Hi Ria ☺️
That’s a good question because I’ve seen really cool branches and such in the bird section at the petshop as well. I googled wood for hamsters and they said to go for hard wood not soft wood. I then google what hard wood is and it says that hard wood is deciduous. I have copied what I read on the internet...
All trees reproduce by producing seeds, but the seed structure varies. In general, hardwood comes from a deciduous tree which loses its leaves annually and softwood comes from a conifer, which usually remains evergreen. Hardwoods tend to be slower growing, and are therefore usually more dense.
NZ Wood | NZ Wood is a major promotional and development programme to promote New Zealand forests and wood resources. › faqs › what-is...
What is the difference between hardwood and softwood? | NZ Wood
Liana wood is from a deciduous tree from tropical climates and is a hard wood.
When I chose my logs and branches etc I stayed away from conifers and yew trees without knowing that they are soft wood which is harmful to hamsters.
Liana wood according to specifications isn’t harmful to hamsters. I can see why conifers and yew are ruled out - if you smell their bark and leaves it doesn’t smell good. It has an acidic or sour smell to it.