Is Sand Safe For Bearded Dragons?
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Does loose substrate cause impaction in bearded dragons & other reptiles?
Impaction! Otherwise known as a blockage of the Gastrointestinal tract. But should loose substrate be avoided at all costs? Or is it necessary in achieving even satisfactory welfare? That’s coming up!
Lets put whether or not it causes impaction, aside for now. Don’t worry we will swing back and address that. For now, id like to concentrate on the behavioural need of loose substrate. If we look at the animal welfare act, we will find the 5 animal needs stated, one of which is the “need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns”.
And as we have covered in another video, this is considered as basic and only promotes up to satisfactory welfare. Now if we take two popular species, the bearded Dragon and the leopard gecko. Both of these are shrouded in folklore husbandry beliefs around impaction by ingesting loose substrate. Well, both of these have the evolutionary behavioural need to dig, allowing them to access different microclimates in the wild environment. Well then, by definition, you are restricting their ability to dig and therefore the keeper is failing to even meet the basic requirements of satisfactory welfare.
If we consider the fact that many of the keepers of both bearded dragons and leopard geckos who routinely object to loose substrate end up providing loose substrate in the form of lay boxes when they want to breed the animals, we really start to see how confusing that becomes? If loose substrate is believed to be so hazardous to the animals health, and routinely quoted as “not worth the risk”, then why is it now okay to subject the animal to such a risky substrate when the animal needs to lay?
If the thought process is well, “the animal wont be able to comfortably lay without access to loose substrate, we still believe it to be a unnecessary risk but so is the risk of the animal becoming egg bound. So, we provide it temporarily because its needed in this case.”
Well, that’s fine but aren’t you simultaneously acknowledging the fact that its needed for the animal to engage in a whole area of its natural behaviour? And what about its behavioural need to dig outside of egg laying?
Its when you think about it with criteria of animal welfare in mind the practice really doesn’t make sense in my opinion.
But, does loose substrate actually cause impaction? In a healthy animal? No! A healthy animal whether it be bearded dragon or leopard gecko will not get impacted as long as other aspects of their husbandry are correct. The correct temperatures, Correct uv indices, and adequate hydration all need to be correct for a healthy animal. It is only when an aspect of the husbandry is wrong and leaves the animal compromised that impaction becomes a risk. A compromised animal can become impacted on paper towel, and insect chitin as well as loose substrate. Impaction is a symptom of an underlying issue rather that the root cause of the problem. Removing substrate only masks the issue at hand.
But then how could impaction be caused? One of the main causes is keepers misunderstanding the hydration needs of “desert” species. Many veterinary clients with impacted lizards also have severely dehydrated lizards. Often both go hand in hand. If the lizard is dehydrated, then lubrication of organs and the ability to pass particulates can be reduced. In fact, the ability to even pass urates can be impaired by dehydration. In bearded dragons, when urates are formed, they are transported to the distal colon for storage. This is a site of water absorption, as the colon absorbs the water content, the urate suspension transitions to water and in healthy bearded dragons a semi solid urate plug is discharged during defecation. In a dehydrated dragon, water is withdrawn from the colon, causing the walls to contract around the urate fluid, stripping out more water, causing a solid mass to form and adhere to the colon mucosa. Less lubrication and a desiccated solid mass make passing difficult. I’d argue that the same applies to substrate ingestion. If the temperatures in the basking zone of either leopard geckos or bearded dragons is not at high enough temperatures, then digestion functionality can be decreased, as well as slowing gastrointestinal peristalsis. In less complicated terms, peristalsis is the rhythmic contractions of the intestines to move food along.
In a study conducted in 2019 on humans, lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were linked to reduced colonic transit times and chronic functional constipation.
JTB:
/ @jtbreptiles
BeardieVet:
/ @beardievet
Studies:
doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2008.07.004
www.researchga...
doi.org/10.101...
I’ve seen so many different videos on keeping bearded dragons and the information is conflicting, to say the least. This is the one channel I fully trust for the care of bearded dragons. Thank you for properly educating me! You helped improve the quality of life for my little guy.
Im so glad i could help, messages like these are what motivate me. One bearded dragon at a time!
