Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have heard that people get good results with Jungle Mix for a substrate, however it contains vermiculite. I was told that vermiculite should never be in the substrate used with darts.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks, Aaron

I wonder if there isn't more than one product referred to as "Jungle Mix?" I use other substrates now, but my original tank (6 years ago) contained "Jungle Mix" that I bought at a nursery and this did not contain vermiculite. Like you, I've not found a so-called "Jungle Mix" again that doesn't contain something I don't want. I'd suggest looking for an organic composte. I found a good one at the Wall Mart nursery dept.last year. The brand appears to be "EKO Product Family."

I think the main problem with either vermiculite or perlite (in particular) is it floats and clogs waterways, as well as sticking to the frogs. Both are chemcially stable and benign otherwise.

I did use something with perlite once, and it was a real pain in the butt, because it floated around on the little ponds and streams. While it didn't seem to harm the dart frogs, it was annoying. I imagine either could cause a problem with any kind of frog or toad that ingests substrate inadvertently by grabbing and gobbling with subsequent impaction of totally indigestible matter, especially the pumice type sharp grains in perlite. Darts fortunately use their tongues rather accurately to capture prey, so this is less of a worry with darts.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus

the "jungle mix" lizard litter i have is by esu. i looked and can not see any sort of vermiculite. to me it looks preetty good mix.
walt

That's what I suspected. "Jungle Mix" sold as lizard litter wouldn't be the same as something sold for growing tropical plants in a vivarium, so the name "Jungle Mix" isn't a single brand name with specific properties.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus

i guess i should checked before i wrote my reply. ingrediants on the bag are: sterilized virgin organic soil, fine grain sand, vermiculite, peat moss, orchid bark, and green tree moss.
i did my best and darn if i can see any vermiculate in it.
pa.walt

The vermiculite you can't see may be very fine, in which case I can't see that there would be a problem with it any more than fine sand or any other inert matter. The only problem I saw with using other products with vermiculite in the vivariums was the larger particles that would cling and float around. It's simply a hydrous silicate mineral made from expanding mica granules with heat in order to make them highly water absorbant. I probably didn't read the label on my first Jungle Mix, either. It worked fine without problems. (So maybe I just started reading labels later, saw "vermiculite" and rejected Jungle Mix.)
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus