Cypress mulch

[redsn8k]

Just bought a big bag of it from LLLreptile to use in our baby Leo enclosure. It seems to be very slivery. It gets all over him and I am afraid he is going to be eating it and get it stuck in his throat? It is different from what I was expecting. Should I be concerned?

 

[pfara]

Yeah, that picture looks about right. The bottom will decompose over time, so if you mix it up from time to time, eventually the larger chunks will be gone. There was a time I caught one of my reds trying to eat it. I pulled it outta her mouth and haven't seen her do it again. I haven't had any other problems with it. Just keep the food on a rock slab and you should be good to go. If you put long fiber sphagnum moss around the perimeter of the enclosure, that'll give the tort something to bury into.

 

[Saleama]

Mix it with some coco coir. It will be fine. Like pfara said, the bigger chunks will rotate down and out over time. I find the biggest chunks get dragged into the water dish and I take them from there to the trash. Feed off of a large terra cotta saucer or stone tile.

 

[redsn8k]

Thank you. I honestly was not as concerned about the big chunks rather the small sliver pieces that are all over him and then his food from climbing over his food dish.

I used the coco in my last bedding for him and it stained his skin and shell very badly?

---

His skin is supposed to be light tan. Still trying to figure out how to get it back to normal. Poor guy.