I personally don’t and won’t use sand. The risks just outweigh the benefits to me. Beardies lick things to explore their surroundings. Each lick of the sand would just add more and more sand in their system and eventually it all adds up. Not only that, but they could get sand mixed up in their food and ingest it that way as well. The threat of impaction is very real and it scares me. I know some people swear by it and have never had any issues, to me they’re lucky. I know some people who have used it and wound up with a sick or dead beardie. It’s just not worth the risk to me.mortitia":27ap9orl said:Hi
I also use another forum and the recommendation there is for sand & limestone. There are also other 'different' opinions regarding set up and care, especially from keepers in Australia.
Its soooo confusing
Marie x
label":203r8d40 said:The point he makes is that it's reasonable to match the enclosure environment to the natural one.
I agree 100%. Man I wish we had a "like" button here.claudiusx":2q8c3x79 said:label":2q8c3x79 said:The point he makes is that it's reasonable to match the enclosure environment to the natural one.
This is the kind of thinking I STRONGLY disagree with. Dragons live significantly rougher, tougher, and shorter lives in the wild. If we went out trying to duplicate their wild, we would be looking at keeping them alive for 2 years maybe, compared to the 10+ years we can get when housing them properly, safely, and in a healthy environment.
Dragons in the wild often go long periods of time without food. Should we do this too?
Dragons in the wild are exposed to tons of germs and parasites. Should we do this too?
Dragons in the wild are very stressed, and have to be aware of predators and birds overhead. Should we simulate this?
I think you get my point. The argument of "well its how it is in the wild" is crap to me, to be blunt.
Who is anyone to say you should try to mimic the wild but only the parts they choose. It is because no one can think of a DECENT GOOD REASON to house a dragon on sand. There IS NO BENEFIT. The "well they live in sandy areas in the wild" just doesn't cut it.
Just because someone agrees with you, doesn't mean it's a good idea. This is the internet, you can find anyone to tell you anything is a good idea.
-Brandon
There are no benefits to a loose substrate. I gave you the opportunity to mention one and you have failed to do so.label":13mjl26o said:try to replicate as closely as possible the beneficial aspects of animals' natural environments
You kind of contradict yourself here. Why do you think we recommend what we recommend? Because enough people started saying it and it became true? Come on, let's be real here. It has come from the culminated experience of hundreds of owners on this site. Many of which (myself included) had been raising dragons for over a decade. We have been around long enough to see just about every situation you could ever imagine, at least a couple times. This is what I would consider and expert, someone who has focused study, experience, and knowledge in one particular subject; not someone who has friends in the publishing world, or is thought higher of simply for a title. Can you be an expert in multiple things? Sure. Do I believe you can be an expert to the point that you can make a book on every single reptile in Australia, HECK NO. You can have a general to above-general understanding of all these reptiles, but there is no way in Hell you could have dedicated as much time and energy into researching all those reptiles and bearded dragons, as some members here actually have. Simply for the fact that he has to know a little about a lot of stuff, and we here know a lot about a certain thing, bearded dragons.label":13mjl26o said:Is there any evidence in the veterinary literature, for example, that adult bearded dragons kept with the correct temperatures, humidity and nutrition have any significant risk of impaction when kept on appropriate sand substrates? I do science for a living (nothing relevant to here) but one thing I've been taught is to go by evidence, not repeated assertions.
Yaaeee":3advfuoq said:I believe that if necessary precautions and care are taken it can be doable for some as I've seen healthy beardies through the years on loose substrate. But that's just my opinion.
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