Zoo Med Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate, 10 Pounds

This stuff is great, my bearded dragon loves this way more than the temporary paper towels she was initially on. When she’s particularly happy she’ll dig down into it and lay in a divot of the warm sand like a pancake. It doesn’t have any smell other than earth, one bag is enough for a 45 gallon tank, it’s easy to clean clumps with a scooper. Overall this was a great purchase.

Must use for any naturalistic arid reptile enclosure and is my Recommendation for Leopard Geckos, Bearded Dragons, and Uromastyx. It can be used by itself or mixed with soil for a more natural and soft substrate. Excavator clay holds tunnels extremely well, while allowing reptiles to act on natural digging instincts. There is little risk for impaction or accidentally being ingested with this clay as it is compacted and has very little loose grains once wet and dried. As for cleaning, Most Arid Reptiles have a drier stool that will sit on top of the substrate and can be simply picked up with a paper towel. If the "used" area begins to smell, Simply scoop up the clay in that spot and replace. (I always save a little dry clay for this reason) To heat from below For reptiles that require heat from below, This can be achieved with a little creative land planning. The spot that has belly heat needs to be between 1/8th and 1/4th in thick for enough heat to penetrate. This actually works better than Repticarpet or tile as the heat is evenly distributed and retained for longer. In the attached pictures, the right half has heat on an "on/off" thermostat and is able to maintain floor heat at 88-92 Degrees at all times. To use by itself Carefully empty into enclosure, go slow to avoid dust. Wet clay just enough to form caverns and hills, I feel it works best when combined with Driftwood, Slate, Stone or Cork bark to create better climbing opportunities and help build up hills. While drying, the clay may crack as it shrinks, just re-wet the cracks and rub smooth. To Redecorate or fix crumbling, just soak the area with a reptile safe spray bottle, and reform. To create a more naturalistic soil Combine equal parts Excavator clay and organic topsoil and moisten. Be sure there are no Fertilizers, Natural or otherwise in the soil. This mixture will not be able to form tall structures, But will hold Burrows extremely well and will be easier for reptiles to dig in. As with any Pet product PLEASE research thoroughly the needs of that specific animal before Purchasing.

For the longest time my dragon would just lay in the cool side of the tank and do absolutely nothing until I picked her up and put her under a heat lamp. If I didn't do this, she would stay there and not even eat. When I added hammocks, she would just pick a favorite hammock and then stay in the hammock. I first used a beginner kit to put a small hill in my bearded dragon's tank and watched her for a while to make sure she wasn't eating it. I seen her lick it out of curiosity a couple times, but not actually try to eat it. I waited a while to see if she had a healthy poop, as she took a few days to have one (sometimes poops more often and sometimes less often). She had a healthy bowel movement and a few more after that. She dug into the small mound of clay hoping to make a cave until all the clay collapsed since there wasn't enough. I was satisfied that she was not eating the loose clay particles and so I bought her more. She absolutely loves this stuff. Ever since adding it to her tank, she gets up on her own every morning and climbs all over her tank! It's made her so happy! She will sometimes sleep on the pile of clay I made for her, or she will bask during the day. She will dig into it a little. She will go back to the other side of the tank when she is too hot. She doesn't even want to poop in her tank now. She tries to climb out when she wants to poop so she doesn't get it dirty! I'm happy to see her be more active now, because she was healthy with no problems but just wanted to lay still all day. This is also the best price I have found for the excavation clay. So thank you so much!

Great alternative to loose sand which should be banned from sale for reptiles, but having to wait for it to dry is tedious (I'm the instant gratification type, heh) and if you ever need to remove it, it's nearly impossible if you don't have easy access to an outdoor hose. Would never recommend dumping this stuff into any plumbing, which was my only choice in the end, so this clay is still in the enclosure with cypress mulch tossed on top (my new crestie got my baby beardie's starter enclosure). In the end I converted to tile for my desert dwellers, but if you want that "hard packed desert" look and the ability to add some sculptural elements, and it's a permanent addition, I'd still recommend it. Aside from the suggestion to add burrows, which would be impossible to clean.

Used in a tank for 2 leopard geckos. Can easily build with the clay and sets hard like a stone. Lasts a long time as long as it's not getting too wet. Can handle some moisture. Easy to clean off glass and most surfaces when wet, but can stain.

I mix this with soil and sand for my leopard gecko and it works great to keep everything together. If you use just this when wet you can make it into shapes and caves for your lizard.

I bought this with high hopes. I wanted it for my Leopard Gecko so he could have a more realistic substrate. I started off using their measurements for water, but it was too dry to work with. Once I wet it much more, it was a lot easier to work with; however, when it dried, it cracked and crumbled like no other. I tried the misting technique, but it didn't really help and my Leo certainly did not appreciate the added moisture. Not to mention, I can't help but feel like this product is weak. No matter how hard I packed or how long I supported, the bridges/arch ways would crumble. I was also planning on building tunnels using Zoo Meds balloon technique, but even with a cork round it wouldn't hold it in place securely without using the half of the 10 pound bag. It is holding the hides, plants, and decorations well enough for right now, but I am sad to say I am disappointed with the overall product. Although, I plan on purchasing 20 more pounds to try to redo the tank with more structures. I think adding tin foil within the mixture for added support, then the bridges I really wanted would actually hold. I have a 20 gallon long, but I think I'm going to go for a 24x18x12 so I can utilize the broader floor space so I can build a thicker foundation. Hopefully it works better.

I am so happy with this. It turned out wonderful for my lizards it still has to dry but I know it’s going to turn out wonderful. Make sure to follow the directions maybe add a little bit more water like I did. Use balloons and other things to help you shape it. I am going to buy more for my other Cage and do the same thing.

Ottima sabbia per la mia pogona. Ottimo per creare nascondigli Si può farla diventare anche meno sabbiosa.

Rien a dire produit conforme

Got this to create a more natural environment for my beardy. It's a great quality material to use for an aesthetic effect. Easy to use, doesn't smell damp, safe for reptiles, natural colour. My girl is fussy, she refused to use artificial shelters, created a small sized cave initially out of this, shes then dug it out to fit her needs. All in all, I will use again.

J’ai acheter ce substrat pour le terrarium de mon gecko léopard, le résultat et vraiment naturel, et très jolie, je me suis amusée à faire des grottes avec de simples ballons que j’ai gonfler, c’est top ! Le temps de prendre le coup de main et ça forme comme de la pâte à modeler, il faut juste faire attention à vraiment bien tasser la terre sinon en séchant ça va laisser pas mal de petits morceaux que le lézard peut avaler et risque de faire une occlusion intestinale, un coup d’aspi à la fin et c’est bon. Attention en séchant ça va plus ou moins fissurer et craqueler, c’est normal, moi j’ai colmater les fissures quelques jours après en mettant à nouveaux de l’Excavator. Ça met bien 1 semaine à sécher complètement, et 48/72h pour la surface. J’ai du prendre 3 sacs pour un terrarium de 90x45cm en sachants que les grottes demandent pas mal de matière. Produits bien emballer, pas de trous à la réception.

El mejor tipo de material si tienes una pogona vitticeps, cómodo de limpiar y si respetas el modo de secado no se agrieta y deja un buen suelo para el animal. El envío vino perfecto.