So many people need to see this. It's 2020 and we know better so why do so many keepers choose to use outdated methods? Awesome video :D
Thank you! I totally agree, hope to get this in front of as many people as possible! Share wherever you want/can!
Thank you so much! People keep telling me that loose substrate is terrible for my leo and I keep arguing that it's their natural habitat...unlike tissue and carpet
Thanks for watching Chris! Exactly the best thing to do is replicate the natural environment as best as possible
It’s so hard to find scientifically backed data on reptile husbandry. It’s mostly all opinions. Thank you for doing the research for this. You even went through all the effort of typing it up.
I imagine the typing aspect came first.
I would have put the whole thing in if there wasnt a character limit on descriptions. I do the same for all my videos. I write first, get a decent script then work from there. My uni brain cant help but write essays lol
I’ve had my bearded dragon on newspaper for the last 3 months because a vet had suggested i take him off loose substate (only because of the risk of impaction), but i’ve never agreed with having a healthy adult dragon on newspaper/papertowel. I was really torn because i wanted to put him back on loose substate & this video was super helpful with reassuring me im making a good choice for my dragon !
i’ve decided to try a mixture of play sand & coconut coir/fiber
Glad to hear it was useful 😊
I just did the play sand and coconut fiber! Just hoping I got it right
I dont want too play the "experience card" but I have kept and cared for reptiles for 20+ years. Not ones did we have an animal with impaction from sandy substrates. Or any other for that matter. I do want to point out that some people would keep their lizards like Pogona on a loose beechchips substrate.. those can cause issues with damaging the gastrointestinal trackts. Selecting the right (natural) substrate for your animal is needed.
100% agree!
Same - I'm at 23 years. I've kept quite a few different species on various substrates and I've never had an impaction.
THANK YOU!!! I just switched to loose substrates and was beginning to question myself, but this helped a TON!
Humidity cycling is so vastly important to welfare as is the provision of hydration in the correct methods per species. I lay these theories out in detail in my books of course but will bullet point here. We must as keepers accept that the natural environments of each species has over larger periods of time not only become the animals core or 'perfect' provider, but it is within these slowly changing providers that the animal has changed and adapted itself within. Therefore this is apex supply, or the most bioavailable. Hydration and its correct collection is essential to all life from all species. This is coupled within the first 2 parameters of overall-nutrition. These being the providers that exist around the animal and those which are ingested.
The use of substrate itself is not an indicator as proven by this useful video to ill health. But rather the use of a non-natural substrate or one that is not akin to that found in the wild and moreover the incorrect provision of the parameters of overall-nutrition. In this case we would have an animal being exposed to a material from which it has no developed use for/nor level or protection against coupled with a reduction of the energy needed to processes this material and then compounded by the common issue of poor hydration.
The day/night cycles of hydration are vital to life. This wholesale increase in airborne water is a critical supplier to many species and is prevalent as the earth cools. Many species will have adapted skin collection mechanisms in order to transfer water collected over the body towards the mouth, but moreover they are obtaining water over the organ and function of the tongue with every breath. This is also apparent for those that use tunnels and burrows by day or night as humidity levels even a few inches underground are quickly elevating.
We then have the water carried by foods. Again, fresh growing plants will be consumed out of the ground, with the root networks collecting water naturally and also being covered in soil, mineral dust and pollen. Animals do not wash their greens but consume them by tearing and whole. Here we have nutrition in the form of the building blocks of life, high levels of water and incidental useful geophagy. We then also have the predation of insects, being of a varied gut content, well hydrated via the fresh plants that are being consumed and by their own purposeful water collection and once again being covered by the full-spectrum of earth minerals and pollen. Here we have core ingestable nutrition, water and incidental geophagy within the hunting and collection process and via that which is sticking to the body. We also now have evidence of preformed D3 ingestion after the ingestion of inverts that have been exposed to sunlight.
We then have purposeful drinking, the willful ingestion of water in the best and most natural way that suits each species. For some this can be direct drinking from standing or running water, for others this after sporadic rain. For those that are not exposed to regular bodies of water, their development is attuned to collection from humidity in the air and in the burrows and from foods as the core provider.
