I misunderstood and probably sounded patronizing. I apologize for this.



Avoid most conifers such as pine, as they not only deteriorate rapidly, but contain turpenoids that can be harmful to both the frogs and plants. Avoid cedar, as well. Although this lasts a long time, it too, contains some toxins that might be harmful to your frogs. Hard, deciduous tree woods are generally better, with the exception of Bald Cypress, either "knees" or driftwood. This is one of the best of all vivarium woods. In your area, you may find Osage orange, which is a lovely, very hard wood that lasts a long time in a humid environment. Although I don't know many people who use it, (except for the leaf litter,) the various oaks are safe an should last. You can also collect driftwood along lakes or streams. Even if you don't know the origins, it has more than likely had any toxins leached. Test it for hardness, however. You can scrape it with a knife to see if it is soft wood that is rotting, or if it has a hard core. You will want to dry out anything you collect after scrubbing it in hot water, or perhaps even bake it for 15 to 20 minutes in a warm oven, i.e. 180 degrees. This is mostly to avoid introducing the Chytrid fungus, which has been infecting frogs all over the world, but is relatively easily killed by mild baking.



I use some Western woods such as Mountain mahogany, Manzanita and even old sandblasted roots of Mountain Hemlock. (The latter were collected years ago from uprooted trees in the Sierras, and probably not available now.)



Although not apparently used much, most of the fruit woods such as apple, pear, peach, almond an even cherry might work, especially if you can find old uprooted trees and use the roots. Most of the problems with just using fallen or cut off branches of deciduous trees is not with possible toxicity as much as it is with rapid deterioration in a humid environment.



I hope this helps a little.
-----
Patty

Pahsimeroi, Idaho



Dendrobates: auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, tinctorius azureus, leucomelas. Phyllobates: vittatus, terribilis, lugubris. Epipedobates: anthonyi tricolor pasaje. Ranitomeya fantastica, imitator, reticulata. Adelphobates castaneoticus, galactonotus. Oophagia pumilio Bastimentos. (updated systematic nomenclature)

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