What Are The Factors Of Best Substrate For Leopard Gecko?

Leopard geckos are easy-going reptiles; they do not take you much effort to care for. However, they also have some special requirements in their enclosure habitat. And it is absolutely essential to consider all factors of the best substrate for leopard gecko.

Any wrong choice of substrate can also lead to serious health problems for your leopard geckos. If you want to choose an appropriate substrate for your pets, follow some tips bellow.

 

Important factors to look for when choosing leopard gecko substrate

Do not contain any toxic chemical:

The best substrates bedding leopard geckos should not contain any chemicals that are harmful to their health. The substrate is in direct contact with the leopard gecko daily so it should be safe.

There are some materials that could potentially harm leopard geckos. Aspen shaving, coconut fiber, walnut shell, wood chips come with several risks, they emit volatile organic compounds that are not safe for your leopard geckos.

Allow leopard geckos to burrow:

One of the natural behaviors of leopard geckos is a burrow. If your leopard geckos have burrowing habits and do not want to live in a solid surface of the substrate, you should provide them clay as a substrate. This substrate is also a very attractive appearance and naturalistic.

Easy to clean and available:

When keeping leopard geckos, it is important to frequently clean their cage. In order to reduce your effort of cleaning, you should choose the best leopard gecko substrate that easy to spot clean and replace.

Depend on the material that you choose, if it is easy to get wet or soil, you will need to clean more frequently.

Some substrates such as stones and slate or tile flooring are very easy to clean and maintain. You also should consider how available the substrate is.

For at least once per month, you will need to remove the entire substrate in the cage and add the new, ensure that the substrate that you use is easy to find and always available.

Prevent impaction:

The impaction occurs when leopard geckos accidentally ingest their substrate and these substrates cannot go through their digestive system. This can cause the dead is possible for your pets.

Therefore, ensure that the substrate that you provide them will not block their intestinal. Sand, dirt, and wood chips are some materials that should be avoided entirely since they can lead to the risk of impaction.