Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at Home Depot today and saw Pine Bark Nuggets and they looked rather nice. But I was wondering if there toxic to reptiles??..specifically Rectics?

and if they are does anyone know a nice looking substrate?

Alejandro

I just asked the same question in the monitor forum. studies have shown that pine can cause cancers in some small mammals and reptiles. Now whether that is something in the actual wood of the tree or the bark I don't know. I know people who have successfully kept monitors on it for years with no problem, but most people would advise against it. I would say don't use it just to be safe. I usually just get the cypress mulch from home depot. Its just as cheap and works fine.

The oils in the pine that make it smell good are the toxic part. Avoid the pine, I've seen what it does to pythons and it will turn your snake into a dried up looking husk.

Try orchid bark - the bark orchid growers use for their plants. You'll need to add a lot of water to it to eliminate the dustiness but it works fine without the toxicity.

~jen
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"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
- Anna Sewell (1820-1878)