Dig Box

[MothMantras]

I have owned and worked with several bearded dragons, and am very informed on the dangers of particle substrate. Right now I have a young beardie (about six months) that LOVES to dig. It (gender unknown) tries digging around the shelf liner that is its current substrate frequently and tries to get the edges up and dig underneath it and I am almost starting to feel bad for it. It digs at all hours of the day, not just trying to get comfortable for sleep or anything, it just seems to love digging. So my question is, should I make a dig box? What substrate should I put in it? I was thinking about cutting up a towel into pieces big enough that it cannot try and eat them, but small enough that it can try and dig through it. Or perhaps another kind of substrate would work well. Would shredded newspaper or paper towel work? I want my beardie to have fun, but I also don't want it to get impacted. What should I do?

 

[Taterbug]

I would make a dig box and place it where they are digging the most. Maybe experiment with things like shredded fleece, dried leaves or similar to see what they like best. Personally I'd use something they can sort of burrow into if they want, like leaves or blankets as opposed to seeds or alfalfa pellets.

Some dragons are really into digging but It's also worth double checking that your setup is good and the digging isn't escape behavior. Heat, light, hiding spots etc.