Where do these myths come from?

[Pareeeee]

Sand impaction is true for lizards. Not sure about snakes, since their digestive process is different.





My experiences with repti-sand:
When I had a beardie year's ago, I had her on sand for a while. It was always in her eyes and they always looked weepy, as did her nose.

When I first got my rosy boa, I had him on sand. It was always packed under his scales and around his eyes. His scales always looked scratched and dehydrated.

I changed substrates...

I think most sand made for reptiles is too fine, making easy to get under scales etc. It's dusty, which can also cause RI's. It clumps like kitty litter, which causes impaction.

[limey]

Not sure where they come from, but being a zookeeper/curator I have heard many ridiculous things come out of the mouths of the public whilst in the reptile house.

Here are the silliest of them all:

* "Milk snakes drink milk, son. That's why they are called milksnakes."

* "Corn snakes are poisonous"

* (Pointing at skink) "Look at that snake, it has little legs"

* "That anaconda is about 5 feet long, it could eat you whole."

* Excuse me sir, snakes eat biscuits, right? Just like dogs?

* (I have 7 ft burmese around my shoulders) *Black woman with 2 kids freaks out* "Oh my gaWWWWWD!!! Is it poisonous??? Stay away from it, kids!!!"

* "Snakes need to be wet or they'll dry out and die" (mother says to young son)

* "I don't want a snake because they are pointless, smelly, dirty animals. Snakes smell, really bad" - Random middle-aged woman

* "We find a snake near our house, we shoot it dead." - Macho man visiting our zoo

* (Points to me cleaning out alligator pond) "Look, son, that's why you go to college. So you don't have to clean out gator poop for a living like that guy."


Just thought I would share...

[Mikoh4792]

lmao biscuits

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by red ink

There's a reason for that... it would be due to the fact that very few reptile species are actually endemic to a "pure" sand environment.

In "general", new or even long term pet keepers know sweet FA about the natural environment of the animals they keep. They see a picture of an animal on sand on the internet... not bother to do the further research and find out that that sand is actually just an inch deep of top soil and fill the tank with six inches of the stuff with no other medium in it - mostly fine desert sand, the red stuff that looks real nice but harms so many reptiles. Unless of course they happen to keep sand swimmers (but hey how popular are they right? that's why the pet industry caters sand specifically for them with the fine desert sand).

The animal tries to burrow and continually hit nothing but sand... all over it, no respite, no ceasing.... no ill effects right?

That's the reason why in "general" sand is bad for reptiles because "generally" most people are either lazy or inept to do actual research that the species they keep don't live on sand... despite what it looks like in the pretty pics on the interweb.

This seems like a problem with the sort of reptile sand products available in pet stores, which are notoriously bad for most reptiles. Beach sand and washed play sand are better alternatives because they don't seem to clump up or stick to dry surfaces and they aren't as fine or dusty. If you're using sand as a substrate that a species wouldn't normally wouldn't encounter it, that is an issue of husbandry. If you were ignorant of their humidity requirements, you could probably make certain animals sick by putting them on mulch or eco earth, but does that make those substrates bad?

[poison123]

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

When I first got my rosy boa, I had him on sand. It was always packed under his scales and around his eyes. His scales always looked scratched and dehydrated.

Interesting. I am using a sand/soil mix for my rosy and never had this problem. Were you using just pure sand?

[jarich]

Its rarely easy to trace a myth back to its source, although sometimes you can. The myth that butter worms are high in calcium can be traced back to a single guy giving an interview when he first started importing them into the country. Obviously he was just trying to drum up business for his new import. Ever since then you see all over the internet that they have "twice as much calcium as other feeders" like it was some kind of scientific fact. You can often even see it listed that way in charts. All the other insects will have actual numerical measurements and under butter worms it says "twice as much calcium". Haha!

[red ink]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

This seems like a problem with the sort of reptile sand products available in pet stores, which are notoriously bad for most reptiles. Beach sand and washed play sand are better alternatives because they don't seem to clump up or stick to dry surfaces and they aren't as fine or dusty. If you're using sand as a substrate that a species wouldn't normally wouldn't encounter it, that is an issue of husbandry. If you were ignorant of their humidity requirements, you could probably make certain animals sick by putting them on mulch or eco earth, but does that make those substrates bad?

Can the highlighted statement be considered a "myth" as well...? Interesting couple of sentences there... How many reptile species are endemic to beaches or washed playsand for these substrates not to be a husbandry issue?

[KORBIN5895]

China. Everything comes from China.

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by red ink

Can the highlighted statement be considered a "myth" as well...? Interesting couple of sentences there... How many reptile species are endemic to beaches or washed playsand for these substrates not to be a husbandry issue?

It's an observation. Play sand and beach sand don't really clump up when wet.

Pure sand would not be ideal for many animals, but mixing it with topsoil would create a natural substrate for a lot of species of reptiles. Bags of play sand/the beach is just a place to source the sand from.

[red ink]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

I feel like most people who are in the hobby have at one point probably believed a reptile/snake. I don't mean ridiculous myths, such as snakes only growing as larges as their enclosure. I'm talking about the myths that get passed around forums and betweeb experienced keepers as if they were the truth. For instance, a lot of people still believe that feeding snakes in a separate enclosure will make them tame. There is also the belief that reptiles shouldn't be kept on sand because it causes impaction and can get under scales.

Where do you guys think these idea originate from? Sometimes I think a lot of them could probably be traced back to a misquoted scientific study or the opinion of a breeder. Is it possible that anybody might know original source for some of the most common and pervasive myths that have taken root in the community?

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

It's an observation. Play sand and beach sand don't really clump up when wet.

Pure sand would not be ideal for many animals, but mixing it with topsoil would create a natural substrate for a lot of species of reptiles. Bags of play sand/the beach is just a place to source the sand from.

So not really a myth hey that sand is "generally" bad for reptiles?

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by red ink

So not really a myth hey that sand is "generally" bad for reptiles?

If you are simply looking to twist my words around and misrepresent what I am saying, I'm not going to have this discussion. There have been enough bickering sessions that have derailed too many threads lately.

[red ink]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

If you are simply looking to twist my words around and misrepresent what I am saying, I'm not going to have this discussion. There have been enough bickering sessions that have derailed too many threads lately.

Not looking to twist your words mate... those qoutes are verbatum .

Neither am I misrepresenting what you're saying. You made a sweeping statement about sand as it eluded to being a myth. I sought to correct that sweeping statement.

Firstly by stating that some species do get sand stuck in their scales, secondly by stating that it can cause impaction in reptiles. Another poster even provided an X-ray on the matter.

I am not bickering either, we are having a discussion.

I don't see how a discussion on a topic you brought up in your opening statement is de-railing the thread?

[Mikoh4792]

Another one would be that cage size stunts growth. Wonder how that one got started...

[drumcrush]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

China. Everything comes from China.

Ahahahahaha omg this cracked me up

[CameronVarnish]

Originally Posted by wrecker45

How about the hoop snake. Can put its tail in its mouth and roll down a hill like a hoop.

Lol. probs was thinking of an armadillo lizard?