Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My newly aquired Cali King was previously kept on sand; I currently keep her on astro turf but I was looking to make more of a natural habitat for her and was wondering if sand is a good option? I live on the coast and was wondering if the sand from the shore would be any good if it was sterilized and rinsed?

There have been a few cases in which sand has caused problems, yet still many use sand as a substrate.

Personally, I avoid the risk all together and use another choice of substrate. There are numerous choices that are better and that are 'safer' to use. Aspen is an all time favourite, but for more natural choices there's coconut husk, cypress mulch, and wood chips.

I use Melaleuca Mulch, as my climate tends to be a little dry, and cypress is usually kept for more humidity loving animals.