Hi all,
I happened to be at the nursery this morning to pick up some nuke-bomb herbicide (f'n ivy!). On my way out I saw an interesting-looking product.
Cocoa husks (the hard shells from cocoa beans, I guess) are apparently bagged and sold as an organic mulch (I saw 2 cu ft for $12). There was some on the ground where a bag had failed, so I got my hands on it. The little pieces are sort of round and cupped, very light-weight, and about the size of my pinky fingernail (whole nail, not a clipping).
It occurred to me that this stuff could serve nicely either as a stand-alone dry substrate, or as a cover-layer for something more moisture-retentive (say, fine coir). Much as one can do with live-oak leaves over soil. I'd think a blood python, gaboon viper, etc would snuggle down very happily into it. Or even something like a sand boa or sand viper in a dry set-up.
It looked really easy to spot-scoop (unlike oak leaves). An added feature is a slight chocolatey aroma.
Anybody else seen or used this stuff? I think it has potential. BUT, on the other hand there's this warning for oral ingestion at least:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp
Apparently it's loaded with methylxanthine alkaloids (e.g. caffeine). On the basis of this, I wouldn't keep lizards or turtles on the stuff - they'd likely eat some of it, regularly. And of course amphibians are out of the question.
Any veterinarians or physicians here? Is dermal uptake (in squamates) a concern here?
cheers,
Jimi
