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Poisenous woods

T

tbtusk

hot jupiter herps
So I was reading the post on weather half log hides are okay for snakes, and was just wondering (for safety's sake) what woods are toxic. I know a few like pine, but would like to be able to be more certain when buying or making my own wood hides and climbing pieces.
 
tbtusk said:
So I was reading the post on weather half log hides are okay for snakes, and was just wondering (for safety's sake) what woods are toxic. I know a few like pine, but would like to be able to be more certain when buying or making my own wood hides and climbing pieces.
Click to expand...

Thank you for asking this! This would be useful info for me, as well.

We just started buying the stuff for our set up. I bought one of those wooden hides without even thinking about it (the excitement of the eventual arrival, i swear! :crazy02: ). :eek1:
 
Ya, I also want to make my own out of grape branches and other woods, and really need the info, so this afternoon I'll do a little research and post what I find.
 
As far as I know, Cedar is toxic to small animals and reptiles, and Pine is a suspected respiratory irritant. I've heard some mumbling about fir being toxic as well, but other than those I haven't heard of anything else being unsuitable for snakes.
 
I found nearly nothing on my quick search on google. Pine and cedar are definitely poisenois, fir probably is, but that's all I found. Nothing new.
 
Most recommend aspen for substrate. I know many use grapevine root(i'm assuming that's what it is since it's so thick) for climbing apparatus, so I would think any grape vine would be alright if it's pesticide free and boiled to kill any critters or disease that may be in it....
 
I know that fir, pine, and cedar contain toxic oils. I have been wondering about cypress, but as of yet, I haven't been able to locate any information. Grapevine and Manzanita both appear to be fine, and obvisouly aspen is the preferred substrate. You can also use coconut, sphagnum moss, and cork bark without causing any problems.

As for anything else... :shrugs:
 
As far as I know, cedar is the only one proven to be toxic. Pine is a suspected respiratory irritant, but many people use fir with no problems. As for making stuff from wood, kiln dried pine would be ok to use as far as safety goes, just let it cure until the smell is gone, and seal it with something.
 
I wouldn't seal it. If you are using something you found outside, you can boil it for a little bit, then let it dry in the sun, just to kill any parasites, mites, or "critters" that might have a home in it.

If you purchase one from a pet store, they are typically sandblasted to remove external bark coverings and still allow a textured feel.

IMO--sealing it would remove a lot of the texture, making it more difficult for your snake to sue as a climbing apparatus.
 
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