Sand boa substrate..... Any bad sand?

Also like pat said crushed walnut works well.

I'm going to be honest, you guys are among a handful of sand boa keepers I've heard actually keep them on sand. Most people, including breeders, I know keep them on aspen. Why do you choose sand (other than saying "That's what they live on in the wild")?

Well us saying "thats why they live on in the wild" is true is it not?

They are not Shredded Aspen Boas.....

I used to keep them on sand becuase it was cheap and easy. It got to messy like I said, so I did Crushed Walnut.

I dont claim to be an expert on Sand Boas, but I do know plenty of people that DO NOT use aspen.

Thanks for the opinions folks. I'll post up pics my my little worm in her new cage and sand tonight.

Sure it's true. But unless you're going for a naturalistic terrarium setup, is it necessary? I'm not for or against sand for sand boas, I don't really see impaction as that much of a danger, I'm just curious why you use it.

I have always avoided crushed walnut bedding because of the problems lizards have with it. I believe I saw a study stating it was the leading cause of impaction in bearded dragons. And it's quite sharp, I would worry about scratching up sensitive areas.

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Originally Posted by bobbittle

Sure it's true. But unless you're going for a naturalistic terrarium setup, is it necessary? I'm not for or against sand for sand boas, I don't really see impaction as that much of a danger, I'm just curious why you use it.

I have always avoided crushed walnut bedding because of the problems lizards have with it. I believe I saw a study stating it was the leading cause of impaction in bearded dragons. And it's quite sharp, I would worry about scratching up sensitive areas.

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All my animals live in display cages, so I like the cages to look nice. If sand is suitable for her, and she's healthy in it, I'll use it.

We keep our sand boas on "sani-chip" which is a form of aspen that is chipped instead of shaved or shredded. It acts very similar to crushed walnut shell and is very easy to spot clean. Another advantage is that it is a lot lighter than sand, and does not scratch or wear down the racks we keep our boas in.

I've never seen any problems with impaction either, or if there was a problem it sorted itself out before it became a noticeable problem (if you know what i mean).