So I wanted to ask y'all's opinion on a dig box...
Sometimes when Snowflake goes into her plastic hide, I can hear her digging around. At first, we thought she was trying to file her nails, so we switched from the plastic hide to the natural rock. She stopped doing it for a bit. But now, with the plastic hide back in her tank, she's doing it again. My biggest concern is that the substrate the hide is on now is paper towels (before it was on the tile). Should I be concerned about shredded paper towels in her hide? Do you think she'd accidentally ingest pieces, causing impaction? I do have a nice, flat rock I could put in there, but I think she likes to snuggle into the paper towels. She used to crawl under them to sleep before the plastic hide was back in there.
We very very rarely feed her insects inside the tank (maybe the occasional worm from above or a bowl of dubia if I am not able to stop and take her out to feed. I'd say that's happened maybe 4-5 times in the 3 1/2 months we've had her). Typically, she's brought outside the tank and onto a smooth memory-foam
bath mat (brand new, never used in a bathroom) to feed. It gives her an open space to chase the bugs, plus I can keep track better of how much she actually eats. I also don't have to worry about random missed bugs crawling around her tank.
What's the opinion on dig boxes? Good idea or bad? Risks? Best/safest digging substances to use? Size for her age?
I don't want her to accidentally ingest sand and get impacted, but I also have read that Beardies naturally like to dig, so I don't want to be depriving her of a natural instinct.
I also wonder if I should offer her a branch or something for her to climb higher on, since beardies are semi arboreal. Right now, the highest she can climb is about 8"-10", and that's the plastic hide. The vine is about the same height. When we had the vine along the back, she would climb all the way to the top and hang out there, so I'm wondering if she would like a higher place to go on occasion.
Sorry for all the questions. I really do appreciate all of your help. I just want Snowflake to live her best life, ya know?
Thanks
~Brandi