Yes they are real and yes they are safe. They are the kind that go hard and woody when they die and have been boiled for a couple of hours and then baked at a low temp until dried.
It's long dead wild grapevine, also boiled then bent into shape. Grapewood is supposed to be fine in dry setups (i.e. not submerged underwater). Mold can potentially be a problem with it, but this is pretty well ventilated vivarium and so far so good. It's my first time using it, so I'll see how it goes.