So for a species such as the Bearded dragon, we have a species that is best described as being an opportunistic omnivore, taking food from every group as opportunity allows. Each containing water, plus developing in an environment that has a large upswing in humidity over the darkening hours each day and can find very high levels of water within the burrows. These are the core providers. Couple this with the correct quantity of and spectrum of energy and we have an animal that can thrive even in harsh habitats.
Our issues come from negating its core developed process. Using substrates that are non-natural i.e not found in the wild. As such, the use of soil natural sand based substrates are beneficial as if implemented correctly, they exercise the body and inspire the mind and will provide naturally as a nutritional provider also. It is the use of non-wild sands/substrates or man-made byproducts that can cause issue and ESPECIALLY in those with poor or unbalanced husbandry. The same can be said for snakes kept in aspen, beech, walnut, corncob or lignocel as a sole substrate. Where in the world are these found as an earth layer solely? It is a madness, by using non-natural substrates we negate as stated in your video core developed process and providers.
We must provide a natural, wild-like substrate but then also provide that to a depth that can maintain enough water to allow the humidity to rise at night whilst becoming naturally dry over the heated day. We can help with daily spraying, but if we are to see advancing care, we need to encourage natural cycles. This means substrate layers deep enough to allow digging, burrows and tunnels and being deep enough to allow humidity cycles. Then we will start ticking off natural providers and start to see yet another uptick in welfare.
As usual, very well said! It's a same most manufacturers don't produce wooden vivariums that allow such substrate depth, often only around 3 to 4 inches up to the runners. You can make modifications like I will be, and how Jtb reptiles has, but I wonder how much this puts owners off because the idea of DIY or making modifications.
Long term plan is an open top enclosure, with you're superzoo unit, and wall mounted ir heat emitters etc.
Long term, best case scenario for this channel is to exhibit common species in elaborate enclosures such as a 6ft long, 6ft high 4ft deep vivarium for a male royal with climbing opportunities and full spectrum lighting. Dispel myths and show how far it can be taken! Fingers crossed! Thank you for commenting, to everyone's benefit yet again.
@@ReptilesandResearch you should check out Carolina Custom Cages. They have “Bio Deep” models with a 12” bio lip on the front and also some hybrid models with 7.5” and 9” lips. I plan on using the Bio Deep 36x24x36 or 48x24x36 model for my Leo when I can afford the upgrade.
@@jeremystancil not in my country by the sounds of it
I've found a dirt sourced from central Australia, and since most bearded dragons are from central Australia, I'm figuring it would be good to use for my beardies enclosure, my I've seen people say don't use a sand with gravel in it because they can't pass the gravel, and everything I see says don't put babies on loose substrate until about 6 months, so I'm torn because I wanna give him as close to his natural habitat that I can but I don't wanna use something that will hurt him!
Thank you for this! Sad when I hear someone has their leos on tile and paper towels. 😔
Thank you for watching! Dont mind it during quarentine etc but not full time
I’m the same way. All my personal geckos are in bioactive. I only keep my foster geckos (sick animals that I rehabilitate with the intent to rehome) on paper towels while I’m treating their health conditions.
Thanks sir for al the very good video's!
You are tackling some of the biggest myths in reptile keeping like no loose substrate, snakes dont need uvb and that ball pythons are completely terrestrial and you are backing it up with scientific facts and and papers. I love it!
Glad you like it! I'm hoping to get people thinking critically and not just accept the folklore dogma that runs this hobby
This is a really good video. I was going to make a similar one because folks keep sending me messages on social media freaking out that I keep animals on natural substrate, but I'll probably just link back to you.
Another couple things to keep in mind: GI parasites can also alter gut motility, which can lead to obstruction. And many veterinarians aren't that familiar with reptile patients, and many reptile owners aren't able/don't want to pay for veterinary care for their animals. My personal theory: what has happened is the owner of a sick reptile comes in to a veterinary office, balks at the cost of a workup, maybe shells out $100-200 for the cost of a discounted xray, the vet sees a bunch of sand in the GI tract of a dying animal and goes "I'm so sorry, we have GI obstruction" and then they euthanize.
Nevermind that the animal was dehydrated and had coccidia, that wasn't diagnosed and the owner only remembers "sand impaction", which they post on social media, and now everyone thinks sand killed their lizard and that the Salt Range in Pakistan is lined with bounty paper towels.
