Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,
I already posted this but never got any answers so here it is again... I hear lots of people using plain ol wheat bran for their beardies. Think it would be ok for leos? I would think it would be better than play sand. What do you guys think?
Thanks,
Chris D.
-----
Hey mine name is Chris and I currently have 1.0 Midland Painted, 1.0 YBS, 1.1 Leopard geckos, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

Hi Chris,
I don’t think it would be a good idea. It is far too dusty, and if gecko went to catch a cricket, it would get a mouthful of bran. Leos hunt and strike differently than bearded dragons.
If you plan to get a leo, the best substrate would be paper towel or newspaper. I don’t like sand because some geckos will eat it, causing problems. Another alternative is slate, if you want a more natural look. Good luck!

DaveCable

I wouldn't think that a mouthful of bran would do any harm at all. Might even provide some trace nutrients.

I know a breeder who is a sponsor of this forum that used to raise their hatchlings on a wheat bran substrate. Not sure if they still do though. They never expressed any problems with it.
-----
Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

I use wheat bran for my beardies and it does get very dusty and not the easiest to clean but it works well for the beardies. Personally I think it's much better than sand but don't know how the dust will be for the geckos' eyes. I keep all my leos on paper towel, much easier to clean not to mention less work since I freeze my bran overnight just in case to rid of any mites and bugs.

My friend had a bearded dragon that we fed cereal (yes i know this is not a good idea), but if we put weat bran substrate in there, he would probably eat as much as he could then throw up. Ya, that cool little beardie would eat anything from the wood shavings in its cage to hot cheetos.