red oak &ash shavings???

[belovedboas]

Hey guys I have a friend that has a constant supply of red oak & ash shavings, was just wondering if any of you know whether this is ok for snakes..I personally have never used any other shavings than Aspen bedding, but with my friend having a constant supply, I'm considering it but not until I know 100% that it's safe!!! Any thoughts?

[Reptile_Reptile]

dont take my word on it but it doesnt seem unsafe, all i can think of is pine thats no good for snakes and thats mostly just the dust it emits.

[SPARTAN 77]

pine and ceder you should never use, don't know about ash shavings. oak i have used personally in snake cages, but as a climbing branch mostly. i have no idea if they're safe as a bedding.

[belovedboas]

thanks guys....I have too for branches and whatnot..but im looking to see if its safe as bedding...i'm thinkin i am not gonna use it..just cause its hard to find accurate info on whether or not it's safe!!

[infernalis]

All hardwood shavings are perfectly safe.

The only reason pine and cedar is unsafe is the volatile oils in the wood. (Turpentine is manufactured from pine sap)

There is zero health risks in using hardwood shavings for snake bedding.

If I had a supply of hardwood shavings, I'd never purchase bedding again.

[infernalis]

I just did some research, Red Oak and Ash are both Phenol free (as is all hardwoods) so It is "certified" safe.

Ash is so hard that it is used to make ball bats and tool handles.(hammer, axe, etc..)

Softwoods (Pine, Hemlock, Cedar) contain large amounts of Phenol, this is what causes lung problems with herps.

In fact Hemlock wood contains so much Phenol that even termites will run the other way. That's why 100 year old barns are still standing... No bugs will bore into the timbers.

[belovedboas]

Thanks Wayne, thats what I was looking for!!