Our Activity Board!

How-to on creating a fun, colorful snake activity board (or enrichment board!) inspired by Elle's Reptiles. Have fun watching us paint, drill, sand, glue, and finally - PLAY!
Step 1 - Gather Supplies: • Our Activity Board!
Step 2 - Painting + Sanding: • Our Activity Board!
Step 3 - Drill Baby, Drill: • Our Activity Board!
Step 4 - Play Time: • Our Activity Board!
Bonus: • Our Activity Board!
List of Supplies -
4ft x 2ft Wood Board - (www.homedepot.com/p/Handprint...)
Dowels - (www.lowes.com/pd/Madison-Mill...)
Paint - (www.joann.com/folkart-multi-s...)
Paint Brushes - (www.joann.com/25ct-brush-vari...)
White PVC Fittings - (www.lowes.com/pl/PVC-pipe-fit...)
Wood Screws - (www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-x-...)
Pipe Straps - (www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-10-Pac...)
Wood Glue - (www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Wood...)
Power Drill + Bits - (www.amazon.com/DEKOPRO-Cordle...)
Small Net - (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...)
Storage Trays - (www.target.com/p/3pk-medium-s...)
Saw - (www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Sour...)
Sandpaper - (www.amazon.com/Sandpaper-Furn...)
Silicone - (www.homedepot.com/p/GE-10-1-o...)
Caulk Gun - (www.amazon.com/Albion-Enginee...)
Liquid Gesso - (www.amazon.com/Sargent-Art-22...)
Shelf Brackets - (www.amazon.com/Acrux7-Bracket...)
Small Wood Shelf - (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...)
Phenols -
Softwoods produce monohydroxy benzene (phenols) which give them a pleasant aroma. High concentrations are known to cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal damage, and even death. The studies referred to work with high levels of phenols, which is usually the case in toxicity studies, so are likely far above the 17 ppm; the concentration I could find with the lowest observed adverse effects (LOAEL). Therefore may not reflect the concentration of phenols found in pine products.
We encourage others to spend some time researching and asking questions on such issues to feel confident in your decisions on how to keep your pets safe, contributing to the growing pool of reptile keeping know-how!
Research on the Effects of Phenols -
Short term exposure to high levels of phenols showed respiratory irritation (ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10...) and muscle twitching in animal studies, eventually leading to organ damage when exposed long term. Studies of amphibians show negative effects of inhalation of these phenols such as stunted growth and malformations of the intestines. (Arenal, Christine & Sample, Bradley. 2015. Wildlife Toxicity Assessment for Phenol. 10.1016/B978-0-12-800020-5.00029-6. ) Some keepers feel that exposure to pine and cedar increase their reptile's likelihood of RIs and lung infections, cause abnormal metabolism due to liver damage making necessary medications like antibiotics ineffective, and affect the reproductive rates of their animals. Careful observation and further study would be needed to confirm these effects. However, the concentration of Phenols and other compounds in cleaners containing Pine Oils (such as Pine Sol and Lysol) which are high in Phenols ((www.sciencedirect.com/topics/...) and are proven to be deadly to should be avoided at all costs near reptiles and amphibians (Corn Snakes in Captivity, Don Soderberg).
Additional Resources on Phenol's Effects -
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles... www.epa.gov/sites/default/fil... oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/... journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/... #snakevideo
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