That's a very good point about parasites! Been watching your videos they're very good.
Holy moly! THIS should have far more views. The information here is astonishing! THANK YOU!!! I feel that I have work to do on my husbandry but in my defense I fell for the stigma surrounding sand and dragons. I will work to make my girls environment as close to her native Australia as possible! She deserves a better life than what I have given her so far!!
im glad you enjoyed it, if you thought this was good then the rest of the videos are going to blow your mind!
I always thought it was weird when everyone said sand was bad. Thank you for confirming it's not, and Australian is mostly sand. I'm glad I keep fresh water in the viv
When my mother and step-father first purchased their property for horses at least one (maybe two) horses died because of sand impaction which caused their gastrointestinal tracks to burst - this was mainly because we fed them directly on the ground. So we installed feeders we made out of barrels so they could eat off of the ground. Most horses would eat out of the barrels, some would instantly pull their hay out and eat it right off of the ground. Animals will be animals. We need to take care of them by minimizing risk; but, we also need to stop trying to over-engineer the habitats we make for them in our own homes, it's sad how much controversy there is over this topic. I'm glad you shared the clip of the vet who showed the natural substrate, along with the analysis. People will take sides over this topic without even remotely considering the animal's indigenous habitat.
Regarding the water dish, thankfully the dish we provide for our beardie doesn't raise the humidity too high. I can see how that would be a problem in some areas; however, for us, it works out great. Our beardie drinks at will and we still give him his baths to help with shedding. We're excited to upgrade him to a bioactive set up, hopefully soon!
Deep substrate is the key! Let us know how it goes :)
I love this video. Ive only been researching for about a month but I really needed this video
Thanks!
Nicely done.
Thanks!
Great video with plentiful evidence! Thank you, this was needed!
Thanks Amy! Got a part 2 coming
Great video! Full of information and easy to follow.
Thank you!!
Thank you!
This is great! Hell, even some people eat dirt/clay. You're spot on.
Glad you enjoyed it!
excellent video :) there is one group i have previously tried to share John courtney-smith interview with animals at home, it was taken down! i stay in the group as they do seem to have good knowledge however if they refuse to accept loose substrate for bearded dragons is best care practice, does make u wonder!
i had a little tegu who had pracites and had caused her a long history of prolapsing with her previous owner. It was the saddest thing to see her on kitchen roll and trying to make her bed from shredded kitchen roll :'( She is happily diggin away on soil now :D
Thank you! I try to share my videos in places and it gets removed also. Aww bet the tegu is loving life!
@@ReptilesandResearch its a real shame, this particular group will have new keepers and almost scare them into getting rid of the substrate, i am releatively new myself but sterile just doesnt personally appeal but i can see why some new keepers worry and go for tile. less mess aswell ha
Excellent and very informative video! Im planning on returning a more natural look to my viv's in the next few weeks
Glad it was helpful!
My beardie's new tank came with sand and I looked up people saying how it killed their pet so I'm so glad I found this video and these comments 🌟🌟 thank you
Glad it’s helpful 😀
This is insane. I don't have a bearded dragon but to people seriously not give them water bowls? That's disgusting and sad. Not quite the same situation as I have leopard geckos, but the argument is just as strong in those groups. I'll admit I panicked and swapped to stone effect tile recently when one of my geckos suddenly died and I couldn't help but blame myself as I assumed it was impaction (it wasn't her liver/an organ ruptured). I don't know why I panicked to be honest, I have a 16 year old leopard gecko who was kept on 100% sand and calcium sand briefly when I was younger and loose substrate her whole life, and she's still going strong, but it's still hard to not assume you did something wrong yourself, or it is for me anyway. I've only had tile for a month with digging areas, but even still now I feel guilty, like I'm denying them their basic need to live comfortably and I said to myself last week "this isn't okay, they need better". Earth mix arid is in the post as we speak and I'm going bioactive for the first time
Sorry to hear about your Leo, love earthmix! Let us know how you get on 😊
@@ReptilesandResearch Thank you, it was a horrible very sudden thing and I'm sad all her UVB kit and stuff didn't come in time for her to enjoy it, but at least she's not suffering. What is the reason people dont give beardies bowls? I haven't seen one of my leos drink in the 6 years I've had him but I'm not about to remove his bowl
I put turf in my tanks, and it seems to make them happy
Do you or anyone in the comments have a good method for getting a beardie to drink from a water dish? Both of my boys won't. The only time they seem to drink is if they're soaking in the tub. Thanks so much for this wonderful info!
