Reptile Substrate

Reptile Substrates for Recreating Their Natural Home

Purchasing a terrarium or vivarium is the beginning to setting up your pet reptile’s home. However, just placing your pet in a glass case or wooden enclosure is not going to be enough. You need to make your reptile happy and comfortable. One aspect of setting up a terrarium for your pet is the substrates. Reptile substrates are bits of wood, sand, ceramic material, and other materials that are placed on the floor of the terrarium to represent the reptile’s natural habitat.

Typically reptiles are found in three types of habitats: desert, rainforest, and aquatic. Reptiles can be semi aquatic, but they typically live in tropical or rainforest habitats. Reptiles in a desert will be highly different than those in the rainforest or aquatic habitats, especially when it comes to the substrates. The desert is often full of sand and sometimes rocks. In the rainforest or other tropical locales you can expect soil, grass, wood, and sometimes rocks. As you can see, the substrate you purchase depends largely on where your reptile’s natural habitat is.

The reason you want to provide a substrate is to make your reptile happy, healthy, and comfortable in their new life. By not having a substrate you can cause undue stress in your animal. Furthermore, you would not be able to use floor style heaters or heating cables. The floor would be too hot for your reptile to walk on, sleep on, or even be near most of the time. Reptile substrate also promotes natural behaviours from your reptile. We have mentioned a few of the types of reptile substrates you can find. Now we will explain in further detail the various substrates to help you make an informed choice.

Cage Carpet:

Cage carpet is a non- abrasive substrate designed to mimic the reptile’s natural forest habitat or grass. The substrate comes in green, blue, and other colours. It is highly absorbent. It can also help in the shedding process as it is gentle on your pet reptile. Some cage carpets are made from astro- turf, which is a type of plastic.

Clay Bedding:

Clay is a top selling reptile substrate because most reptiles like to burrow, especially those in the rainforest. Clay allows the animal to burrow into any area on the floor and dig. Clay is especially important if you want to breed your reptiles, so they can lay their eggs in the sandy clay. You can also mould the clay into terraces to provide more than one level in the terrarium.

Desert Sand:

The most common reptile substrate for desert animals is the desert sand. Like other substrates sand can come in a variety of colours or be naturally brown. Sand works well for burrowing reptiles and those who love to spend time under rocks or in trees. The grains are fine enough to be gentle on your reptile.

Natural Bedding:

Substrates under natural bedding will run the gamut of aspen to corn husk material. Natural bedding is not made from synthetic materials, which allows it to be most like the reptile’s natural habitat. Under this category you also have plantation soil and forest moss. You may even elect to have a couple of substrates to provide the most likeness to the animal’s natural living quarters. No dyes are used in natural bedding. Some of the substrates will work wonders for digging, while others are just for walking on.

Riverbed Sand:

Riverbed sand is specifically for soft shell turtles, ground dwelling reptiles, frogs, and salamanders. Riverbed sand actually comes from a river, making it the most natural element you can provide in a terrarium. Aquatic, semi aquatic, and ground dwellers will find the sand to be perfect for burrowing, living, and other activities.

Spanish Moss:

Spanish moss and forest mosses are quite common in forest or rainforest settings. Moss works great for incubators or egg laying in the terrarium. No dyes or chemicals are added to the moss making it natural bedding, as well as ideal for amphibians and wetland reptiles. Forest Floor Bedding:

Forest floor bedding is made from cypress mulch. It is a naturally occurring product that has no dyes or chemicals. Like the other natural substrates it works well for invoking natural behaviours and making your reptile comfortable. Reptiles can even use it to dig in. The pricing on substrates will range from £2.00 to £15.00. The size of the substrate bag is largely going to determine the price. However, you can also find substrate products on sale.

Types of Reptile Substrate

A natural look in your reptile’s terrarium will make it appear more like their natural habitat. Not only will the appearance please you, but it will also help reduce stress your animal may feel. There are numerous options for reptile substrate types. When you choose a reptile substrate you need to ensure it is something they will be used to. In other words, for a desert reptile you would not want tree bark as the substrate. A desert reptile is used to burrowing in soft sand like materials. The reptile care guide you have will help you determine which natural substrate is best for your pet reptile. We have a list here of some of the various reptile substrate options.

WOOD:
Aspen and Hemp is one type. It is a loose wood substrate that works for burrowing species, especially those that live in a forest. The bedding is compressed in a pellet like structure. Hemp and aspen are safe for most reptiles.

Chipped bark is great for those who live in forests. Species in high humidity situations like the bark as it is akin to their natural world. They do not require anything they can burrow under. The bark is made from numerous trees like pine or orchid bark.

Beech is another type of wood substrate. It comes in coarse or fine materials. The fine is smaller and easier to walk on for some reptiles. However, forest reptiles are probably used to the coarser material.

Cypress Mulch is another type of wood substrate that comes in a variety of styles like coarse or fine. It is just a different type of tree more native to places like Florida; therefore reptiles from Florida would probably prefer the Cypress Mulch.

ARTIFICAL:
If you wish for something more cost effective and environmentally safe you have a Rubbstrate or reusable type substrate. This substrate can be washed and reused for a natural look inside the terrarium.

Cage carpets are another artificial style of substrate. They are easy to clean and reuse. If you require hygiene this is the way to go. It is supposed to appear like grass.

OTHER SUBSTRATES:
Corn cob substrates are made from natural corn. They are little bead like granules. As a natural substrate they do work for some reptiles, but those who are herbivores should probably not have the corn cob substrate. Other grains have been used for substrate as well to make it soft and comfortable. Incubating mediums are vermiculite. This is an artificial substrate that is soft and warm. The substrate is larger and offers good padding. The vermiculite can come in a variety of colours and should be based on your preference.

SANDS:
Sand, soil, and clay are another type of natural reptile substrate. These work well for burrowing reptiles like desert dwellers. The sand will come in course to fine ratings. It should remind you of riverbed sand or rock, which is essentially what this type of reptile substrate is. The clay can be compacted and work for hatchlings as well.