Best substrate for Bearded Dragons

Ah… and the debate continues!

You must be very careful when choosing a substrate because your beardie will ingest it at one time or another. You must think to yourself, can that substrate harm the sensitive insides of my lizard. Corn cob and walnut shells can put microscopic cuts on your beardies throat, stomach and intestines. Sand, play sand and calci sand can cause your beardie to have an impaction which can lead to very expensive vet bills. I am not saying this will happen with every single one of them but who wants to take the chance! I am currently a vet tech and have witnessed too many sick beardies and have participated in way too many surgeries, most due to using sand as a substrate.

I use paper towels for my babies and alfalfa pellets for my adults. Good things about alfalfa pellets are you don’t have to worry about them eating it (good source of fiber), easy clean up, cheap and the crix and mealworms will eat it instead of bothering my beardies. Some people say the pellets mold; well I have been using pellets for 2 years now and have never seen or smelled the pellets get moldy. My vet fully supports the use of alfalfa pellets!

Melissa Kaplans - look under housing about substrates -

http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html


Tosneys site
http://biology.lsa.umich.edu/resear...Substratum-6296

Both are PHD's and Herpetologists

Melissa Kaplan is NOT a PHD, she has a masters in some specialized education field. If it's not out of date, she might qualify to be a special ed teacher in an elementary school. Her website is not accurate, does not contain worthwhile or sound information and should not be reccomended to or by anyone for any reason.

Originally posted by Seamus Haley
Melissa Kaplan is NOT a PHD, she has a masters in some specialized education field. If it's not out of date, she might qualify to be a special ed teacher in an elementary school. Her website is not accurate, does not contain worthwhile or sound information and should not be reccomended to or by anyone for any reason.

Oh dear, must have touched a sore spot -
I stand corrected about Kaplans education, being ONLY a masters degree, but Tosney is a PHD.

Bottom line is from what i have read on that page, nothing Kaplan recommends for Bearded dragon care will put them in danger or at risk healthwise.
I am NOT saying what she writes is a definitive GUIDE. Just a guide, and hopefully the readers common sense plus their active seeking of other sources of information becomes THEIR guide.

People reading this thread are using walnut shells and corn cob as substrate for their Dragons for goodness sake ! All I am trying to do is help. Which is why i thought this forum existed.

Whats your purpose? To Inflame ?
I dont care about Kaplan personally, so make your personal attacks on her as you wish. However, Back up your words with factual statements WHY you feel this person is not knowledgeable in the least , not just fling your senseless rhetoric.

I see you have 20 warnings already. That tells the forum users alot about you before you even post at this point.

I can only tell you what I have tried and works as far as for me and for the dragons. I first started rabbit pellets. I used this for a few years, when someone recommended crushed walnut shells. The odor from the pellets was a little much when first put in and when they started getting old. So I was all for a trade. I even tried playground sand, found it to be in the dragons droppings. Not what I wanted. So the shells you ask. nice smelling and easy to clean. Either with a cat litter scoop or with a small shop vac, I clean the habitat. It is a large one. I usually change out once a month. No place for crickets to hide either. As mentioned in previous replies, to each his own. What works for me and all my adults and baby's, may not work for you. This is just something else you can try until you find something that works for you and the dragons. Email if you have any questions.