are leos safe on pine shavings?

[Tony Paxton]

ive just sated breeding leos this year and ive already had pretty good egg laying season with 15eggs, but ive moved them in to rubber maids and instead if leaving it bare and to help the smell i put pine shaving.. and other suggestions? tony

[clint545]

I wouldn't be using pine shavings, they might be a choking hazard and toxic. Why not paper towels?

[Ptindy]

Yeah pine shavings are toxic and bad news. Try paper towels like clint suggested.

Mike

[Bartman]

If you want a more natural set up you could use slate rock.

[Tony Paxton]

ya but there in drawers and that woud be to heavy, and ya i was thinkin about using paper towel but then the crikkets all run underneath to escape death

[clint545]

The crix tend to move around once the lights are out. For the most part they'll venture out from the paper towel and get nabbed.

[Ptindy]

Don't worry about the crickets getting underneath. THey will come up eventually they aren't smart enough to hide there. I think they would get lost easier in pine shavings personally. Hopefully you haven't fed them yet onthe stuff.

Mike

[peterm15]

http://708designs.netfirms.com/customcage/customcage.htm

here that will give you an idea maybe.. light weight, affordable... ect ect.. you only have to make 1 peice so itl be easy... im in the midts of making a whole beardie cage..

[Slannesh]

50lbs of dry grout? I wouldn't call that light weight :)

But it looks awesome. I dunno if I should thank you or not though peterm :) My girlfriend is gonna kill me ;)

[Tim and Julie B]

Definately never use pine shavings for any reptile, they are very toxic to them. Another thing that is important is to never use "loose" substrate with leos under a year, as they tend to ingest far more of it than an adult (though I never recommend "loose" substrates for them at any age). For babies, it is not only safer and cleaner to use paper towels, but it is also cheaper as they tend to need their cages cleaned twice as often. You need not be concerned about crickets getting under the paper towels and not being eaten. The babies will find them even under the paper towel. Just be sure not to have too many loose crickets running around after feeding time. Good luck with all those eggs:)

Julie

[peterm15]

you can buy small boxes for a few dollars.. thats on a large scale.. all you have to do is buy some faom cut it to the tank size and cover it with the grout.. prob 10 bucks total.. make 2 and every cleaning just switch them...