Red Fir?

[Vern]

Has anyone heard of shredded red fir?Home Depot has 2 cubic foot bags for $3.Is it safe to use with snakes?
Vern

[mark129er]

Just my uninformed opinion but I would think fir would be about the same as pine. hopefully someone will have more definitive info.

[Invictus]

http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2a.htm

This article talks about the danger of both pine and cedar. Fir is apparently in the same family as Aspen, Birch, and Maple, but I really can't say if fir has phenols such as those found in pine and cedar. I am looking into it more though.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Fir is apparently in the same family as Aspen, Birch, and Maple,

You're kidding me right? FIR trees are CONIFERS/softwoods (gymnosperms ---- a.k.a. naked seeded plants). Aspens, birches, maples etc are broadleaved/hardwoods (Angiosperms ---- a.k.a. flowering plants) Not even close!!! Please don't link them together!

*Before I switched to Zoology, my major was botany and forestry. So I get excited when people don't know the whole tree-thing.

[Wuntu Menny]

From my experience, fir is in the same category as pine and cedar. The only red fir in NA is restricted to a thin strip of high altitude forest from Oregon to Cali. Its doubtful that its harvested for chips. Just to play it safe, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

WM

PS Steady up there botany boy, we can't all be renaissance (wo)men. Thanks for the taxonomy lesson though, I've just learned my one new thing for the day! I've gotta say Jeff, you've got one halluva broad base of knowledge. Where did you ever find the time?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ha ha I don't sleep.

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
You're kidding me right? FIR trees are CONIFERS/softwoods (gymnosperms ---- a.k.a. naked seeded plants). Aspens, birches, maples etc are broadleaved/hardwoods (Angiosperms ---- a.k.a. flowering plants) Not even close!!! Please don't link them together!

*Before I switched to Zoology, my major was botany and forestry. So I get excited when people don't know the whole tree-thing.

Sweet. This is why I do research. Apparently the site I went to was written by morons. :) And I didn't know you were taking Zoology either. Or do you already have a degree in it?

[Jeff_Favelle]

And I didn't know you were taking Zoology either. Or do you already have a degree in it?

No, I have 4 classes (12 credit) left to go, but I quit university when I found out I could make money breeding snakes! LOL (sort of).

Dude, I have some great books on local/Canadian flora. I'll bring some to the next show for you to borrow. I really enjoyed most of the botany classes I took. Much more fun than genetics, organic chem., or biochem.!!!

I saved that pine-shaving site you posted though. That was a good read. I like the experiment they did in terms of sleep hours. Totally clever. It makes me feel better about Aspen as well.

Cheers bro. :D

[Lisa]

Cool info, we switched mostly to newspaper for the rats long ago (first shreded, now we're really lazy and let them shred it). We will have to get rid of the pine shavings now... We were using them on the mice and nursing rats cause they're easier to nest in. wonder if that's what's bugging katey when she's in the rat room.

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Dude, I have some great books on local/Canadian flora. I'll bring some to the next show for you to borrow. I really enjoyed most of the botany classes I took. Much more fun than genetics, organic chem., or biochem.!!!

Sounds great! I'm really into Geology, so I'd probably be equally fascinated with foliage, not just rocks. :D

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL! If you think rocks are fun, just wait until you get your hands on some living plants!!! Woo-hoo! Next stop, animals! LOL! :D

Geology is tres cool. My ex is a geologist. But I still like rocks. That's how cool they are! :D