There has been a debate between many reptile enthusiast about loose substrate and whether it causes impaction in reptiles, I have personally done a lot of research on this topic to determine the best route for all of our rescues after quarantine and what would be the best, most natural way to keep them. This is what my research has taught me, and I welcome any and all opinions and questions on this topic as we are constantly learning the best ways to properly keep exotic domesticated animals. 

 

Firstly, let's cover the meaning of impaction in a reptile. Impaction is a blockage in the gut or intensities your reptile is unable to pass. However, impaction is a secondary condition caused by a lack of husbandry. 

 

Previously, many reptile enthusiasts were certain that impaction was strictly caused by a reptile ingesting loose substrate, and loose substrate was then deemed unsafe. This unfortunately led to the misunderstanding that reptiles should not have access to loose substrate, which many advanced keepers agree, including myself, has a direct negative impact on the reptiles long term health. 

 

Reptifiles is an amazing source for reptile care, and has an article about loose substrate and the ways it does not cause impaction. In their article, they argue on the side of behavioral patterns for having loose substrate, and even go as far as quoting The Animal Welfare Act(2006), which states animals have the right to; “the need to be able to exhibit normal behavior patterns”. 

 

The Animal Welfare Act(2006) only states what is the basic and bare minimum care for animals, but still states the need to be able to exhibit normal behavior patterns, e.i reptiles digging and burrowing in substrate. Reptifiles even goes as far as arguing the fact that breeders provide a dig/lay box for their egg-laying reptiles, while still stating that loose substrate is not worth the risk, while also simultaneously saying there is a natural need for loose substrate for egg laying behaviors. 

 

Another point made by the Reptifiles article, is that desert-dwelling reptiles such as the central bearded dragon naturally live on looser substrate. After sending samples of one of the wild central bearded dragons substrate, the results came back to be; 

“0.3% gravel, 95.9% fine sand (quartz, coloured by iron oxide), 1.5% silt, 2.3% clay”

The results of the substrate proved that central bearded dragons have adapted to living on a softer substrate, which could bring up the argument that a hard substrate like tile or non-adhesive liner is unnatural and could have long term damaging effects on joints and muscles. 

 

Those are just some of the reasons that substrate should be provided to your reptiles, not to mention how well most substrate can retain humidity without the risk of molding, which most reptiles need. Even desert-dwelling reptiles need humidity, which we will get into later! But does loose substrate cause impaction? And if not, what does? 

 

Impaction is real, and a serious condition that can sometimes be fatal, but it's a secondary condition to another underlying issue. The quickest answer, and the one you have most likely been waiting to read directly, is no. A healthy reptile will not become impacted because of loose substrate.

 

 A reptile can become impacted with a blockage of substrate, the same way it could with paper towel, and even the chitin from feeders. But that is because there are other underlying issues, like dehydration, improper temperatures and humidity, improper diet, not enough vitamin D, improper UVB lighting, obesity, and illnesses/diseases. The husbandry of your reptile's home plays a huge role in their overall health, and if you are dealing with impaction, you need to get to the root of the source, which is more than likely, one or more things listed above. 

 

Many resources say that dehydration is one of the leading causes of impaction, so let's break it down even further! If dehydration can lead to impaction, what originally causes dehydration in reptiles and how does that go hand and hand with impaction?

 

A dehydrated reptile won’t be able to properly lubricate its organs and the ability to pass particulates through the digestive tract will be significantly reduced. This in return, will also affect the ability to pass urates, causing a urate plug to form, which blocks the passage of feces and any other ingested debris. In simple terms, this is impaction by dehydration, which is most common in species like Bearded dragons, and leopard geckos, and less common in species like Crested Geckos, and Blue Tongue Skinks. The reason? Low levels of humidity for desert-dwelling species and a paranoia in reptile keepers of causing RI’s(respiratory infections) for desert-dwelling reptiles. 

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A side note to keep in mind - There is another popular debate and new information emerging about high humidity levels and RI’s. Some argue that RI’s are not caused by high humidity levels, but rather caused by bacteria in the air/in the moisture. Thus squashing the belief that a higher humidity level would cause any infection in your reptile as long as you are providing a clean environment. However, personally I need to do more research on this topic before sharing my true opinions on it. Some say bearded dragons should be provided a water source, and as long as keeping that water source clean, there is no risk of RI’s. While others also say that providing a variety of daily fresh salads gives a bearded dragon all the hydration they need, since in the wild they are usually not close to many water sources. However, many also soak/bathe a bearded dragon for “hydration” purposes, which could also be argued as unnatural, and a reason to provide a water source if there is a need or benefit to “soak”, similar to a breeder providing only a dig box on occasion for a “natural” purpose.

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 In the reptifiles article i've listed down below, it states they got into contact with Australian veterinarian, Dr. Jonathon Howard, also known as “BeardieVet” and was able to discuss the natural humidity levels of the central bearded dragon's habitat. During this discussion it was discovered that the humidity levels fluctuate quite a lot throughout the day, and are higher than the recommended humidity levels of domesticated bearded dragons. It was found that humidity at dawn and dusk is 55-65%, by midday, it drops to 20-30%, and at night, humidity can rise as high as 75-80%. This would explain dehydration being one of the leading causes of impaction, especially seen more in desert dwelling species like bearded dragons and leopard geckos. 

