Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was wondering if anyone knew why pine was toxic to herps. also i was thinking its probably more toxic to amphibians since they absorb more through thier skin than reptiles do. also, dont a lot of these creatures have pine trees in thier habitat? i cant count how many times i have seen a lizard on pine tree. maybe it depends on if a herp would normally have pine in its habitat. and what if pine was used to build an enclosure but was sealed w/ marine epoxy? i think cedar is toxic also, anyone know that for sure? what is the best wood to use for an enclosure thats not rediculously expensive. couls i get a list of ply-wod types and regular wood please ? thanks a lot everyone.

Pine that is sealed will work fine as an enclosure (I have used pine lumber many times over the past 12 years to build enclosures) What are you looking to build an enclosure for? That will help narrow down options for building material to an appropriate choice. I personally prefer to use melamine whenever possible (due to the appearance, ease of sealing edges, and low cost)

Later
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com
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It's the turpens or pine oils that make pine toxic. When milled into shavings this releases these oils and creates a lot of dust. The dust can be easily ingested and inhaled by all animals not just herps. This is very different scenario than a lizard on the bark of a pine tree.
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Hope this helps.

BigT
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.

As a side bit of trivia this is why pine is not used for horse shavings either. The use of pine shavings increases the risk of allergic reactions in both the horses and the people multiple times. Just contact with it can result in hives and other reactions in some sensitive animals.

Just something you pick up when working with horses, particularly show horses... you only wake up at 4AM to prep your horse for a show and find them covered in hives once... then you become super vigilant about this type of thing.

Elizabeth
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thank you all for answering. i understand a lot better now. umm why do they bed feeder mice in pine shavings and then feed them to snakes??? seems kinda dumb to me i have heard of a few peoples snakes mysteriously dying, i wonder if thats why.

The forests are filled with animals and pine trees. Why aren't the animals all dying from the pine? Pine isn't toxic in and of itself. Breathing sawdust laden with the turpenes found in the newly-cut wood is. Mice on pine is not a real problem, especially if the mouse cages are well-ventilated.
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Mark