ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe

[emmac350]

Hi all, I know there's been some discussion in the journal section about the half logs that are often sold with crabs. There is a thread at the Hermit Crabs R Us forum that finally managed to figure out the safety of these logs - a member emailed ZooMed, who said that the log is made of "low-elevation, non-aromatic Cedar."

The full text of the email reply can be found here.

[ladybug15057]

Thank you so much for sharing this info Emma!! I know there are quite a few crabbers who do use these in their tanks for the 'natural look'. I think it is VERY important to get this word out to as many as we can!!

[CrabbyJo]

Where can we get info that will detail for ZooMed that Cedar is actually an irritant and unsafe for hermies so they stop selling these items for our hermit crabs? Grrr! >[

[emmac350]

Cedar is on the unsafe wood list over at EH. The best way I've had to describe why woods are bad is by describing what they do to bugs - you use cedar to irritate moths and keep them out of your sweaters, and since crabs are so closely related to insects, they get irritated by it too.

[Wai]

Hermit crabs are not closely-related to insects, but their exoskeletons share a similar chemical make up.

http://www.wisegeek.com/does-cedar-actu ... -moths.htm
Coniferous woods irritate and kill moth larvae, but not adult moths. However, The scent of these woods do discourage adult moths from laying eggs near coniferous woods.

http://www.carawatha.com/article_2.htm

One of these groups of essential oils is in abundance in pine and cedar products, phenol. This highly irritant substance causes the 'lovely fresh scent' of pine & cedar products that many people find pleasant. Cedar wood is even made into 'natural moth balls' because of the strong scent is enough to deter insects.

What people need to remember is that when we smell these products we're only merely having a brief whiff, we don't then spend the next five days living on it, sleeping in it, eating some of it, peeing on it and the whole while breathing in the vapors. Our pets do.

In the future, I would recommend that we argue against wood shavings or coniferous woods along those two points, rather than saying that hermit crabs are closely related to insects. If the oils in the coniferous woods were proven to react (i.e. irritate) the exoskeletons of insects, then I would link that with the exoskeletons of crustaceans.

Phenol is very toxic to humans, because it is very reactive. I guess that would apply to hermit crabs too.

[Amy00]

Thank you for this information it's a big help to us newbies! but i also have to thank CrabbyJo she was the first to point this out to me when i posted my tank setup pictures the other day. i immediately took it out and disposed of it.
so thanks again!!

[CrabbyJo]

Wai,
Now you've got me googling Arthropods and crustaceans and other things trying to find out how closely related hermit crabs are to insects compared to crabs!
Since they are all in the arthropod phylum, that means I've got to dig deeper lol.

What group are hermit crabs in - are they Chelicerates, since they aren't Crustaceans?

What I've found is that they are considered decapod crustaceans, though they are not closely related to true crabs.

[Wai]

Land hermit crabs and true crabs are decapod crustaceans, but they belong to a different suborder.

[PeterandSam]

I have something similar in my tank from Mac's Creatures and was wondering if anybody knows whether this is made out of the same wood?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752734

I tried to google the company/brand to see if I can e-mail them and ask but couldn't find anything.

[CrabbyJo]

I'm afraid those are a conifer. You can tell by the bark, it's quite distinctive.

Most all of the half logs for reptiles are of a conifer origin, possibly because it is the easiest wood to "hollow" and sell for reptiles.

Sorry

I have a fake half log in my tank, along with some cork bark, mopani wood, and cholla wood. I put maple and oak leaves in the tank regularly as well, so they are sure to have plenty of sources for cellulose. I tossed my half logs long ago.