Paper towel as a substrate?

[1991kmh]

We have a two year old bearded dragon and we have been using paper towel as a substrate since he was a baby. We are hoping to get a blue tongue skink and we are wondering if paper towel is an acceptable substrate for him as well. Does anyone have an experience using paper towel as a substrate for a BTS? Is there any evidence that it isn't adequate? TIA!

[Scincus]

Not really. They should preferably have substrate that they can bury themselves in, and if you have a species that needs high humidity, paper towels won't help.

[Dakota]

I use paper towel for animals in quarantine, expecting mums, and recently born bubbas. These animals are semi-fossorial unlike Pogona. Their nails will get long, and eventually their toes will start to malform sideways due to being on a hard surface all the time. Humidity will be hard to maintain if you use just paper towel, too.

[Gao]

I use paper towel for animals in quarantine, expecting mums, and recently born bubbas. These animals are semi-fossorial unlike Pogona. Their nails will get long, and eventually their toes will start to malform sideways due to being on a hard surface all the time. Humidity will be hard to maintain if you use just paper towel, too.

That's what happened to my skink's two thumbs. But she had mites at that time so I had no choice.