What in pine is toxic to snakes?

Hi again!

I'm asking because I have some nice pieces of driftwood I collected several years ago but I don't know what kind of wood they are, but would look nice in a tank. I collected them up at Duluth, the wood is entirely 'driftwoodized' with no bark. I prepared them like I would to add to an aquarium (because I was going to add them to an aquarium!) Including both boiling and baking, and they've been sitting in a bin downstairs since then.

Would it still be toxic if it was pine? I thought I'd read it's the oils and sap in pine wood that is bad for snakes, and being driftwood, all the sap and oils are gone. But I'm not confident enough about that to just add it in there. It's lightweight, has no scent whatsoever. Or is it the actual wood that's the problem? It might not be pine, who knows what it is. But, it might be, too.

Actual pet store wood decor is really, really expensive, I was just hoping to be able to cut down on costs. Plus, driftwood is really pretty and it would be nice to put the pieces to use :)

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I thought it was something that pine puts out, so something airborne. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can answer this. What color is it? Can you identify what type of wood it is by color?

No idea. I find often that wood looks pretty different once it's in driftwood form though than what it started as. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c108b4341b.jpg

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A google search turned this up: http://www.anapsid.org/cedar.html , http://www.anapsid.org/cedar2.html

To quote these pages:

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Dr. Evans states that the extracts of cedar and other soft woods, such as pine, contain a number of aromatic (volatile) compounds including hydrocarbons, cedrene and cadrol. Naphthalene (the active ingredient in moth balls) is also a member but is a distinct compound.

These compounds are known irritants of skin, and cause not only irritation, but the degeneration and death of the cells in the respiratory tract. Once this destruction is set in motion, the animals' defensive barrier is eroded, enabling infection by various microorganisms and secondary microbial infections of the lungs. The medical literature notes increased rates of respiratory infections found in poultry which is raised with cedar shavings in the poultry house. Owners of caged birds have noted similar infection rates, particularly in poorly ventilated areas.

In addition to the skin irritation and respiratory tract damage, these compounds activate enzymes in the liver which results in abnormal metabolism of certain drugs, something especially critical for animals undergoing antibiotic therapy or surgery.

Dr. Evans notes that there is also some evidence to indicate that reproductive rates may be affected, and cancers promoted, through prolonged contact with these compounds. And, as with any other chemical or disease condition, the very young and very old are especially at risk.

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Originally Posted by Spoons

... I have some nice pieces of driftwood I collected several years ago but I don't know what kind of wood they are, but would look nice in a tank. I collected them up at Duluth, the wood is entirely 'driftwoodized' with no bark. I prepared them like I would to add to an aquarium (because I was going to add them to an aquarium!) Including both boiling and baking, and they've been sitting in a bin downstairs since then.

Would it still be toxic if it was pine? I thought I'd read it's the oils and sap in pine wood that is bad for snakes, and being driftwood, all the sap and oils are gone. But I'm not confident enough about that to just add it in there. It's lightweight, has no scent whatsoever. Or is it the actual wood that's the problem? It might not be pine, who knows what it is. But, it might be, too.

Actual pet store wood decor is really, really expensive, I was just hoping to be able to cut down on costs. Plus, driftwood is really pretty and it would be nice to put the pieces to use :)...

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I think you're fine to use them from what you said. I would use them. Basically it's the volatile oils in the wood (as in the excellent post above mine). If you want to
be extra careful you could also seal them with a non-toxic (non-VOC) waterproofing product, but that's optional, not essential. If you do seal them, the added bonus
is that they'll be easier to clean (poop won't sink into it) so they'll last a long time, though you won't be able to re-bake them as a means to disinfect once coated.
I'm pretty sure that once they get funky & are un-coated, your best bet is to just toss them...not re-use them. In my largest enclosure, I'm using a huge driftwood
branch that I dragged home from kayaking a couple years ago. It was too big to bake, but I washed, F10'd & then sun-baked it. It's curvy, attractive & no odors- my
large rat snake loves it.

I think the volatile oils in question are called phenols?

I may be wrong though.

As far as I understand dried wood isn't a problem but camphor curing is quite a long process so is best avoided ( it always still smells to me at least ) ?

If you have to use pine rather than fruit wood I'd look for kiln treated. :oops:


dr del

That's what I was thinking, just wanted to get some other opinions! Driftwood is dry and thus should be free of any oils but always good to check these things, make sure it's not the actual wood that's the issue :)

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