Some beardies won't drink from a water bowl. Try offering a small water fountain (moving water). It can also help keep the water fresher longer.
Mine wouldnt at first until i waggled my finger in it to make surface agitation, then she would drink, so i put a airstone in her bowl with the bubbles and that helped a lot, now i have taken it out and she drinks fine now, just needed to learn where water was.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love this video. But I disagree about water bowls. I think it’s completely possible to have a well-hydrated animal without a water bowl. I’ve always lightly sprayed mine down each morning, they’ll lick it up. The feeder insects also get a lot of hydration as well. In the wild they don’t get much of an opportunity for standing water. It will occasionally pool by the roadside, but it doesn’t stay there for long. I can’t remember where I read it, but I believe I read something about subterranean termites having a high moisture content. It’s been a while, I’ll go back and see if I can find it again. Either way, I don’t think the wild ones are drinking standing water very often.
It may be possible to have a hydrated animal without a water bowl, but it is next to impossible to have a dehydrated animal with a water bowl (at least for an animal like a bearded dragon).
I dont deny its possible that way, I just advice doing all three, adequate food hydration, spraying and water bowl. Limits likelyhood of dehydration, if the foods not hydrated youve got spraying and a water bowl to fall back on, if for some reason you can spray that day, got a water bowl to fall back on. Its a fail safe. I was reading a paper recently that described the nutrition of the termites as being comparable to mealworms.
I have seen both my beardie and uromastyx drink from water bowl regularly. So why not keep a tiny water bowl as an option for them, it can't hurt.
Wow epic Video need to share this ...getting my new tank and going sand too even though my friends are against it but i know she will do amazing thanks so very much
I’m glad it was helpful
I love your style. Epic logic.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Bearded dragon care seems more on opinion than actual facts of what they need. I was in a bearded dragon group that was all for uvb but wouldn't say they needed hides to get away from uvb. Going on that the rays wouldn't harm the bearded dragon and many wondered why they had burns later on. They need water, they need hides to get away from heat/uvb, and they need enrichment. Which none even recomended as to how to give a dragon enrichment. I was so mad and called them out on their uvb usage and advice that no hide away from the uvb would harm a dragon or any reptile. I wish more people were more informed and willing to do more research than just give their opinion on what is needed. In this same group I was bashed for giving my beardy play sand as a sub and things to climb on. They seemed more happy than the tile I had put in to stop the bashing. In a way I think I let them suffer to stop the hate of "impaction".
Thank you so much for this video on impaction. Others should be aware as well and so I'm definately sharing.
I think the same way, our husbandry must be led by science and function should be considered. I think you'd like the way I set up my new set up. Check it out:
czcams.com/video/0i9_lvklpg0/video.html
This video gave me better understanding and enlightenment.
Thanks for watching
I keep a moroccan uromastyx on calcium sand with big rocks and provide 120± degree basking spot and there have been no issues it poos regularly twice a day.
@@ralphpeterbilbao2190 Thats very interesting
@@ReptilesandResearch it does sleep very long usually i notice its awake at 7 or 8 am then goes back to sleep at around 12 noon or 1pm. I have no issues with the calcium sand and its very easy to clean poo and scattered food using a regular strainer. He does have a lot of snalt in his nose sometimes but i heard its quite normal with uromastyx.
I really love your videos.
Just another comment, The substrate in the wild gets a bit more compact due to a lot of exposure to pressure. The sand doesn't just slide around like it can do in the enclosure.
If you see beardies sprinting in the wild you can se that their feet don't really sink into the soil since it is quite compact if you don't remove it with a shovel. In enclosures it doesn't really get that compact and the swifting around of sand can get bad for the joints over time. Therefore I reccommend adding a bit more clay content just so it's a bit more compact and the beardies can both dig and run around properly.
Thank you glad you like them, I'm going to tinker until I get a substrate blend I like.
