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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran Toad37's Avatar
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    Beardie and pine

    I have a work friend who just came into possession of 2 bearded dragons from someone he knows. I've been helping him thru the care process while also urging him to seek other advise via internet and YouTube. But today he asked me about pine. I know that it is toxic to snakes but I wasn't sure if it applied to all reptiles. He's wanting to refurbish an old dresser as a double enclosure for them. He's not sure if it's made of pine but wanted to double check just in case. I told him I'd post on here and see if anyone had any advice or knowledge on the fact.

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran wnateg's Avatar
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    Yea, it's toxic, but if it's sealed, should be alright.
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    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    I agree ^ ^ ^ and any wood enclosure (not just pine) should be sealed anyway, with a no-VOC product that waterproofs the wood & dries non-toxic.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    I think it's way less of an issue for a bearded dragon since they do best with air-flow anyway...hot & dry enclosures with screen ventilation are going to circulate air
    really well, and they'd be a fire hazard before anything else if closed in. Good idea to re-purpose some wood furniture for reptiles...I've done several times in the past.

    FYI, you want to use only real & solid wood furniture, & thrift stores often have large entertainment centers (some real wood) for sale cheap too as so many people have
    moved away from using them...at least around here, I see them all the time and priced to move.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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    BPnet Veteran Toad37's Avatar
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    Re: Beardie and pine

    He's got an old sturdy dresser that he was gonna use for it. He told me the whole plan but I kinda spaced a lot of it out lol. Building things doesn't interest me whatsoever! But thank you guys for your responses and input. I'll pass all this along and I'll remember that pine isn't good for any reptile. Like I said before I knew it was toxic for snakes but I wasn't sure about a bearded dragon. Now I know not to use pine in my beardies enclosure (not that I planned on it in the first place).

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    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Cedar is a lot worse than most pine. But both have oils that irritate nasal & lung membranes, etc. so you wouldn't want to use wood shavings as bedding for snakes.
    A sturdy old dresser that has been around for years is a good choice*, especially once it's totally sealed (waterproofed). *Better than starting with unfinished wood &
    staining that, since stains are normally quite volatile for a long time. (they off-gas toxic vapors)

    Don't forget that plenty of snakes live in & around forests full of pine & other trees...but there's plenty of fresh air too. It's when you keep snakes in enclosed spaces-
    typical of what's used for BPs that need air restriction to keep enough warmth in, so even a small amount of off-gassing causes more harm. I'm mostly a colubrid keeper
    & I prefer to use glass tanks with screen tops, ie. all have good ventilation. I'm not inclined to use wood shavings at all (I don't even care for aspen, though it's safe) but
    if I were, pine would probably not be a problem, or only a slight one, whereas cedar still would be. But for safety & best practices, it's just better that we say "don't use
    pine & cedar" around snakes & other herps at all. An old dresser that's sealed (coated with no-VOC water-proofing) & totally dry before housing a beardie should be fine.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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