Sifting Through The Substrate
- Scott Lockhart
- 24 hours ago
- 4 min read
Time to dig deep into the matter most-suited to a reptile or amphibian.
Substrate is defined by Google as "the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment."
In relation, a herptile will use substrate to demonstrate natural and healthy behaviour.
Not only that, it is a matter of life and death for other organisms, plants and some species of isopods, if the earth-choice isn't correct.
Doing a quick investigation will uncover that herptile babies are at a great risk also. The research article named 'The effect of moisture during development on phenotypes of egg-laying reptiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)' by Cameron Bell, Rebecca S. Raynal ,Daniel W. A. Noble,Lisa E. Schwanz ,Daniel A. Warner, Jenna E. Pruett , Julia L. Riley, says
'The embryonic environment is critical for the development of many ectothermic vertebrates, which makes them highly vulnerable to environmental change. Changes in temperature and moisture, in particular, are known to influence embryo survival and offspring phenotypes.'
We at Journalistic Echo News have always skewed our attention to having the most natural set-up possible. Namely, bioactive environments.
There is an overriding bias of wanting the best for a herpetile and so we think this is the way forward. However, there are measures to be taken at particular moments in husbandry.
Paper towels or Newspapers are an avenue that some expert herpetile carers use at different junctures.
When a snake is quarantined, to test for mites and other parasites, husbandry will take the form of said substrate.
Baby snakes may get the same treatment for the first 8 months of their lives as ease of husbandry before going to their forever home/enclosure.
'Effects of Substrate Provision and Associated Cleaning Practices on Welfare Indicators in Eastern Long-Nosed Vipers (Vipera ammodytes meridionalis) During Growth and Development' by David M. Powell, Lauren Augustine, Ashley N. Edes, Corinne P. Kozlowski, Helen Clawitter, Eli Baskir, Kari E. Musgrave, Sarah O'Brien, Tyler Ryan, Justin M. Elden, has some insights after using the above materials:
'Snakes housed on newspaper were less likely to eat, had lower fecal quality, and demonstrated higher fecal and shed glucocorticoids (steroids secreted as a stressor); no other treatment effects were observed. Male snakes had higher fecal and shed glucocorticoids, and were more likely to defecate, had higher defecation counts, and had shorter inter-defecation intervals compared to females'.
What Are The Long-Term Alternatives?
To get the right conditions in herpetile husbandry, an organic approach would be best. Starting to combine different natural substrates together to form an aerated, natural, healthy and safe environment.
Using a mixture of coco-coir (outer husks of cocounts), sand, worm castings, leaf litter, sphagnum moss and forest bark chips would be a good start. We use Arcadia Earth Mix or Reptisoil as go-to brands. The ingredients are all natural and would look great and function well in a rainforest or desert habitat.
Desert styles can be a simple mix of 1 part coco-coir, 2 parts clay, 2 parts sand and 1 part bark chips.
There is still a necessity for moisture and burrowing activity beneath this surface. Especially for gravid (pregnant) sand lizard females in the UK.
Remember to mix and wet your substrate as you add it to the enclosure. Moist but not dripping for rainforest style and mortar-looking styles for deserts.
Mixing your mixtures will be an action required every few months. Misting should be a daily occurrence depending on the species you care for.
Breaking It Down
Natural worm castings are an overlooked addition to any substrate choice. They are a ready-made fertilizer to boost nutrient content, moisture retention and soil aeration.
Sphagnum Moss creates moisture and aerated pockets in your chosen mix. As well as providing shelter and food for invertebrates.
It also looks natural as a decorative addition on a DIY backgrounds or cork bark branches.
Activated charcoal "is a carbon-rich solid like biochar and charcoal (Ahmed et al., 2022). The term ‘activated’ is referred to a process, which increases the adsorbing surface of carbon.
Activated carbon as a purification mean of water or other contaminants has a long history, even from them ancient period (Kumpiene et al., 2008)."
By attaching itself to any bad odours and pollutants, it can aid soil fertilisation:
"Charcoal significantly increased plant growth and nutrition in a pot experiment by Lehmann, et al. (2003) and a field experiment by Steiner, et al., (2007c). The authors proposed that charcoal can improve soil chemical, biological, and physical properties, but could not completely discern the mechanisms of fertility enhancement".
Leaf Litter sounds exactly like it is. A mixture leaves, from a reputable exotic product supplier, are ready-made tools - Bio Life Leaf Litter.
Mixed into the substrate will allow aeration and food for invertebrates. They provide cover for smaller herpetiles akin to the wild.
Powell, D.M., Augustine, L., Edes, A.N., Kozlowski, C.P., Clawitter, H., Baskir, E., Musgrave, K.E., O’Brien, S., Ryan, T. and Elden, J.M. (2025). Effects of Substrate Provision and Associated Cleaning Practices on Welfare Indicators in Eastern Long‐Nosed Vipers (Vipera ammodytes meridionalis) During Growth and Development. Zoo Biology. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.70007.
Cameron Bell, Rebecca S. Raynal, Daniel W. A. Noble, Lisa E. Schwanz, Daniel A. Warner, Jenna E. Pruett, Julia L. Riley (2025). The effect of moisture during development on phenotypes of egg-laying reptiles: A systematic review and meta-analysis | Journal of Experimental Biology | the company of Biologists. Available at: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/228/4/JEB249960/367049/The-effect-of-moisture-during-development-on (Accessed: 01 June 2026).
Golia, E.E., Aslanidis, P.-S.C., Papadimou, S.G., Kantzou, O.-D., Chartodiplomenou, M.-A., Lakiotis, K., Androudi, M. and Tsiropoulos, N.G. (2022). Assessment of remediation of soils, moderately contaminated by potentially toxic metals, using different forms of carbon (charcoal, biochar, activated carbon). Impacts on contamination, metals availability and soil indices. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 28, p.100724. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2022.100724.
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