Terrarium substrate and method of making and using the same

Abstract

The present invention involves an edible terrarium substrate for a terrarium animal such as a reptile, an amphibian, or an arachnid. The substrate includes a fine calciferous sand that is healthy, ingestible, and digestible by the terrarium animal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of use of calcium carbonate as an edible terrarium substrate for a terrarium animal, comprising: 
 providing calcium carbonate sand; and    using the calcium carbonate sand as a substrate for an animal terrarium, whereby the calcium carbonate sand is healthy, ingestible, and digestible by the terrarium animal.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the sand is a fine granular sand.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2   , wherein the sand is a screen controlled calcium carbonate filler.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the sand is at least approximately 95% calcium carbonate, no greater than approximately 3% magnesium carbonate, and not more than approximately 5% other acid insolubles.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the sand has a pH of approximately 9.0-9.5.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the sand has a specific gravity of approximately 2.71.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the sand has a Moh's scale hardness of approximately 3.0.  
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing an edible terrarium substrate made of a fine calcium carbonate sand, comprising: 
 providing calcium carbonate;    grinding the calcium carbonate so as to produce a calcium carbonate sand; and    screening the calcium carbonate sand so as to produce a fine calcium carbonate sand adapted to be used as an edible terrarium substrate for a terrarium animal.    
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8   , wherein screening the calcium carbonate sand includes screening the sand so that no more than 1% is retained on a U.S. #16 mesh screen, no more than 15% passes through a U.S. #40 screen, and all but 1% of the sand is retained on a U.S. #50 mesh screen.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 8   , further including heating the calcium carbonate sand, adding a food grade binder to the calcium carbonate sand, adding a food grade colorant to the calcium carbonate sand, and mixing the food grade binder, food grade colorant and calcium carbonate sand to form a colored calcium carbonate sand.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 10   , further including the step of cooling the colored sand.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 11   , wherein the colored sand is cooled by passing the colored sand over a fluidized bed cooler.  
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the calcium carbonate sand is heated in a rotary dryer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the calcium carbonate sand is heated to approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the food grade binder, food grade colorant, and calcium carbonate sand are mixed in a jacketed blender.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the food grade binder, food grade colorant, and calcium carbonate sand are mixed for approximately 10 minutes.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the food grade colorant is a colorant selected from the group consisting of brown, blue, green, black, and red.  
     
     
         18 . An edible terrarium substrate comprising a fine granular calciferous sand.  
     
     
         19 . The terrarium substrate of    claim 18   , wherein the sand is a screen controlled calcium carbonate filler.  
     
     
         20 . The terrarium substrate of    claim 18   , wherein the material is at least approximately 95% calcium carbonate, no greater than approximately 3% magnesium carbonate, and not more than approximately 5% other acid insolubles.  
     
     
         21 . The terrarium substrate of    claim 19   , wherein the material has a pH of approximately 9.0-9.5.  
     
     
         22 . The terrarium substrate of    claim 18   , wherein the material has a specific gravity of approximately 2.71.  
     
     
         23 . The terrarium substrate of    claim 20   , wherein the material has a Moh's scale hardness of approximately 3.0.