Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've asked this awhile back but had since forgot. I did a search but couldn't find it in the forums.

My Sulcata is abuot 10 months old. I live in Southern California so the weather is warm outside. I don't want to build a permanent pen for him until he get's older. I bought a couple of kiddie pools. The bottom right side up and the top upside down. Anyway, I was wondering what to put in the pool for substrate. He will be outside most of the day....highly guarded. I'm not talking about growing plants for him to eat but dirt or hay or whatever I need to put down for him.

Thanks,
Bil

I saw some stuff today in a pet shop called "Life Mate" it's a
new packaging design I suppose. It's the stuff that I used to
get that was called Lizard Litter (Kenaf Plant) - there were
other types of Lizard Litter (Bark, Walnut Shells) but those weren't
good choices. The Kenaf Plant was the best substrate I've
ever used. I think on the Life Mate package it was called
"Complete Hemp" plant, a renewable resourse. You might find
it in the bedding section or in the rabbit/ferret section.
It's a light colored wooden look. If it weren't $7 for a small
bag, I'd always use it! But for a small sulcata it's perfect.

If you can't find that you could use Aspen (what I use, Kaytee)
or newspaper or CareFresh.

My sulcata is 2 months old and I was wondering if the LifeMate substrate you mentioned is good to use for a tort this young. Will it be harmful if ingested?

it's just not practical in large amounts because of the price,
but I would use it for hatchlings over anything else, up until
you wouldn't want to pay for it anymore.

The only substrates I'd worry about ingestion on for babies
would be sand (any type but especially calci type sands)
and a horrid substrate Lizard Litter Walnut shells - though
my snake loved this stuff I would never use it on a turtle/tort.