Mixing Substrates?

[ashleyrenee444]

Hey pals! I've been playing around with the idea of adding an area of loose substrate to my 8 month old beardie's enclosure. Right now I have her on a nonadhesive rubber shelf liner substrate, and it's my favorite out of the ones I've tried (Sand mat was impossible to keep clean, and tiles were cutting her toes and keeping her nails too short). She does love cuddling up in her hammock, and being comfortable in her blanket so I don't want to use a completely loose substrate. It would be too messy with her cozy items, but I do want to give her the option to dig.

So I was thinking that I would take about 2 sq ft of the rubber mat out and replace it with a top soil/play sand mix. I would also raise the mat 3-4 inches so the mixture would be deeper for her to dig in. Has anyone tried this? Any advice? I'm not too worried about bacteria build up as I clean up any messes as soon as I spot them, and plan to completely replace the digging substrate once monthly. I'll continue to feed her on the side with no loose substrate as well to avoid her accidentally eating it. Any other concerns I should be considering?

 

[CooperDragon]

Some people have put dig boxes into the enclosure with mixed results. If I recall correctly, sometimes it is ignored, and sometimes it causes a mess. I don't remember reading about cases in which it is harmful. The mixture is common for making lay boxes outside of the enclosure so I wouldn't worry much about that. I think that if she enjoys it and you're able to keep it well maintained, give it a try. If it becomes too messy, you could try using fleece scraps to provide a place to burrow and dig that isn't messy and is gentile on her hands/nails. Try it out and do what you find is best for your situation.