sand for veiled chameleon

[newbie]

Could someone explain why I only see 'play sand' as the only sand suitable for egg laying? What is wrong with silica based sand such as silver sand?
I understand the area in the wild that these creatures live in in semi desert and most deserts are silica based.
What exactly are the ingredients in play sand? What is the physical characteristics of both sands? I read somewhere that quarts based sand is fine but not silicon is this true?
What's wrong with the soft builders sand is it that it can stain? It's certainly allows tunnels to be made.
I guess sand has to be lime free because lime could damage skin or eyes.

I

 

[kinyonga]

The silica sands or calcisands can cause impactions and since some of the females will eat the sand IMHO they are best avoided.

I've had some of the non-play sands (like builder's sand) cause eye infections.
The rest of your questions I can't really answer.

All I can add is that the best sand I have found is this one...
http://yourhome.shoptoit.ca/shop/product--productId_9861447.html

 

[newbie]

Thanks for the swift reply. You mention impactions but it's not going to be eating, the chameleon is solely concerned with depositing her eggs eating surely, would be the last thing on her mind anyway there is no food in the nesting area.

Another thing is in the wild the area they dig in to carry out egg laying is not play sand so does this mean that chameleons die building a nest and laying?

 

[BocaJan]

Thanks for the swift reply. You mention impactions but it's not going to be eating, the chameleon is solely concerned with depositing her eggs eating surely, would be the last thing on her mind anyway there is no food in the nesting area.

Another thing is in the wild the area they dig in to carry out egg laying is not play sand so does this mean that chameleons die building a nest and laying?

The poop my females do after laying eggs has sand in it. Use clean sandbox sand. It is not expensive.

 

[fluxlizard]

I never use sand at all. I go dig up some dirt out of my yard.

I don't think any chameleon lays eggs in sand in nature (no beach chameleons that I know of- maybe namaquensis might?). They use dirt in nature and seem to respond well to dirt from the yard- especially with some old dried leaves tossed on top. If you time it right (within a few days of female laying) yard dirt around here in the eastern US is always the right moisture level too...

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."it's not going to be eating, the chameleon is solely concerned with depositing her eggs eating surely"...sorry to burst your bubble but its quite likely she will eat it...and its usually intentionally.

 

[james L]

Ive always used a mix of peat and vermiculite. The mix packs well and is easy for chams to tunnel in and out of.

 

[newbie]

Can anyone offer any insight into why play-sand makes for better substrate than silver-sand other than on price and availability? Also Soft builder's sand allows for easy tunneling it's sticky when damp so what's wrong with that?

 

[Syn]

Can anyone offer any insight into why play-sand makes for better substrate than silver-sand other than on price and availability? Also Soft builder's sand allows for easy tunneling it's sticky when damp so what's wrong with that?

Weren't both of those questions answered here? Maybe I am just tired.

The silica sands or calcisands can cause impactions and since some of the females will eat the sand IMHO they are best avoided.

I've had some of the non-play sands (like builder's sand) cause eye infections.
The rest of your questions I can't really answer.

All I can add is that the best sand I have found is this one...
http://yourhome.shoptoit.ca/shop/product--productId_9861447.html

 

[newbie]

Not fully. Why shouldn't play sand be ingested and also cause compaction injury? What is the ingredients that make play sand better?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I never use sand at all. I go dig up some dirt out of my yard.

Nothing wrong with sterile dirt (I've mixed with sand in the past) but dirt from your yard means you are potentially introducing parasites and pollutants.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."Why shouldn't play sand be ingested and also cause compaction injury? What is the ingredients that make play sand better?"...I have been using the same brand of playsand for many years now....I'm not a chemist so I don't know the content of it but it has passed through all of my chameleons that have eaten it without causing impactions. I know this because I took all of them for autopsies after their deaths and not one of them had an impaction. Without a chemical analysis nobody knows what is in the sand...although you can write to the company and ask...or if you really need to know, here is the type of sand I use...feel free to get it analysed...
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...ode+matchall&recN=128756&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

This sand has also not caused any infections in the chameleons' eyes or anywhere else in the chameleon.

I'm not saying that other substrates are not good, but since this playsand has worked well for so many years I see no reason to change it.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I've used a mixture of play sand and organic potting soil. About 70% sand and 30% potting. Just make sure thats its organic pott soil without any fertilizers or additives like perlite in it. I think the most imp thing is getting the moisture level correct in the soil used. If its too the chams liking she will usually dig and deposit fairly quickly. If its too dry or too wett they tend to dig more test holes and that can result in a cham that has ingested more dirt during the process. Jmo.