When I was experimenting with substrate mixes I found that if you do a 50/50 sand and soil mix, drench it in water, then let it dry it will harden.
@@gryllidaeperkcal1369 Thats what i have heard, yet to test though
Would a mix of coconut coir and fine play sand be okay on their joints?
As a teenager I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding my cat and dog raw food diets. Not only was it expensive and difficult, but I was not providing proper nutrition to my pets, yet I did it because I thought it was the ONLY way to give them proper nutrition. I know better now but still feel so guilty and silly. With even big influencers like jackson galaxy promoting homemade raw food diets for cats and dogs, it is beyond easy for people with good intentions to be led astray. I do my best to gently steer people in the proper direction with pet care advice. This goes for reptiles now as well since being given my lizards. Really happy to find this channel. Misinformation can be deadly.
I’m glad you like what we are trying to do
hello! i absolutely agree with everything said in this video. I was wondering however, if you would happen to know the best kind of water for reptiles? recently i heard reptisafe is not a good dechlorinator to use. would you say an ro filter would provide the best water ?
Here in the UK we don't have as much chlorine etc added like America so we just use our tap water, but you can just use bottled water, I wouldn't use RO water as it will be devoid of minerals
I feel the real problem, especially in beardies is that people would keep them on lose substrate AND feed insects on that lose substrate often leading the reptile to ingest unusual amounts of whatever is in their habitat.
We are working on bio active habitats for our dragons now which requires dirt. Our dragons also have an outdoor enclosure which of course is dirt on the bottom... Because it's outside. Where they're from.
I'd say thats true, if people are concerned they can always tong feed and get the beardie moving that way. An outdoor set up sounds really cool! Do you have lamps outside as supplimental heat or is it all via the sun?
@@ReptilesandResearch Just direct sunlight. Unfortunately where we live we only really get one month a year where this is possible for more than an hour at a time. We'll put them outside for June, July and August but for most of the summer they are out for an hour or less each time.
The enclosure is seeded with greens they can eat as well, It's pretty cool to see them forage naturally.
They also have a little in ground pool lol... Spoiled lizards... They actually do use it too, one will soak and grab a drink but the other actually seems to play in it and bathe himself, he'll dip his head under water and splash around lol it's really neat to see.
The pool is a large oval Rubbermaid container set into the ground with a layer of small rocks in the bottom. It's kinda a pain because we have to take it out and clean it everyday but worth it.
@@DownLow0099 that sounds amazing, sounds like they are living it up!
So would you say a fogger would be a good idea for raising humidity at night for a bearded or rankins dragon rather than a misting system or spray bottle?
You could do, as long as you can reduce it again in the morning. 70 odd humidity is 70odd humidity whether you use a fogger or spray
First, haha, Great video!
Haha thanks!
Are Ash wood chips ok to use in bearded dragons?
What about crushed walnut shell
That is a substrate that i wouldnt advice, stick to things like playsand, topsoil, excavator clay mixed together. I'll be doing a video on this as I re do mine
Not a good idea. It's very different from natural substrates like sand and soil - the particles are much larger than what you'll usually find with sand and soil, and crushed walnut also tends to have very sharp edges that can potentially damage the lining of the digestive tract. Loose substrate isn't as dangerous as many people claim it to be, but the key is to use a natural substrate that they would live on in the wild.
In your opinion is it necessary to provide snakes with any vitamin/calcium etc supplements? I have a juvenile mbk. I’d like to switch her to a natural loose substrate as well, assuming that her age doesn’t justify how safe it is for her? Thanks so much for your advice!
When they are small and feeding on pinkies it can’t hurt to dust the off pinkie with calcium as pinkies have low ca levels in relation to phosphorus. Some people dust a multivitamin every now and then with adults, not many people do this though.
You can offer a tub or substrate for her if you think she’s small atm.
What is your thoughts on a baby bearded dragon, about 1.5 months old, on central Australian dirt? I'm not worried about anecdotal myths, I'm worried about what the science says, that's why I'm not worried about feeding my beardie mealworms, but I've seen conflicting information about sand with gravel and especially about keeping beardies under 6 months old on loose substrate, but the central Australian dirt would be the same substrate they live on in the wild, so I think it would be good, but I wanna know it'll be good, all my husbandry is good now I wanna give him a nice environment
Just wondering if you did the dirt and how it was going if so?
