Is cedar mulch ok?

[Schnab]

Just a quick question, but I was wondering if cedar mulch would be safe to use for tegus. I went to the Home Depot near my house and they don't have any cypress mulch. I did however try this stuff called BeatsPeat coconut coir. It's pretty cheap, and its the kind of earth that you need to add water for it to expand. It's great for digging, but not so much for holding humidity. What I was gonna do was get some cedar mulch and mix it in with the peat, but am worried that the acidity of cedar being harmfull for my tegus health.

 

[VenomVipe]

No cedar man. Its harmful to all reptiles.

 

[Red Earth Exotics]

cedar is lethal to reptiles. i would definitely keep trying to find the cyprus mulch. surely there are some nursery's or other home improvement stores that would have it.

 

[jmiles50]

NO DICE :nono

 

[Schnab]

Phew, I'm glade I didn't do anything stupid. But yeh, I'll keep looking around for something

 

[Beasty]

I have seen aspen used with snakes and I have seen a tegu set-up or two with it as well. Got to be 100% aspen tho, not a blend.(something to watch for with cypress as well- they slip in pine and cedar sometimes so read the bag)
True Value Hardware or Ace Hardware sell cypress if you can find one locally have them dig into the computer and find the skew # and special order you some. (get several if you can) It should be about $7 or so a 2cu.ft. bag or so.(big honkin bags) If all else fails coconut substrate such as Eco-Earth which also comes in bricks and expands with water will work for the tegu. (sounds like you got something similar)
Good luck to you!

 

[Schnab]

Thanks for the suggestions, but the stores you've mentioned, I doubt they have branches in Canada, I did however remember of a gardening store near here that may have cypress mulch.

 

[Tux]

Yes here in Canada you will find cypress at gardening stores, also sometimes at home depot, not often but when they have it it's in the gardening section.