#impaction

Inspired by @kaijutegu's recent post, let’s talk about calcium sand.

So, calcium sand, and substrate in general, has been attributed to impaction in bearded dragons (and other reptiles, but for this post, we’re just focusing on dragons.) However, while some substrates are more natural choices than others, and as such are more digestible, substrate itself is typically not the root cause of impaction. Improper husbandry such as dehydration, improper lighting, diet and supplementation all negatively impact the digestive system as well as the body in general, and the problems only compact when these factors are stacked together.

Firstly, lets look at a bearded dragons natural habitat. This video courtesy of the veterinarian Jonathon Howard, known online as the Beardie Vet, shows the texture of the substrate that wild dragons live on. The sand is loose on top but packed underneath. The grain size is about 96% fine sand.

Next, lets look at this map.

This map courtesy of Claire Jaworski overlays wild bearded dragon sightings from iNaturalist over a soil composition map of Australia. Note how many of the sightings are found in Calsisol zones. Calsisol (also known as calcarosol) zones are characterized by containing 15% or more calcium carbonate. We know that bearded dragons engage in geophagy, or intentionally eating substrate. This is likely a natural behavior that they would perform in the wild to fulfill their biological need for calcium. We provide calcium as a supplement so that they do not perform this behavior in captivity (however this is not the only vitamin we should be providing!!!)

Next we should consider humidity, as there is not much standing water in their natural habitat, as well as diet, which they also obtain water from.

Contrary to popular belief, the natural habitat of bearded dragons has a very wide range of humidity, both throughout the day and throughout the year. When they are found basking, the humidity typically ranges between 10-30%. However, the morning after rain can be around 60%.

According to these maps, which measured the humidity of Australia over the course of 30 years, many dragons would be found in areas that range between 50-70% humidity in the morning and 20-40% at 3 in the afternoon.

It is also important to note that dragons are frequently found in burrows when not out and about. In these burrows, the humidity can be higher than the surrounding air.

As far as diet, this entire post is just a fantastic resource, again, courtesy of the Beardie Vet. In the wild, adult female dragons would be ingesting 48% plant matter in their diet, with males ingesting 68%. As far as moisture content, “Most plants/herbs are around 85% water – herbage 80% water, flowers observed eating >90% water; Insects are about 65% water – Termites 60% water, crickets 67% water.”

Bearded dragons, while they do not spend a lot of time drinking, are dependent on both the natural humidity cycle and their diet to stay hydrated. It is not natural to maintain a humidity of 30% or lower all year round, and compounded with poor diet and lack of access to water, can lead to dehydration, which in turn disrupts the digestive system’s ability to do its job.

So let's bring it back. Bearded dragons are naturally found on substrate with calcium in it. If you look at Zoomed or Fluker’s calcium supplement, for example, you will see that they are calcium carbonate. If you look at the ingredients for T-Rex, RepTerra or Komodo’s calcium sand, all are made with the exact same calcium carbonate.

So what’s the problem? The problem is, in the absence of poor husbandry, the ratio. Remember that Calsisol is 15% or more calcium carbonate. Well, most bags of calcium sand are 100% calcium carbonate. They should not be used straight, instead mixed together with other safe substrates such as children's play sand, excavator clay, and pesticide and fertilizer-free topsoil to create a natural and safe substrate mixture. The proper substrate will not only allow them to create burrows like they would in the wild, it will allow females a safe place to lay eggs (which they can do even without the presence of a male), help retain heat, and keep humidity at normal levels, as well as provide natural enrichment.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Name : Afonso Schariac

Based on : Kiana Kaslana from Honkai Impact 3rd

Gender : Male

Age : 18

Birthday : December 7th

Height : 168 cm

Eye color : Bright sea blue (left), Golden yellow (right)

Hair color : White

Homeland : ???

