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Reptile Substrates At A Glance

Burrows can be created in Excavator Clay for a natural look.

VitaSand is extra fine to help prevent impaction.

Confused about what substrate would be best for your pet?  Here is a chart that will clear up any confusion. Learn what habitat your pet is from by going to our Reptile Care at a Glance page.  This will tell you what the natural habitat of your herp in the wild.  Be sure to check out all of the care tips on the care chart.  Then come back to this page and follow the chart below to find out what substrate will work best for you and your pet.  Want to try a custom blend to make the habitat optimal for your herp?  See some of our favorite substrate combinations below the chart.  Still have questions about which substrate would be best, or perhaps other question about your herp?  Please contact us, we love talking about reptiles!

 

  Tropical  Desert Humidity Retention Burrowing/ Tunneling Absorbs Ordor Reusable
 Eco  Earth  X   X  X  X   
 Aspen Bedding   X    X   X  
 ReptiBark X   X      X 
 Forest Floor X    X   X    
 Eco Carpet   X        X 
 Excavator Clay    X   X    X 
 ReptiFresh   X      X   
 ReptiSand    X   X     X
 Vita-Sand   X    X     
 Mosses X   X X  X    X 
             

 

Forest Floor is 100% natural cypress mulch and should be spread 2"- 4" deep.

Does your reptile come from a forest habitat?

Eco Earth is a coconut fiber that can be used damp or dry.

Try mixing some Eco Earth with either Forest Floor or ReptiBark to add a realistic ground cover and provide the proper humidity.  This mixture will allow the reptile to hide under the top layer just as they would in nature.

Does your reptile come from a tropical habitat?

Cover the bottom of your terrarium with ReptiSand, then add a layer of Eco Earth.  The ReptiSand will hold shape so that your pet can burrow in the sand and the Eco Earth will add the humidity that tropical species need to be healthy.

                            Does your reptile come from a desert habitat?

ReptiSand is quartz sand with no added dyes or chemicals.

Everyone may know that ReptiSand or VitaSand would be the logical choice, but did you know that there are locations in all deserts which have more humidity?  These are called micro habitats.  You can recreate a micro habitat by using some damp moss in a hide.  Your pet will appreciate your attention to this small detail by living a longer and healthier life.  If your pet burrows in the Sand and you use an under tank heater or heat tape, please consider placing an Eco Carpet on the floor of your  terrarium to protect you pet from burns.

 Need to absorb a little odor?

ReptiFresh is an odor absorbing mineral that should be spread 1 1/2"-2" deep.

Do Not Use Cat Litter!  Cat litter is made to absorb moisture and this can lead to  real problems for some species of reptiles.  Their skin is permeable which means your reptile can become dehydrated.  Some cat litters clump.  The litter can become stuck to your herp’s skin if there is any moisture on its skin, and can cause a impaction in the dietary tract if accidentally consumed which could lead to death.   Instead try adding ReptiFresh to Excavator Clay or ReptiSand for desert terrariums.  If you have a tropical set-up add ReptiFresh to Eco Earth.

Are you breeding desert species that like to burrow? 
 (Like the Uromastyx for example.)

Try adding some Eco Earth to the Excavator Clay.  The Eco Earth will add some humidity to the burrows created in the Excavator Clay making a perfect nesting environment.

Eco Carpet is make from 100% recycled plastic bottles but is non-abrasive.

Do you have tortoises, box turtles, aquatic turtles or lizards that build nests for their eggs?

ReptiBark is triple cleaned bark from fir trees.

If you do, you will need to provide a substrate combination that will hold not only moisture to keep the humidity correct, but will also hold its shape when your pet digs her nest.  We use a combination of Eco Earth, Forest Floor and ReptiSand for our reptiles and would recommend this mix to anyone with nesting herps.

As you can see here at Tom’s Reptile Supply we can provide you the right substrate, or recommend the right combination so that your pet will have the most natural habitat possible in a terrarium.  If you have further questions, please contact us. We love talking herps.

Frog Moss and Sphagnum Moss can be used to create micro habitats in desert terrariums or to add humidity for amphibians.

Aspen Bedding has an absorbancy rate of 191% and is 99.9% dust free.