Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hellos~
I am in the process of building a new cage for a egyptian uro. I have read many things about what the best substrate would be and most contradict each other. My ideal substrate is one closest to the natural environment that is safe. This would be some kind of material they can burrow into as they love to dig and my cage design includes a nocturnal subterranean area. I have read that the calcium sand causes respiratory problems.The cal-sand besides those negative reports sounds perfect. Does anyone know if its possible to rinse the sand clean of dust or if there is a type of dig-able material that is completely safe? ty G.

Actually the main concern of calci-sand isn't dust, it's the calcium. There's no way to monitor or control how much the lizard might be ingesting. It's not good for them and it's not digestible. I've heard (I've not used it for these reasons) that it has a tendency to clump when wet, too, which could cause problems with impaction. If you want sand, you're best off with a washed play sand.

As far as other substrates, just keep reading! There's no one perfect substrate, and you'll have to decide what works best for your lizard, your cage, and you.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
2.1.2 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Play sand works much better than calci sand. i woulnd't use it for any of my reptiles its just not good for them

This may sound like a dumb question, but I thought Calcium was good for them. That's why we look for high calcium food and give them supplements. I assume that it's the fact that it's bad for them, but you can't monitor how much they get????

JR

Yes, you are correct. I can see how that would be confusing. As with most things, TOO MUCH calcium, can be harmful to your Uro, just as too little can be. When feeding food it is pretty hard to give them too much, but with something like calci sand they can get a LOT of it, with no ability to monitor it.

As for the substrate, I use the washed playsand, and have for years. I find it to be a nice median between paper and soil mixes. If I had 1) a different cage 2) more time to dedicate to it and 3) less panic attacks related to my uros I would probably play around with a soil mixture since that allows them to actually dig and create their own burrows.

Elizabeth
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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

i use the top soil and play sand from lowes. my uros love it and can dig there burrows at will. the top soil is in a green and blue bag and the sand you can get in the cement section.

Very helpful, thanks to everyone. So soil/sand ingestion passes easily and is no big issue as long as food is served on a clean surface. My idea at this point is to have a rocky clean area for feeding and basking a good distance from the sandy area. I don't know which is more fun, planning and building the home or finally putting the lizard in and watching them explore