Hi everyone.

I have had Thomas for just over aweek now, he is a 6 yr old Herman.
He came from a viv with coarse beech chipping. I have been reading things posted on the forum and people have said that soft wood gets toxic when warm. Are the beech chippings ok and Thomas' whole enclosure is made out of soft wood. Is he safe?

When we speak of softwood it is wood from a conifer (pine,cedar,fir,ect.) which is very aromatic and can be harmful to animals (think of a cedar chest and moths). Hardwood is from deciduous trees (maple, aspen,oak,beech,ect). It really doesn't refer to the hardness of the wood.

gwyneth, I also believe if he is in a softwood enclosure and it is sealed well it may be ok but I am not expert. I made sure mine was out of a hardwood when I made it just to be completely safe.