coconut husk?

jugde_matt · Member Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 21

is coconut husk ok for tegus... I use it for my crested geckos and panther chameleons and i like it but is it ok for tegus i know most people recomend cyprus but i havent had the best experiance with it.

www.creaturetravelers.com

thats were i get it... holds moisture real well and doesnt mold.

anyway i value your opions i know many of you have lots of experiance

thank you much
matt

tupinambis · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:37 am Post subject:

I've been trying the coconut husk with some of our tegus now for about a year, and so far the results have been quite positive. The tegus really seemed to enjoy it compared to some of the other substrates we've used, and so far we haven't noticed any problems with fibres winding around toes or impaction, as several people have theorized.

kozalmighty · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:24 am Post subject:

I love it and I think its great!!!! I just orderd more from them!

YorkOC · Valued Member Joined: Oct 09, 2005 Posts: 101

That is what I have been using ever since I got my Arg B&Wtegu. I have met the owner Daryl personally at some of the reptile shows out here in So Cal and he is also super chill. It practically lasts forever as long as you spot clean. My friend also uses it for his savannah monitor lizard

jb · Honored Member Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 201

I like it, but it is more expensive than a $3.00 bag of cypress mulch at the Home Depot. Cant say one is better.

jugde_matt · Member Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 21

i thought about that but can the home depot mulch be trusted is it intended for herps or herp safe does it go through the proper cleaning stages to ensure that will be no harm to your tegu? is it 100 percent healthy because thats the last thing any of us would wanna do is put our animal at risk for parasites or something right?

anyway yea i already bought some coconut husk but maybe when i need to clean his cage ill try the mulch

thanks

jb · Honored Member Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 201

That is a great point....why does Petsmart still sell and promote walnut shell bedding? Almost every keeper and breeder avoids that product due to impaction risks-but they sell it with pictures of Uromastyx and Beardies on the bag and say it's natural and safe. I dont think that cypress mulch is treated with anything, it's just wood thrown in a chipper and it is very low in aromatic compounds when moist. Who knows. I've used it for monitors and tegus for years and havent seen any issues with it (yet?).

jugde_matt · Member Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 21

cool if you have had no trouble with it might as well try it

YorkOC · Valued Member Joined: Oct 09, 2005 Posts: 101

the great thing about the coconut husk is that you will never find any unwanted bugs in it. I heard that when you get the mulch you are supposed to either freeze it or heat it up in the oven. If you think about it bugs can crawl into it while it just sits outside.I am all about less maintainance. Yeah maybe it is more expensive but you never have any worries. It practically lasts forever as long as you are on top of it and spot clean. I even believe that Daryl has some coconut husk that he has been using for some dart frogs that has been kept constantly moist for over four years or so and it hasn't even grown mold on it. I did one time when I first got my tegu used some jungle bark/mulch stuff and I ended up seeing little bugs crawling around. Its pretty much whatever works for you. If you have the privilege of going to an IRBA reptile show here in CA where Daryl(the owner of creature travelers) is you can buy a big burlap bag which is the equivalent of 6 of those bags you can order for around $60 or so. I do remember one quote he said though was in reference to the tegus he was like "Use that bedabeast stuff and the tegus hate it and keep trying to get it off their eyes. Put my stuff in there and the tegus immediately bury themselves in it and have a great time." Mine loves to dig in it. Good luck