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Is My Leopard Gecko Safe On Sand?

By admin Posted in: expo

My leopard gecko is on calcium sand. Before I got it I asked a few leopard gecko breeders at the reptile expo. They said I should be fine. I have a hot hide a cool hide a moss hide and a log which he climbs on all the time. Also i have a heat pad. I feed him out of his cage so he doesn’t accidentally eat the sand . I also have a calcium dish which I see him lick all the time. I see him drink his water to. He is very active and runs to the glass when he sees me pass by. I have never seen him lick the sand and I am by his cage all the time doing hw so do you think he is ok

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  1. Lucysfri Says

    No. Sand is a big problem that sometimes doesn’t show itself for years. Just get rid of it please. Good luck :)

  2. Jane Says

    good god! NEVER use crushed walnut shells! Most pet stores you see have their leopard geckos on calcium sand. Contestant number one is absolutely right. Their nails can get caught in the fibers of Astro-turf and I would worry about heat distribution with slate. Also, the risk of compaction is much higher for younger geckos. Once they’re of mature size there really isn’t as much of a problem as they can pass any accidentally ingested grains much easier. He sounds like he’s doing great.

  3. Erika Says

    i wouldn’t recommend sand, it could be dangerous for ur gecko, he might want to eat a cricket but instead he could eat the sand if i was you ill put the reptile carpet its way better, and u can wash it and re use it.

  4. Ganal Says

    No, I don’t believe sand is at all safe. Yes there are people who can house there leopard geckos and other reptiles on sand and never have a problems but then there are others who have their pet die due to health problems resulting from the sand. Calcium sand is the worst sand you can buy. Because of the calcium the gecko will eat it on purpose even if you feed them in a separate tank. As a result they will eat more sand then what they normally would just going after a cricket. In additional to impaction using sand as a substrate can also cause eye infections, breathing problems, skin irritation, it can dye the skin along with other health problems. Also because you have an under tank heater the gecko can dig down and rest on the glass above the UTH and burn itself.
    Leopard geckos do not live on sand in the wild contrary to what many people think. They live on rocks and hard packed dirt. If they do come in contact with sand it’s hard packed and not loose. Sand is also not digestible. If the gecko eats sand and it doesn’t become impacted it will poop sand.
    I use slate tiles which are more like what they would live on in the wild and is safe. They also look good. I would recommend you have a thin layer of sand under the tiles can the UTH can get hot. The tiles prevent the gecko from eating the sand. I see no reason to risk an animal’s health and life over a substrate. Not to mention vet bills are NOT cheap to treat it.

  5. kouneli Says

    I hear different answers on this. My fiance has kept his leopard geckos on sand for 10+ years and hasn’t had a problem…same goes for when I ask breeders, they mention that they’ve had their’s on sand for so many years, etc. etc.
    Then there’s the gun-ho against sand people. Ones who probably has never had a leopard gecko on sand to even see if the risk of impaction is all that high.
    I’ve also heard that calcium sand actually does get digested, but not sure how true this is.
    If you feel more comfortable using paper towel/newspaper/tile, then be my guest. I’ve thought about using tile, myself, but am concerned that the toes could get stuck between the tiles/side of the cage. Then there’s also reports of paper towels being swallowed and swelling up in the intestines. So it seems like no matter what you do, there’s a danger.

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