crocodile geckos

Question
QUESTION: hi.what substrate is best to use for crocodile geckos?

ANSWER: Hi Sam, Crocodile geckos do not have high humidity requirements so you have a bit more choice of substrates for them. Newspaper is always the safest and quite suitable for them. For something more decorative I have used both cypress mulch and sand for crocodiles. They should have access to a humid area which you can provide  through a hide spot with some damp moss inside. I used to keep a potted plant in with mine and they would lay under the leaves in the damp soil when they needed humidity for shedding.

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QUESTION: i would like to use sand,but am not sure which sand is best to use.what substrate did u find suited them best?

ANSWER: Hi Sam, I have never been a fan of any of the calcium based sands. They came on the market when I worked in the retail pet trade and problems were reported with intestinal blockages pretty much right from the beginning. Natural sand was my preference but you have to make sure that is what you are getting. Natural sand is made through erosion and has rounded edges to the particles. A lot of sand marketed today, even for kids sand boxes, is quarried quartz with sharp edges and silica crystals. Not good for ingestion or breathing.
With that said, I never found that sand ingestion was that much of a risk with the croc geckos. I used to decorate their cage with rocks and wood pieces and they tended to wait for the crickets to come up to them before grabbing them.

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QUESTION: one last thing, i would like to add a climbing branch to the viv,is there any specific type i need to use?

Answer
Hi Sam, Generally best to avoid pine and cedar, they both can emit phenols which reptiles are sensitive to, also avoid any type of chemically treated wood. Any species of hardwood is fine and driftwood pieces are attractive. If it is from outside just give it a scrub first. Anything that you get from a pet store should be safe. Crocodiles tend to prefer flat, broad surfaces to climb that are about the width of their body rather then thin, round branches.