# Sand Boa and Walnuts



## Melloman211 (Jul 3, 2010)

If you are reading this and is using crushed walnut bedding for your sand boa please give me your imput


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## Lorgakor (Jul 3, 2010)

I wouldn't. It is rather scratchy, and I would worry about it harming their eyes. I use aspen chip and it works great.


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## LeilaNami (Jul 3, 2010)

Lorgakor said:


> I wouldn't. It is rather scratchy, and I would worry about it harming their eyes. I use aspen chip and it works great.


I use aspen as well.  From what I understand, granulated beddings like walnut are especially bad for burrowing snakes like sand boas.


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## Melloman211 (Jul 3, 2010)

LeilaNami said:


> I use aspen as well.  From what I understand, granulated beddings like walnut are especially bad for burrowing snakes like sand boas.


Well I also heard that they are great. I've been researching sand boa substrates and no one has ever claimed that their snake died of because of sand and crushed walnuts, it has always been secondary sources. People say "I've heard this or I've heard that." Most likely I will use aspen because its a safer bet but If you or a fried had a kenyan killed by sand or Walnut shells let me know please.


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## LeilaNami (Jul 3, 2010)

Melloman211 said:


> Well I also heard that they are great. I've been researching sand boa substrates and no one has ever claimed that their snake died of because of sand and crushed walnuts, it has always been secondary sources. People say "I've heard this or I've heard that." Most likely I will use aspen because its a safer bet but If you or a fried had a kenyan killed by sand or Walnut shells let me know please.


I would pm Old Hag.  She's an amazing source of info about kenyans specifically. All of mine I got from her.  There are always conflicting info about stuff in the pet trade.  I've heard even cedar chips are great (not), newspaper is great (my iguana got an impaction from eating it), my vet does not endorse aspen because she often sees shreds stuck in the snake's jaws (but I've never heard of anyone personally having a problem).  I know we've had threads like this before and I think the end consensus was no granulated beddings if I remember correctly.  I think the bedding in question was sand, however.


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## Melloman211 (Jul 3, 2010)

Thank You so much. How do reptiles get "impaction" is it caused by the reptiles eating the substrate or making it into an orifice? I will pm her right now. Thank you


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## Melloman211 (Jul 3, 2010)

I tried finding old hag but she is no where to be found. Do you know if she is still around?


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## LeilaNami (Jul 3, 2010)

Melloman211 said:


> I tried finding old hag but she is no where to be found. Do you know if she is still around?


She is. Try searching OldHag.  As far as impaction goes, they can ingest but other snakes can get their heat pits impacted on stuff like walnut.  So either way is not good.  In my case, my iguana was just dumb and ate a big wad of newspaper.  A large vet bill and a couple enemas later, he fortunately passed it.  Many aren't so lucky.  I keep him on plastic now


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## Earthworm Soul (Jul 4, 2010)

Try a potting soil/sand/coconut coir mixture.

That was the best substrate I used with my hognoses.


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## Crysta (Jul 4, 2010)

LeilaNami said:


> She is. Try searching OldHag.  As far as impaction goes, they can ingest but other snakes can get their heat pits impacted on stuff like walnut.  So either way is not good.  In my case, my iguana was just dumb and ate a big wad of newspaper.  A large vet bill and a couple enemas later, he fortunately passed it.  Many aren't so lucky.  I keep him on plastic now


I caught my iguana eating news paper before, but luckly i was there to pull it out before he swallowed it. 
Mine was the food section, of kale and romain lettuce ahhahah!
You need to make sure there is no green or yellow on the paper because even if it doesn't taste like greens they will eat it.
If I give him black and white paper he wouldn't touch it.

I was letting my iguana roam once and I turned around for 5 minutes to come back to him almost half swallowed my 2f scarf of yellow flowers... Pulled it out... he was fine lol. Never ending eaters imo... lol

He was 3 and a half feet at the time.


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## LeilaNami (Jul 4, 2010)

CentipedeFreak said:


> I caught my iguana eating news paper before, but luckly i was there to pull it out before he swallowed it.
> Mine was the food section, of kale and romain lettuce ahhahah!
> You need to make sure there is no green or yellow on the paper because even if it doesn't taste like greens they will eat it.
> If I give him black and white paper he wouldn't touch it.
> ...


It WAS black and white and there wasn't any food smears on it :wall:  Mine was 3.5 feet as well when he decided to attempt newspaper suicide.

I don't know if potting soil would hold too much humidity for these guys.  Maybe if you dry it.


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## bitzy1 (Jul 4, 2010)

Melloman211 said:


> Well I also heard that they are great. I've been researching sand boa substrates and no one has ever claimed that their snake died of because of sand and crushed walnuts, it has always been secondary sources. People say "I've heard this or I've heard that." Most likely I will use aspen because its a safer bet but If you or a fried had a kenyan killed by sand or Walnut shells let me know please.


i also use sand. my boa seems to love it though she is a baby. but there is alot of talk about what bedding to use for sand boas.


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## Crysta (Jul 4, 2010)

LeilaNami said:


> It WAS black and white and there wasn't any food smears on it :wall:  Mine was 3.5 feet as well when he decided to attempt newspaper suicide.
> 
> I don't know if potting soil would hold too much humidity for these guys.  Maybe if you dry it.


hahah newspaper suicide.


One another note...arent sand boas called sand boas for a reason?...so why not use sand?


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## Toirtis (Jul 4, 2010)

Melloman211 said:


> Well I also heard that they are great. I've been researching sand boa substrates and no one has ever claimed that their snake died of because of sand and crushed walnuts,


Dead wrong...it can and has happened.  Sand, albeit not 100% safe, is far more so than crushed walnut hulls. Personally, I would not use the walnut hulls for anything.


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## OldHag (Jul 6, 2010)

Toirtis said:


> Dead wrong...it can and has happened.  Sand, albeit not 100% safe, is far more so than crushed walnut hulls. Personally, I would not use the walnut hulls for anything.


Alas, Ive kept my kenyans on crushed walnut for YEARS and never once had an issue with it.... I now use aspen shavings.. not because I ever had a problem. Just its cheaper.
I think ANY substrate could cause problems if injested. Just dont feed them  in the stuff and you should be ok.  Maybe walnut is more "dusty". Dunno, didnt notice. I know sand is dusty.
Just use aspen, feed it in a different substrate free container and you should have it made.


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