With all of the problems associated with these forms of substrate more owners began to find an alternative substrate that was still attractive and provided a natural appearance. This alternative was Cedar wood chips. It has been known for many years that cedar is harmful to the skin and respiratory systems of other animals and it has now been proven that Cedar has the same effects on reptiles. Cedar chips are very attractive, but also present a very serious danger to the skin and respiratory systems of reptiles. The same harmful substances that are found in mothballs are also found in cedar.
Many owners often ask the question, "why is it so harmful to keep reptiles on these types of substrates in captivity when it does not seem to effect them in the wild"? The answer is very simple. All of the substances listed here are spread out over a very large area in the wild, while in captivity they are sometimes piled up to an inch or more thick in a small, sometimes poorly ventilated enclosure. This increases the reptile's chances of accidentally ingesting bedding materials and increases their exposure to toxic vapors.
A safer and less expensive alternative to using these substances for a cage substrate is to use newspaper, artificial grass or smooth vinyl flooring material. All of these substances are safe and each offers its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost and ease of cleaning.
Newspaper is very inexpensive and offers the advantage of making clean up very easy. The disadvantage to newspaper is that it becomes soaked very easily when an animal spills or soaks in its water bowl and can make a soggy mess that will have to be cleaned up right away.
Artificial grass is becoming more and more popular as a result of its "natural appearance". Artificial grass is disadvantageous with respect to the fact that it requires more effort to clean and it will have to be maintained by trimming away any frayed edges from time to time. It is also higher in cost than newspaper and it will need to be replaced from time to time as it begins to wear.
The final substrate is vinyl floor covering. This is most likely the best of the three for most reptiles. It provides a surface that will absorb and retain heat like the earth. It is also very easy to clean and only needs to be wiped clean with a damp cloth and disinfected with a mild bleach solution of 9 parts water to 1 part bleach. The only disadvantage to this substrate is the cost. It is the most expensive of the three, but it will not have to be replaced as frequently as the others, in fact it will probably last several years and is available in many colors. The authors personal favorite is green marble, this makes for a very attractive enclosure with a touch of nature and class. Many forms of vinyl floor coverings have a pattern and often times these patterns involve grooves in the floor covering, similar to those in bathroom tile. It is important to be sure that the pattern that you choose does not have any grooves or cut designs in the pattern. These grooves and cut designs provide a nice hiding place for fecal material to collect and make cleaning slightly more difficult.
The type of material that is used as a substrate largely depends on the species of reptile being housed on it and the size of the enclosure. For instance, iguanas that are housed singly in a room-sized enclosure will spend most of their day basking on branches and will seldom come down from the branches. This means that substrate is not as much of a problem, since the animal's contact is limited. In fact wild iguanas spend most of their lives in the trees and prefer to venture to the ground only when necessary. They would much rather remain in safety of the trees. An iguana on the ground is a nice target for a predator. In captivity iguanas usually spend more time on the floor of the enclosure as a result of the limited size of their home, however they still tend to spend more time above the enclosure floor. Because of this it is possible to use potting soil as a ground medium as long as the iguanas are fed on the branches and basking areas above the enclosure floor. This type of ground medium may also be used for other arboreal species, but before it is placed in the enclosure it should be baked in the oven at 250 degrees for at least 20 minutes to kill any organisms that may be living in the soil.
Remember that cage substrate is very important to the health of a captive reptile and making a proper choice for the needs of your reptile and yourself is vital to a healthy reptile. An owner should consider a cage substrate a very serious factor in setting up a healthy environment.