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 We are constantly learning better and more natural ways of caring for our exotic domesticated animals, and one of the best ways of learning their natural behaviors is by studying those that live in the wild, and seeing what makes them thrive the most. Another good article to check out is the measurements of UVB/UVA access central bearded dragons receive in the wild, but that’s another topic! However, while talking about UVB, let's go over improper lighting and how impaction is affected by it. 

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UVB/UVA is something all reptiles have access to in the wild, and should in theory all have access to in captivity. However, for a lot of species, many owners will substitute UVB lighting for supplementations, like Calcium with Vitamin D, multivitamins, etc. While these calciums, vitamin D supplements, multivitamins etc can be beneficial for reptiles, there is much more to UVB/UVA lighting than Vitamin D, and it even helps synthesis vitamin D, and should still be provided along with supplementations. Another argument is there are many studies of how much UVB to provide for each species, because of being able to measure the natural UVB access reptiles get in the wild, but very limited resources on how much Vitamin D calcium supplementation should be given to each species of reptiles since it's not natural. In theory the better option would be to go with the most natural option, UVB lighting, while also providing a dusting schedule for your feeders. Many reptile keepers don’t know the true benefits of UVB/UVA lighting, which could aid in preventing things like impaction, for an example; UVB/UVA lighting helps strengthen reptiles skin barriers, helps protect against diseases and illnesses, helps to strengthen the immune system and promotes healthy cell function. UVB lighting also provides a more effective digestion, stronger bones, healthier nervous system, more successful reproduction and that includes female reptiles that lay infertile eggs. It helps aid in preventing egg binding, and helps to gain strength back faster. Everything listed above, helps aid against illnesses, diseases and things like impaction. Naturally, it also helps increase pigmentation in animals, and increases energy levels and natural behaviors like, basking, digging, burrowing, hunting, breeding, etc! 

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When reptiles aren’t provided enough vitamin D, their bodies won’t function properly. The number one function that normally starts to fail first is digestion, which leads into why improper vitamin D levels/inadequate UVB lighting can cause impaction. A study in 2019 was conducted on humans, which proved a lower level of vitamin D was linked to a reduced intestinal movement and even chronic constipation. Even though that study was done on humans, this problem would affect most vertebrates including reptiles. The reason that impaction can be caused by Vitamin D levels, is because when levels are low, digestive function is compromised and the reptile is more vulnerable to constipation and impaction. 

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Another husbandry factor that can lead to impaction is improper heating. Reptiles cannot generate their own internal heat, and domesticated reptiles rely solely on their owners providing the proper heating, that way they can achieve their preferred internal body temperature. Basking temperatures, ambient temperatures, and even the temperatures on your cool side play a vital part in the long term health of your reptile. Too hot of temperatures will cause burns, so uncontrolled devices are always a potential risk. To best avoid the risk of burning your reptile, you can connect your heat lamp to a dimming thermostat to always be in control of temperatures. But what if your temperatures are too low? Without the proper heat, your reptile won't have the energy to be able to function properly, this goes for their internal organs as well. One of the first functions to start to shut down is the digestive system. Digestion starts to slow, decreasing all functionality. The gastrointestinal tract stops moving, and this is where impaction occurs as things get stuck. 

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At the beginning of this article, I stated that impaction was a secondary condition caused by a lack of husbandry. A healthy reptile, with access to the proper resources like appropriate temperatures, adequate uvb lighting and calcium intake, proper diet, correct humidity/water access, will not become impacted from loose substrate. And to take this even a step further, as mentioned in the beginning of this article and the one posted on the reptifiles page.. If going off of the Animal Welfare Act(2006) and the five needs of animal welfare, not providing substrate that caters to their specific behaviors could be classified as a form of neglect, since they are kept from being able to display natural behaviors and patterns. 

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Of course every situation is different, and new reptiles should be quarantined in a sterile environment with paper towels. If your reptile is sick or has undergone any sort of surgery etc, it's also needed to keep them in a sterile environment with paper towels. There are some cases where paper towels will need to be used, and for reasons regarding health/quarantine, it's completely needed.  However, if you are not experiencing one of those reasons, now that you’ve read this article I encourage you to look further into this, make sure your husbandry is correct, and do your research on the specific substrate mix to provide your reptile! Bio active is also a great choice, but a whole other article has to be done on how to achieve a true bio active enclosure. That will be soon to come. 

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I am constantly revamping my research and knowledge on reptiles and their care. We strive to provide our reptiles with everything they need to not only live long healthy lives, but to completely thrive and have proper enrichment. We love to share amongst other reptile owners and lovers, especially our adopters to make sure their reptiles are getting the care they need! We learn new things every day and have learned so much information from talking to like minded reptile lovers and encourage advice and conversation anytime! We are in this together, and learning together about the most natural way to have our reptiles thriving. I appreciate you doing your research and constantly learning! Thank you for reading!