Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yes, I know the dirt subject has been beaten to death, but I have a question that I couldn't find the answer to.

The reasons why I don't like the dirt setup are 1.I don't have a tank that you could use it for (for tunneling). It's a used tank I picked up yesterday for the adopted uro. It's only 48"x13"x13", but she loves it and she's not too big so it works well. 2.I'm closterfobic (don't know how to spell it), and I know this is going to sound really wierd, but I'll try to explain it. I can start to freak out by just sort of thinking about things that would make me closterfobic. For instance, if the thought of being buried alive comes into my mind I feel sort of like I'm about to panic. I don't know if you're familiar with the movie "The Shawshank Redemption", but the part where he has to crawl through the cement sewage tube longer than a football field or something but barely large enough to fit through gets me nervous everytime. Long story short, having the uro in a tank where it can burrow under the dirt would give me an ulser and make me freak out everytime I came in and it was down in the burrow (which would also make her innaccesable to me, something else I don't like).

So I was wondering if there was a way I could still make it comfortable since right now the tank is just basically paper towels on the floor (until we get a fecal done), and rocks to bask on. She's never nervous about people coming and going. She'll sit right there and not even notice you. I just want her to have hides for obvious reasons. I was thinking of doing a base of dirt about 2" tall and then some sort of hiding spot on each end of the tank with some dirt inside of them so she can feel comfortable.

Also Would an inch or two of dirt make a better substrate for my bearded dragon than the sand he's on now? I would like to make a more natural, hardened dirt sort of floor covering. Can the soil/sand/vermiculite make such a combination? If not, what would you suggest be changed? This would be a good question for the beardie forum but they're all stuck on the shelf liner thing right now.

I'm also a little worried that my uro might ingest some of the substrate. She seems to be, for the time being at least, a licker. It seems like she's starting to not do it as much, but I'm not sure. It was for that reason that I am thinking about using millet, but I'd have to mix in some pieces of slate and stuff for her to get good enough footing and that would be hard to clean.

I know this is a little much to ask, but I'd like to see a picture of what the soil/sand/vermiculite stuff looks like. Can you use all store bought stuff for that. I know I should experiment with dirts found outside, but there's really no where that you can find dirt around here that's not eigher filled with roots, grass, earthworms, or other bugs, and it's not really good dirt to work with. All the stream beds around here are muck too. Ooh, almost forgot. With dirt as a substrate, won't the reptiles always be sort of dirty looking? I wouldn't really care, but I like letting them run around the room and dirt is hard to get out of my carpet (as is poop, which my mali has subjected it too time and time again...she doesn't like going in her cage).

Sorry. I know that dirt is a highly covered subject, and if these questions were discussed before, lead me in their direction.

-ryan

it sounds to me like you are trying to talk yourself OUT of doing a dirt substrate. without the proper interest and motivation, perhaps it is not for you...

your train of thought is kinda off the wall, i don't even know how to respond to most of your concerns

briefly, i think the dirt would make a fine substrate. even at an inch or two, it has better potential than anything else.

if you want a picture of the soil mix, get yourself a half pound of topsoil, a quarter pound of sand, a quarter pound of vermeculite, mix it up, and take a (mental) picture. it looks like dirt, with a couple little sparkles, basically

at the very least, get your animal some hidespots, those are a more basic, base need than even the proper substrate is.

inexperienced keepers confuse A LOT of behavior. animal "friendships" with dominance behavior, and "i am too scared to death to move" with comfortablity. give the animal the security it needs, it will appreciate it

best of luck!
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I want to do the dirt, but to sum up the stuff I said... I would worry too much. I know that having a burrowing setup would be good, but I don't like the idea of her being able to go some place that I couldn't get to if I had to.

I have tried temporary hides (made out of boxes), but she wouldn't use them. I do still want to put hides in though so she can go to them if she wants to.

As for getting signals mixed up, I'm almost certain that I'm right about her not feeling stressed or scared, unless someone runs in the room quickly or something. At first she was nervous, but she didn't care about my presence in the room. She would still bask and eat and everything in front of me. The only time she seemed scared was when I had to take her out of her cage (to take her to the vet or clean her up a little). Now she seems very used to me and the daily tasks. I'll put food in in the morning which she'll eat up by the afternoon, and then after that I would take her out for a run around the room. Yesterday seemed like a breakthrough. All I had to do was put my hand in front of her a couple inches away and she crawled onto it and casually looked at me and the room while I set her on the floor. Then usually she'll run around for about 15 minutes, and then end up turning my floor into her own personal toilet, but I'm working on that.

I know you do this as a profesion and you are good at understanding how reptiles act, but I think I'm doing the right thing. It took a couple of days of having her out to run around and giving her food, and now she'll crawl up onto me and take food from my fingers (food is a good way to bond). The thing is, if a reptile does seem stressed out when you try to handle it, you don't just put it back in the tank (though there are exceptions). You take it out for a minute or two to let it see it's surroundings, and then each day or every other day you gradually increase the time you take them out for. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about, whether you agree with it or not. My reptiles are my pets, so I like them to get used to me and I think I've done a pretty good job thus far.

I'll work with the dirt stuff. Maybe I could work out a burrowing setup for her, even if it makes me a little nervous. I still would like to look at and possibly try other substrates though.

Thanks for the help you've given me with the uro.

-ryan

Maybe a solution that will make both you and uro more "comfy" ... the Deer Fern Farms site has some setups pictured that use plastic ducting and tubs to simulate the tunnels and burrows that uros like ... they use it for easily accesible nest boxes, I think, since they're breeders, but might it allay some of your concerns too?
deer fern farms