is cherry wood safe for BPs ?

i'm wanting to add some branches to my BP's enclosure for enrichment/clutter bc he likes climbing but i'd rather just gather some than buy expensive ones at the pet store. i'm in an area where there's mostly coniferous trees, which i know are toxic so i wouldn't be using, but there's a cherry tree in my yard and i'm wondering if that's ok ? i've tried looking it up and i've found mixed answers, some say it's safe bc it's hardwood, others say it's not safe bc pitted fruits contain cyanide. i of course don't wanna put anything toxic in his tank so if i end up needing to buy branches (or go all the way to the beach for some driftwood) that's fine. any help is greatly appreciated !

Personally, I'd use it. I agree it's safe- hardwood! While cherry pits do contain cyanide, you won't be feeding your snakes any cherries, will you? Or even putting cherries in the enclosure...;)

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Originally Posted by soupless_

i'm wanting to add some branches to my BP's enclosure for enrichment/clutter bc he likes climbing but i'd rather just gather some than buy expensive ones at the pet store. i'm in an area where there's mostly coniferous trees, which i know are toxic so i wouldn't be using, but there's a cherry tree in my yard and i'm wondering if that's ok ? i've tried looking it up and i've found mixed answers, some say it's safe bc it's hardwood, others say it's not safe bc pitted fruits contain cyanide. i of course don't wanna put anything toxic in his tank so if i end up needing to buy branches (or go all the way to the beach for some driftwood) that's fine. any help is greatly appreciated !

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After my brief amateur research, I've reached the conclusion that cherry is relatively safe. If ingested, it has the potential to cause cyanide poisoning, but your snake isn't likely to ingest significant amounts of it. It would probably be safer to remove the bark though. It may flake off and stick to a feeder. That said, I'd use another wood.

thank you both very much !! i'll be on my way to get some branches and be sure to remove the bark

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Originally Posted by soupless_

thank you both very much !! i'll be on my way to get some branches and be sure to remove the bark

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Be sure to sanitize the wood before putting it in with your BP.

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Originally Posted by soupless_

thank you both very much !! i'll be on my way to get some branches and be sure to remove the bark

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Or you could coat the branches with a pet-safe waterproofing product (made for wood furniture). If the bark is loose, I'd scrub it off first for sure- but I do that anyway, no matter what kind of wood.