about aspen

my local pet shop owner said that when aspen gets wet, it releases gases, i thought that one of the reasons people like aspen so much was because it does NOT release any gases...is this true?

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Originally Posted by tsdsbd

my local pet shop owner said that when aspen gets wet, it releases gases, i thought that one of the reasons people like aspen so much was because it does NOT release any gases...is this true?

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AHAHAHAHA.
First off there are a few things wrong with your dudes "logic", if I can even use that word. NOTHING release a gas when it saturates with a liquid. A gas is release when something is heated, aka water to vapor or dry ice to CO2.
Secondly if aspen does release any gases when heated it is not deadly or causes damage to the snakes that live on it.
NOW pine and cedar woods to release a toxic gas when heated up along with being known for it's more dusty nature causes RI's to death to snakes and health problems in most small mammals.
Though BP's don't naturally crawl around in aspen chips all day in their natural habitat it is one of the better odor controlling woods allowing it to look pleasing to the eye and giving the snakes the chance to burrow like they are known for doing.

I don't know anything about gas being released in Aspen... but I can tell you this:

When aspen gets wet or even slightly moist, it STINKS!!!!!!!!! I can not stand this smell. In fact, when I was a newbie I quit using aspen for this very reason and changed to newspaper.

That said, I now use dried pine shavings in everything. The very slight pine odor has a clean smell to it... and when it gets wet or alittle moist it still has the same pine smell.

As far as pine being bad for the snakes, I think that is simply a myth. Here is a good thread on that so I don't completely hijack this thead. (make sure you read the entire thread)

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...highlight=pine

This is what got me to stop using aspen and switch to paper towels...
Pulling a 1 inch piece of aspen from the throat of a 2500 gram female snake that's freaking out is no fun.
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...loodyaspen.jpg

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Originally Posted by MitsuMike

NOW pine and cedar woods are thought to release a toxic gas/fume when heated up along with being known for it's more dusty nature which causes RI's to death to snakes and health problems in most small mammals.

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Sorry didn't type this the first time around.......*edit*