species is still thriving in great numbers in the wild, clearly this isn’t a death sentence. Why? Because they were designed to be able to survive those blunders. Provided with an ideal environment (correct humidity, heat gradients, and the resulting lowered levels of stress from being able to thermoregulate) they can easily manage to get rid of any unwanted fragments from their digestive systems. That isn’t to say that impaction is a total myth. It does happen, and animals frequently end up at the vet clinic for it. However, this isn’t always caused by loose substrate. Food items, especially those with hard exoskeletons, can also cause this issue. Taking this into consideration, it becomes obvious that slapping down the Sunday paper, however much mental enrichment this may provide, will not solve the problem. The only true fix to the issue is making sure that tiny digestive tract is working as well as possible, and since great grandma gecko is doing just fine out in Pakistan, it seems reasonable to assume that the healthiest stomachs come from those conditions. If the husbandry is correct, the animal will manage whatever gets thrown at it (or whatever it throws itself at). Mimicking nature as closely as possible is the best way to ensure that a leopard gecko will function as it was designed to. It sounds like common sense, but that stiff-backed tradition always seems to be looming, ready to block the way for those radicals trying to build a mini desert in their terrariums. Hopefully, since this is a relatively new concept, the time will come when naturalistic reptile keeping has enough years under its belt to stand up against that brick wall of certainty, and although it may not be enough to change those steadfast minds, perhaps it will at least have a chance at swaying newcomers looking for advice. Tradition has its merits. There are countless lessons to be learned and relearned from it, and I am a long way from advocating for its banishment. Rather, I would simply like to put forth a warning: Do not let it be blinding. Do not let the unwritten laws of the past keep you from eagerly sifting through the newly transcribed discoveries as quickly as they come into print. Always be on the hunt for knowledge. It may not all be correct, but at least allow yourself the open-mindedness to determine that. R Page 71
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