PROFFESIONAL STATUS

Dorm : Impaction

School year : Second year

Class : 2-B

Occupation : Dorm leader, Student

Club : Volleyball club

Best subject : Weapon class

Worst subject : Light arts

FUN FACTS

Sexuality : Bisexual (slight preference for men)

Dominant hand : Right

Favorite food : Mangoes, Charlotte russe , Raspberry lemonade

Least favorite food : Licorice

Likes : Dual guns, Baseball bats, food

Dislikes : Loud noises, Jokes about his height, Pushy people

Hobby : Using guns in general, poison making, spamming messages

Talents : Using guns, Dodging, poison making

APPERANCE

Afonso has long messy white hair that’s often tied into on big braid. Normally, his eyes are bright sea blue, but one abnormal color has taken to the quiet yet deadly, golden eye.

PERSONALITY

Afonso, at first is a very extroverted, braggy, overconfident, bright and an “idiotic” boy who has a liking to guns. He was happy-go-lucky, and confident he could try everything new. He often smiled, even if he was injured, and adored the company of his dorm members.

UNIQUE MAGIC

“Stars of another world”

sand. it’s a controversial topic.

in the reptile hobby, loose sand and calci sand are commonly recommended for leopard geckos. it’s presumed that they naturally live in very sandy deserts. these commercial sands, however, are not as natural as they seem and can even be dangerous to a leopard gecko's health. many leo keepers argue that sand can kill a leo quickly; others will argue that they’ve never experienced negative effects. so who is right?

wild leos are widely distributed across pakistan, afghanistan and iran as well as the northern regions of india. they can be found anywhere from the thar desert, to the kabul river, to the hindu kush mountains. one thing remains the same across these habitats - they’re not just made up of sand!

the thar desert of india and pakistan is a prime example of natural leopard gecko habitat. this desert is made up of barren dunes, stabilised dunes, grasslands and rocky hills. stabilised dunes are made up of silt, sand and clay, and a soil crust forms atop them because of the presence of organic matter and algal growth. stretches of sand beyond the dunes are interspersed by hillocks and gravelly plains. herbaceous, scrubby vegetation grows all across the region. other south asian deserts are often just as soil-filled. the ground consists of red soils, yellow soils, saline soils and loose soils. all of these soils are predominantly coarse, well-drained and bear calcium. one leopard gecko subspecies, the afghan leopard gecko, actually avoids sand and prefers rocky desert and sparse grassland!

so what's the big deal about sand? loose sand, when eaten in large amounts, causes impaction. an intestinal impaction is a serious, life threatening condition where the intestine is blocked. it's not just sand that causes impaction, however: ingested gravel and pellets can cause the same condition. signs of impaction include anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, bloated abdomen and excessive soaking. in the worst cases, impacted leos have to be euthanised.

(via Deceptively chonky lizard breaks an unfortunate, strange record)

“Feasting on greasy pizza comes with its consequences for humans, but for a curly-tailed lizard on the eastern beaches of Florida, the results were especially crappy.

The female curly-tailed lizard in question, technically known as a Leiocephalus carinatus, was living near a beach-side pizza shop. This, unfortunately, meant that she developed the proclivity for chomping down on leftover pizza grease, as well as sand. This diet was supplemented by a more traditional meal for curly-tailed lizards — bugs.

A team of University of Florida herpetologists came across the lizard while tracking down reptile samples in Florida's Cocoa Beach. Their recent analysis of her revealed something strange: Buried inside the lizard was an unusually large fecal bolus, colloquially known as a ball of poop.

//

This also seems like a good time to make once again a cry for help post.

Smaug might have to have surgery. You can read more about it here - I’m a little more than distraught.

He’s not eating, not going to the bathroom, and he’s losing so much weight I could cry. He had a vet appointment Monday with an enema that still led to no potty. We do again Friday to discuss the game plan for him. I don’t have $1000 to spend for surgery, but I can’t lose Smaug either. I’ll literally be devastated. So if you can help out, click this link once more — and if not that’s okay too. Just your support and reblog will help.