Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a freshly cut beautiful branch that I would like to use in a day gecko tank. I think it's cedar. Is it safe to use? Should I put it in an oven and dry it out? Is there any danger in using it?
Thanks!

I wouldn't use anything from the yard. You don't know what is on it, also there are some woods that have toxins in them. Try some bamboo or some manzanita or driftwood from the reptile stores.
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Lisa

1.0.0 P.m. grandis (Linus)
4.3.0 P. standingi (Toby & Kona and their 5 babies)

Thanks! I just got an ID - and I was way off. It's from a bald cypress. I'm going to do some research to see if there are any dangers in that particular wood. If I decide to use it, I'll soak in in a bleach and water solution and dry it out thoroughly.

also do a search on the gecko forum. someone posted a list awhile back on a website that had all the safe and nontoxic species of plants that you can put in gecko cages. i printed it out. one of these days i will get around to typing it on the computer.
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Lisa

1.0.0 P.m. grandis (Linus)
4.3.0 P. standingi (Toby & Kona and their 5 babies)

I couldn't find the list in the gecko forum, but this came up in the chameleon forum. These will take a while to go through!
Thanks for your reply
webhome.idirect.com/~chameleon/owners/chapter2-sub5.html
www.geocities.com/chameleoncreatures/nontoxicplants.html
www.calumma.com/safe_plants.htm
groups.msn.com/ChameleonParadise/chameleoncagesetupinfo.msnw

www.akca.org/library/poison.htm
www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm
plantsdatabase.com/
www.naturallyhealthypet.com/toxic.htm

http://www.geocities.com/chameleoncreatures/nontoxicplants.html

i just checked this website and it has almost exactly the same ones on the list i have.

if you have any more questions about setting up your new gecko, let me know. oh, and by the way, if you still are planning on using that branch you found, i would soak it in chlorhexidine and not a bleach solution. since they are porous, it may be hard to rinse the bleach out and the chlorhexidine is mcuh safer for the animal.

good luck
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Lisa

1.0.0 P.m. grandis (Linus)
4.3.0 P. standingi (Toby & Kona and their 5 babies)

if small enough put it in the oven ( or sink it under boiling
water ) ... It will kill most of whats alive. If taken in the forest, I wouldn't be worried about pesticide or something like that.

Martin
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1.1.3 rhaco. ciliatus
1.1.2 P.M. grandis

I've been using branches I cut myself for many years without any problems.
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- Joe Farah

http://www.milehighreptile.com/