Best way to prepare gathered wood?

[UncleChester]

Good resource on wood Caudata Culture Articles - Wood in Vivaria

[krittermom]

Thank you. Go figure, all I have is oak trees in my yard. Guess I won't be doing that!

[deranged chipmunk]

i know the article Brian posted says that oak is a no no, but i have used field collected oak in numerous vivariums and have never had any problems. in fact, one piece has been used in several. just make sure you prepare it properly. i boil my pieces of wood for about an hour. if it's too big for a pot, i bake it, like Ed mentioned. and if it is too big for the oven, i bbq it. obviously, as Ed said, you must keep a careful eye on the wood when baking or bbq'ing.

[krittermom]

Awesome!! Thanks

[UncleChester]

i know the article Brian posted says that oak is a no no, but i have used field collected oak in numerous vivariums and have never had any problems.

I think the list errs on the side of caution as there are just so many factors that have to be considered. The article does have plenty of references and one of them probably has more details on the specific objection to oak. Interestingly, live oak leaves are common choice for leaf litter, so it may be the case that oak falls low on the problem list, but I don't know for sure.

[deranged chipmunk]

i thought that as well Brian. i actually think it's an excellent article. but i always pondered why they say oak is unsafe when it grows in most frog's habitats in nature? always better though, to err on the side of caution.

[UncleChester]

Unfortunately I see now that many of the reference links are kaput. Searching for 'Oak' and 'toxic', it's definitely bad for many animals to ingest but not all. Eating it is of course different from sitting on it but if your frog starts to eat your branch, you've hit the jackpot travelling circus wise.

As to something being in the native habitat- confined spaces can make all the difference. You might be able to stand next to me in an open field, but try being in an elevator with me for a few days.

How fresh were the pieces of oak you've used? Age can make a difference too, as you'll notice they list freshwater driftwood as being safe.

[deranged chipmunk]

well, my largest mantella, i call her mantella 6, has started gnawing on the wood like a beaver. but that's probably because i have been dusting her fruit flies with steroids i got from barrybonds.com. anabolics, tbeir just not for people anymore. but what's most impressive is her sword swallowing act.

i do see the point inconfinement. chemicals could leech which would most likely become run off and diluted in a forest.

now, how am i supposed to know how old the tree was? i didn't have time to count the rings while the park rangers were chasing me down. apparently, it's not good to hack down trees in protected forests. who knew?

seriously though, i only collect wood that is positively dead and has been for quite a long time. since i live next to large river, i avoid collecting driftwood from the shoreline since there is no way of knowing if it just fell during recent storms or has been pushed down river after sitting upriver cor years.