@@rallysport4207 I used exo terra Australian red I think it's called, he is 10 months right now and doing good, coming out of brumation right now, just pooped a couple days ago, so no problems there that I know of, I just drop dubias and super worms in front of him and let him grab them and let some run around for him to find and catch naturally, I've had him on the mix since he was about 2 months old, I've also got logs and rocks in there for him to climb on so he's not always on the dirt tho, but he loves to dig and rearranges the inside of his hide all the time, so I feel he's enjoying his habitat and able to act out his natural urges
Just be careful.
Someone with a brain and a CZcams?! Excellent video
Lol thank you 😂
Ever since I got into reptile keeping all I've heard were arguments against loose substrates and honestly I just want the best for my babies. If I were to change my beardies substrate from tile to loose what option would be best in your opinion? Btw I shared this video on a bearded dragon amino group I'm in waiting to hear their thoughts!
I'd suggest, a mixture of topsoil and play sand, also there's a second part to this video on the channel that will offer some pointers, it's the latest video. 😀
Substrate safe for bearded dragon or not?
Yes, as long as you don’t mess the bearded dragon up
@@ReptilesandResearch i am confused use subsrate or not. Because i want make bioactive. Do u have recommendation for bioactive??
People who think the ground kills lizards are hilarious
The floor is lava
@@ReptilesandResearch i am australian and have had people straight up scream at me that i am lying about the ground i walk on, maybe if i tell them its lava ill have better luck 😂
You say that you base your opinions on scientific literature but can you share the sources that show that loose substrate itself doesn't cause impaction, but rather improper husbandry? Because I've read scientific literature that recommends loose substrates should be avoided (one example here, doi.org/10.5818/1529-9651-22.3.117). To me your argument seems to be based purely on your own assumptions (or spurious comparisons to human digestive systems). For example your link between dehydration and impaction, whilst completely believable, is your own idea rather than something backed up in the literature. I've read stories of animals being impacted on sand with perfectly good husbandry, but if you can show that this risk is zero if everything else is correct then I would happily change my mind. Until then I think lots of keepers would prefer to er on the side of caution.
For example, advocates of the no loose substrate argument say that substrate can be accidentally ingested during a dragon's day to day life (feeding, using tongue to taste it's environment), rather than due to eating the feed to try to gain minerals as you suggest. Can you provide any evidence that the substrate causing impaction is due to improper management rather than from a healthy dragons day to day life?
The link behind dehydration and impaction isn't my own idea at all, I highlighted the paper saying it on screen in the video.
Improper uvb and heat is linked with increased risk of impaction, the only thing that I proposed that's not already known is the gut transit times.
The peristalsis part was from a beardie paper too. It was all shown.
If you still have concerns feel free to contact beardie vet yourself.
@@adamsneath6976 substrate can and does get kicked and just passes through them. It's only when their health is compromised that they get impacted.
Also it's illegal to not provide substrate in Sweden, if substrate alone was causing impactions then bearded dragons would be getting impacted all over the place and rules would be changed to reflect that. The fact that's not happened just shows.
@@ReptilesandResearch Did you look at the paper I linked, written by vets, that doesn't recommend loose substrates? Plus other vets I've seen with similar opinions and the many bearded dragon owners saying they've seen cases of impaction even when husbandry is correct. I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily I'm just saying that the argument can be made either way, and at the moment I've not seen any proof convincing me that loose substrate is completely safe. Again, I don't disagree that bad husbandry increases impaction risk and this is what your papers show, but the missing link is whether it can occur in a properly cared for dragons life.
Also I saw that you tong feed your bearded dragon. Surely this is preventing their natural hunting behavior and such not meeting satisfactory welfare requirements? Without a sandy substrate you can release the insect into the viv and allow them to hunt it without worrying about them ingesting substrate. So I suggest you are being hypocritical
You can release the insects into the enclosure even with substrate, in fact I do.
Just because I chose to use a target training session as b roll that doesn't mean I exclusively feed that way.
I'm not a hypocrite, the way of keeping I promote is exactly what I do.