Fake tree??

So I bought a couple of those fake trees at Walmart and got them home and tore them down to clean them. I started sanding on them to make sure they were smooth and I think it might be real wood. But what kind of wood I don't know? Is this safe for my BP?http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...873e67b24a.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...8476e3048c.jpg


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I do dendrochronology (consists basically just staring at hundreds of tree core samples and analyzing them), and I'd guess that that's a hardwood. There's a chance it could be some sort of uncommon or foreign decorative softwood though, so I can't be 100% sure, esp. without bark.
When you sand it can you smell anything? Again, it's not 100% certain but you'd probably be able to smell the oils if it were pine/cedar/other softwoods.

Edit: Looking again, that may have come from a shrub and not a tree. If so, my guess would lean toward crape myrtle or something in the laurel family. I don't know which shrubs have oils that might bother a snake's respiratory system though.

It didn't have a smell to it when I sanded it. Here is a pic with the bark still on it. I cut it at a angle so u could see the grain a little better. http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...d46732a837.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...99e9138ab9.jpg


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Here are the shavings from scraping and sanding. Not sure it will help you determine. http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...6ed485b4b4.jpg


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Nice. It's def. not a pine or cedar. Looks like a Ficus tree to me.
Off the top of my head I can't think of anything other than pine/cedar that has oils strong enough to bother a snake, but someone with more knowledge about snake-safe plants can probably tell you for sure.

Well thank you for your info! I will wait to see if I get anymore input. Thank you again!!!


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