Mary Allen
The substrate in the terrarium is extremely important for the well-being of your animals. There are many different options depending on the animal’s origin. But be careful: not every desert animal loves the sand and not all earth is created equal. You should completely avoid calcium on the terrarium floor.
Earth for the Terrarium: Humus, Bark or Coconut Fiber
Forest dwellers naturally love humus soil or primeval forest soil, which you can also buy optimized for the terrarium. In addition, you should scatter a little bark or bark mulch so that there is a real forest ambiance. The humus soil has often been offered as bales in recent years. You put this humus ball in a bucket filled with water, and it becomes real humus soil. The Exo Terra forest bark substrate then completes the forest floor.
With any kind of piece of wood and mulch, make sure that nothing can be eaten. In addition, the claws often do not wear out well, resulting in malpositions of the feet and injuries. There is also a substrate in the form of coconut fiber briquettes. The procedure here is the same as with humus bales. It is best to mix the coconut fiber with coarse play sand. That way it better holds some moisture without getting muddy and doesn’t dry out as quickly.
Moist Desert Sand for a Good Climate in the Terrarium
In the case of desert dwellers, it depends again on the respective animal species. A clay-sand mixture is often recommended for burrowing animals such as leopard geckos or bearded dragons. Some owners use pure sand, such as the Exo Terra desert sand. This desert sand is available as lighter and red sand. Clay floors can stick your toes together and are not necessarily recommended. It is always important with sand that it is slightly damp in-depth because the substrate is essential for a good terrarium climate.
Under no circumstances should the substrate contain calcium or even consist of calcium spheres. These only have negative properties (no digging ability, no moisture storage, etc.) and also cause severe blockages if they are eaten with.
Some Desert Animals Avoid Sand
You have to do some research beforehand on which substrate is best for your animal. It is simply not possible to generalize that desert animals always need desert sand, because some species avoid pure, sharp-edged sand in their natural habitat and prefer to seek out loamy soil.