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Zoo Med Excavator Clay Burrowing Reptile Substrate, 10-lb bag

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About This Item

Details

  • Easy to shape exactly to your liking.
  • Encourages natural digging and burrowing behavior.
  • Designed to hold its shape for safe, stable burrows.
  • All-natural substrate contains no dyes, colors or chemicals.
  • Provides plenty of exercise and stimulation for your little digger.

Instructions

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Questions & Answers

4 Customer Questions

How often should i change it?

To provide a 2-3 inch depth for a Butterfly Agama lizard in a 36" by 18" tank, how much of this substrate is needed?

Answer by Chewy • Sep 28, 2021
The depth of substrate that you need depends on several factors, including the size, volume, and depth of your tank. Generally speaking, you should add about 1 pound of substrate per gallon of aquarium. For example, this means that for a 5-gallon aquarium, a safe bet would be 5 pounds of substrate for 1 inch depth or 15 pounds for a 3 inch depth.

How many cubic feet in a 20 lb bag?

Answer by Chewy • Apr 06, 2026
A 20 lb bag of excavator is about 0.20-0.24 cubic feet.

Can they dig themselves or do i have to put the tunnels myself? And is the water necessary?

Answer by Chewy • Apr 24, 2026
Water should be added to the Zoo Med Excavator Clay Burrowing Reptile Substrate so you can mold tunnels or caves. You can also use it dry, and it would be just like sand in your enclosure.
Reviews
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4.3
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars
148 Ratings
Terms & Conditions

62 Customer Reviews

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By etd1776 on Mar 29, 2021

Great for desert terrariums!

I LOVE this stuff! I've used it in multiple leopard gecko terrariums and it looks fantastic. First of all it dries hard, so you can provide a natural looking terrarium

I LOVE this stuff! I've used it in multiple leopard gecko terrariums and it looks fantastic. First of all it dries hard, so you can provide a natural looking terrarium without the risk of impaction from sand. Plus you can use the clay to create so much enrichment as well as so many hides and basking spots, and if you want to remake your landscape, you just wet the sand again and create a new layout. Cleaning is a little more difficult compared to paper towels or something like that, but honestly the looks and enrichment are well it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Jason on Jun 20, 2025

Zoomed has no idea what to do with this product

I put this on after reading their instructions and watching their company instructional videos. It all fell back off the walls. I called the companies customer

I put this on after reading their instructions and watching their company instructional videos. It all fell back off the walls. I called the companies customer service, they had no idea how to fix it and said instructions aren't really accurate and it works when it wants to type answer. Avoid this product unless you are doing something flat and have endless time to redo the project.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Vanessa on Dec 6, 2020

Favorite Substrate

I have this in my bearded dragons tank, I’ve had it for about 9-10 months and it’s both of our favorites. He used to just have carpet and he didn’t like when his

I have this in my bearded dragons tank, I’ve had it for about 9-10 months and it’s both of our favorites. He used to just have carpet and he didn’t like when his nails would get stuck in it so he’d avoid going to the ground unless he needed food or water. Now he runs around happier than anything I could possibly describe. Every time I redo the clay he runs around like crazy and seems super happy and explores a lot more than usual. I even have in one corner actual soil so I can grow live plants. When I first got this I made a cave. For it to be successful you cannot have your animal in the cage at all through the drying process. They will either pop the ballooon or break it in general. If you have an adult animal you’re gonna want a few bags. Think of art class in like 6th grade when we had to make clay pots and stuff, if you made it too thin they broke. So if you make too thin of a cave, a heavier animal WILL break it that’s just common sense lol. If you buy several bags you should be fine, I’d say 3-4 for a 40 breeder is perfect.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Twooz on Aug 28, 2019
Top 25 Contributor

Favorite substrate!

I wish I could add a picture, the app won't let me... This stuff is fabulous. It takes a little more moisture to really get it ready to mold into shape, but it is

I wish I could add a picture, the app won't let me... This stuff is fabulous. It takes a little more moisture to really get it ready to mold into shape, but it is easy to change that: I made a slurry to get it to stick to a margarine tub and now I have a cool cave that is covered in this rocky looking clay that my gecko likes to climb in, on top of, and around in. It holds heat well from my CHE, and also fit really well in with the rest of my decor. I have my last layers of my base drying now, and my gecko is in there having a ball making it her own. I do have to get more bags to finish sealing tunnel edges, thank you chewy for carrying this!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Alexis on May 26, 2026

Easy to use, made a hide and it’s kept shape

My son shaped a hide and we let out dry out, it’s kept shape. We covered the entire bottom of the habitat and it’s easy to pick up poop Off of it without wasting

My son shaped a hide and we let out dry out, it’s kept shape. We covered the entire bottom of the habitat and it’s easy to pick up poop Off of it without wasting much of the substrate. We mist it about once a week to minimize dust when it’s really dried out

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Kristina on Jan 23, 2021

Leopard Gecko habitat

This stuff is great! Highly recommend to anyone with a leopard gecko. It has made a warmer safer place for my lizard. Not to mention it’s fun to make a unique place

This stuff is great! Highly recommend to anyone with a leopard gecko. It has made a warmer safer place for my lizard. Not to mention it’s fun to make a unique place for my lizard to hide and bask

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Taylor on Sep 23, 2025

Poor packaging

I got the product and I will probably still use the it but the packing job was very bad and the bag was broken open

I got the product and I will probably still use the it but the packing job was very bad and the bag was broken open

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Corinne on Sep 20, 2025

Excellent for mixing into a bioactive substrate mixture

I have tried this as intended for making caves/tunnels and thought it was okay, but it is an amazing additive to a bioactive substrate blend. It adds some stability

I have tried this as intended for making caves/tunnels and thought it was okay, but it is an amazing additive to a bioactive substrate blend. It adds some stability to an otherwise loose mix, which can be amazing for burrowing species (like my ackies and agamas). I mix it with coconut fiber, play sand, and moss to create a solid and realistic mix.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars
By Nikki on Dec 29, 2021

Not for burrowing

This is a clay that hardens when it dries. It's used to form caves and structures for your pet's enclosure. I read that it takes days to fully dry. That means I'll

This is a clay that hardens when it dries. It's used to form caves and structures for your pet's enclosure. I read that it takes days to fully dry. That means I'll need to purchase something to house my pet(bearded dragon) in while I set this up for him. I've read this is not for burrowing. That people's bearded dragons try to eat it. Something like this could cause impaction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Ools on Jan 26, 2021

Great stuff

I use this clay for my leopard geckos. It holds its shape pretty well, even better with support, but cracks when it’s completely dry. The cracked look is rather

I use this clay for my leopard geckos. It holds its shape pretty well, even better with support, but cracks when it’s completely dry. The cracked look is rather aesthetically pleasing though. This is the best price I’ve seen so far for a 10lb bag. Wish there was more.