Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Click leo "Peach": http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...32-my-leo-peach-her-fight-sand-impaction.html
Click leo "Geoffrey": http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ds-help-leopard-gecko-possible-impaction.html
We think that impaction will never happen to our particular leopard geckos, but can we be 100% sure? Certainly there are cautions like avoiding particulate substrates until a leopard gecko reaches a certain age, avoiding calci-sand altogether, using feeding dishes, or whatever.
Impaction could happen by eating chitinous insects or worms. Impaction can happen by ingesting paper towels, sphagnum moss, or other warm humid hide substrates. Impaction is more likely to happen with dehydrated geckos. The keeper always needs to be vigilant.
Roughly textured (~3/8 inch thick) ceramic, porcelain, and slate tiles are easy to keep clean! These tiles conduct heat from an UTH well. They eliminate substrate impaction, are attractive, permanent, and cheap.
I feel that there is always S-O-M-E possibility of impaction when particulate substrates are used. Who would be the loser?
Click leo "Geoffrey": http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ds-help-leopard-gecko-possible-impaction.html
We think that impaction will never happen to our particular leopard geckos, but can we be 100% sure? Certainly there are cautions like avoiding particulate substrates until a leopard gecko reaches a certain age, avoiding calci-sand altogether, using feeding dishes, or whatever.
Impaction could happen by eating chitinous insects or worms. Impaction can happen by ingesting paper towels, sphagnum moss, or other warm humid hide substrates. Impaction is more likely to happen with dehydrated geckos. The keeper always needs to be vigilant.
Roughly textured (~3/8 inch thick) ceramic, porcelain, and slate tiles are easy to keep clean! These tiles conduct heat from an UTH well. They eliminate substrate impaction, are attractive, permanent, and cheap.
I feel that there is always S-O-M-E possibility of impaction when particulate substrates are used. Who would be the loser?
- How do we know when, maybe, a leopard gecko might ingest some substrate along with a bug or a worm that's escaped from a feeding dish?
- How do we know when the usual aim might be a little off target?
- How can we predict when a sudden noise in a room might startle a leopard gecko?
- How do we know when, maybe, a leopard gecko is feeling "a bit under the weather" and eating does not proceed "as usual"?
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