True, there is certainly sand in FL where Anoles abound but they don't typically hunt their food on the beach but rather in the trees, etc. Whereas with sand as the only substrate it can get its food it is bound to get a little sand each time. Even if the crix climb snad tends to stick to everything. In the wild it may get it occasionally but not every meal. Obviously if it catches winged things (in captivity or the wild) it doesn't get a mouthful of anything but the meal

Just my thoughts,
lele

>>I don't see why they say not to use sand because anoles don't come from sandy places... No, anoles come from coastal places that are in large part made of sand. Sand isn't the best substrate and has a risk of impaction, but most anole species do come from relatively sandy places.
>>
>>Anyway, I don't think there would ever be a problem with using a non-toxic paper...
>>-----
>>Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

Well, I don't just mean the beaches... While a green anole might feed almost always up in a tree, however, browns often feed on the ground. The dirt is, in most of Peninsular Florida, very sandy (not everywhere because dirt has been added to many developed areas, but out in less developed areas it's all sandy) because Florida is one, big sandbar.

So it's not the best substrate, no, but my point is just that it's not the best choice because of impactions, not because it's not natural. Especially considering that browns come from Cuba and surrounding islands which are also almost all sand with exceptions around mountains.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

True, there is certainly sand in FL where Anoles abound but they don't typically hunt their food on the beach but rather in the trees, etc. Whereas with sand as the only substrate it can get its food it is bound to get a little sand each time. Even if the crix climb snad tends to stick to everything. In the wild it may get it occasionally but not every meal. Obviously if it catches winged things (in captivity or the wild) it doesn't get a mouthful of anything but the meal

Just my thoughts,
lele

>>I don't see why they say not to use sand because anoles don't come from sandy places... No, anoles come from coastal places that are in large part made of sand. Sand isn't the best substrate and has a risk of impaction, but most anole species do come from relatively sandy places.
>>
>>Anyway, I don't think there would ever be a problem with using a non-toxic paper...
>>-----
>>Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame