{"id":706,"date":"2019-03-04T19:59:17","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T19:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reptilefollower.com\/?page_id=706"},"modified":"2019-03-04T19:59:17","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T19:59:17","slug":"best-bearded-dragon-substrate","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/reptilefollower.com\/recommended-gear\/best-bearded-dragon-substrate\/","title":{"rendered":"Best 3 Bearded Dragon Substrates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting the right substrate for your lizard is like choosing school shoes for your kid, if you get it wrong your baby is doomed to months of discomfort or even worse, damage to their feet, right? This is why I am going to explain why you need to understand what to look out for and the real gotcha’s that may trip you up, or even harm your lizard.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the best Substrate? In my opinion the Zoo Med Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate<\/a> (Click here to see the reviews on Amazon) is the ideal substrate because it makes your lizard feel like they are back in their natural habitat.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Why do you even need substrate?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You may be thinking what the point of substrate is, Let me explain what the reason for this is. Imagine if there was no substrate in your enclosure? Your lizard would be roaming around on cold glass, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

Baring in mind glass is very different to thier natural habitat, do you think they would enjoy this? \u00a0The short answer is no, this would be really uncomfortable for their feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the beauties of substrate is it allows your lizard an opportunity to file down their nails and benefits them in this way. <\/span>The substrate also acts as a way to regulate humidity by trapping in the heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also encourages your bearded dragon to act in a natural way as if they are in their natural environment by digging and enjoying themselves<\/span><\/p>\n

What should you consider before buying the substrate?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before buying substrate you need to consider what things will benefit you, for this reason I’m going to explain to you things that you should consider before buying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about how the substrate is going to benefit you and fit into your lifestyle, for example you need to think about the maintenance of the substrate and how convenient it will be for you to keep up with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the substrate may look aesthetically pleasing, it may not actually benefit your lifestyle and the frequency of cleaning maintenance that may be required, are you with me?<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most important things to consider is making sure that your bearded dragon does not consume any of the substrate. <\/span>This is important because this can cause some serious health issues if it is consumed.<\/span><\/p>\n

For these reasons you need to avoid substrate such as bark or wood shavings because these will not benefit your lizard. But more on not what to use in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n

So now you know, what you should consider before buying he substrate for your Beardie. Now let’s look at what to avoid.<\/p>\n

What substrate should you avoid?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before we get into the best substrate that you should be using let’s first look at things that you should be avoiding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Particle based substrates, such as Sand is definitely something that you should do you should avoid because it can, in some cases, cause impaction especially on juvenile bearded dragons. There are are special types of sand that have been formulated to allow it to be metabolized, but more on that later on in this article.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pebbles need to be avoided as well as these can also cause impaction, furthermore, you could also find that the pebbles, if bitten, can damage the jaws and the teeth of your lizard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bark and mulch is another thing to avoid for the simple reason that they are known to retain humidity which can cause problems if you are trying to regulate the humidity of the tank.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are certain types of reptile carpets or cage liners that should be avoided. Some of them catch your lizards claws. Look out for the right type of weave to avoid this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vita-sand, also known as vitamin sand, sometimes has other variations of this name. The big sale with this is it can be metabolized if ingested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However it is not advised to use it, because it is possible to build up in the intestines of your lizard and cause discomfort. <\/span>Also, it has been reported that it can netralize stomach acids, that can lead to digestion issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now you know what types of substrate to avoid, next let’s look at the substrate that you can use.<\/p>\n

What substrate can you use?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let’s now look at the types of substrate that can benefit your lizard. Before we dive into the detail, I will give you a preview of the types:<\/p>\n