# Foraging Adventures..



## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Just being down the road to my local *Everything Free Shop* aka the forest near my house :mf_dribble:

I enjoy going down every so often if the weathers good to see what I can find (Plus that darn Yappy dog of mine likes the walk) Got some real nice pick ups today, that I will shortly be adding to all my Amphibian tanks.

Plus if anything dies off, no worrys, I can just collect more, the joys of life eh!

Some of Ze collection!



Some nice different mosses and a moss covered log



Nice big bag of Oak leafs



bark with moss spores on



Got a load of these acorn pods



Closer look at the different mosses





Weeds an ferns :whistling2:



Found some other nice stuff but i had two bags full already, maybe next time haha..

P.s All you other Foragees out there share your pick ups if you collected some nice shizz : victory:


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

I look outside, then I look at your bag of dry oak leaves and then I look outside again. There is no way I am going foraging in this weather :lol2:

Fair play to you though, some nice looking stuff. :no1:


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

plasma234 said:


> I look outside, then I look at your bag of dry oak leaves and then I look outside again. There is no way I am going foraging in this weather :lol2:
> 
> Fair play to you though, some nice looking stuff. :no1:


Haha tempting though isn't it :Na_Na_Na_Na:

The oak leafs were plucked straight off the tree pre dried and ready to go, plenty more where these came from too :mf_dribble:

haha, never thought I would be drooling over Oak Leafs :blush: but..... yeah.


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## Heart4Darts (Oct 10, 2009)

The joys of living out in the sticks, being stuck in central london means you'll be super lucky to find an oak tree, and if you do, every dog within 10miles has leaked all over it and soaked every leaf.
i've never had the chance to collect stuff like this, but it must be great going out and finding all these things.
if you got any spare oak leafs, gis a shout :whistling2:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

i could, living in cornwall, but the risks for me are anywhere away from dog walking is probably sat over a sinkhole waiting to happen lol


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

It *is* really satisfying, isn't it! :2thumb:

Only one thing dude, your 'acorns' are beech mast husks. Just saying... : victory:


:lol2:


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## TheMetaphysicalNinja (Aug 18, 2009)

butbutbut what about the contamination?!? and... GERMS?!?! :gasp:

Do you not keep all your animals in sterile boxes?!?! 

:whistling2:




I wish there were woods near me... I'd even take some grass... just, something green


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

I've always used found bits in my vivs- branches, moss, twigs- it all adds to a realistic looking viv. I've got some good chunks of driftwood in a few I scavenged off Whitby beach a couple of years back :2thumb:


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## johne.ev (Sep 14, 2008)

I also like a forage in the local forest.... Do get some weird looks though, walking round picking up bits of wood, leaves & moss etc :lol2:


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## johne.ev (Sep 14, 2008)

Heart4Darts said:


> The joys of living out in the sticks, being stuck in central london means you'll be super lucky to find an oak tree, and if you do, every dog within 10miles has leaked all over it and soaked every leaf.
> i've never had the chance to collect stuff like this, but it must be great going out and finding all these things.
> if you got any spare oak leafs, gis a shout :whistling2:



Mate (sorry don't know your name), if if you want to pay postage i could send you oak & beech leaves. I also have some nice big Magnolia leaves i get from the tree in my garden?


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> i could, living in cornwall, but the risks for me are anywhere away from dog walking is probably sat over a sinkhole waiting to happen lol


Worst case scenario near me is that there is some very steep bankings to get to the good stuff, so I could stumble an fall to my death, but it's so worth it! : victory:



Ron Magpie said:


> It *is* really satisfying, isn't it! :2thumb:
> 
> Only one thing dude, your 'acorns' are beech mast husks. Just saying... : victory:
> 
> ...


Free phib stuff is my favourite kinda stuff :mf_dribble:
ah right, cheers for that :2thumb: all pods look like acorns to me..



TheMetaphysicalNinja said:


> butbutbut what about the contamination?!? and... GERMS?!?! :gasp:
> 
> Do you not keep all your animals in sterile boxes?!?!
> 
> ...


hahah, that sentiment irritates the hell out of me, i mean do people think that scientists create these species in sterile laboratories never exposed to the outside world before..

Two germs, actually make that one germ, could cause your fragile frog to explode into a million pieces, watch out guys!


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

ronnyjodes said:


> I've always used found bits in my vivs- branches, moss, twigs- it all adds to a realistic looking viv. I've got some good chunks of driftwood in a few I scavenged off Whitby beach a couple of years back :2thumb:


Like the sound of this scavenged driftwood, sounds like a right good find :2thumb:
Might have to take a visit to whitby some time :whistling2:



johne.ev said:


> I also like a forage in the local forest.... Do get some weird looks though, walking round picking up bits of wood, leaves & moss etc :lol2:


haha, that's the good thing about my forest, there's never anybody around to see me eyeing up bits of wood, an stroking different kinds of moss :whistling2:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

The wood I usually collect from is a train ride out of town, then a long hill up from the village, then a trek down country tracks, across a few pastures etc- bit of a mission, but I love the area anyway, it's where the family home used to be. :2thumb:

The other bonus is that I almost never see anybody up there.


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Ron Magpie said:


> The wood I usually collect from is a train ride out of town, then a long hill up from the village, then a trek down country tracks, across a few pastures etc- bit of a mission, but I love the area anyway, it's where the family home used to be. :2thumb:
> 
> The other bonus is that I almost never see anybody up there.


Sounds like a right trek, I feel lucky that mine is so close now :blush:
But hey, nothing like being *one* with nature..


Hmm, if only I could forage me some Tree Fern :crazy:


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## SporAkaJohn (May 1, 2012)

I'm looking at doing this myself as i could with a couple of small branches with moss and leaves - I'll get my 3year old to pick them up for me so i don't look so weird :lol2:



John 


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Ron Magpie said:


> The wood I usually collect from is a train ride out of town, then a long hill up from the village, then a trek down country tracks, across a few pastures etc- bit of a mission, but I love the area anyway, it's where the family home used to be. :2thumb:
> 
> The other bonus is that I almost never see anybody up there.


"It were like tekin wood from top a'world"


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

SporAkaJohn said:


> I'm looking at doing this myself as i could with a couple of small branches with moss and leaves - I'll get my 3year old to pick them up for me so i don't look so weird :lol2:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Embrace the forager inside yourself. 




I find your lack of faith disturbing, 
May the Forager be with you..



sorry I saw the star wars siq and couldn't help myself :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

Do you guys do anything to them or are they ok just to put straight in?
there is a forest near my house that I really should be taking advantage of!


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Here is my process for using stuff collected from the woods:
1: Go to the woods.
2: Bung loads of stuff in a carrier bag.
3: Get frustrated that the giant moss covered stump I found is actually rooted in to the ground so I can't have it. Bloody nature.
3: Bung it in the car boot and drive home.
4: Stick it straight in the viv, removing any big ass slugs, snails or anything resembling that thing off Tremors.
5: Shove whatever I don't use in my phib cupbord.
6: Forget I've done step 5 for around 6 months. Use the discovery of a bag of moss and leaves to provoke a new build. Receive scowl from wife.
7: Repeat.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

ronnyjodes said:


> Here is my process for using stuff collected from the woods:
> 1: Join Facebook
> 2: Go to the woods.
> 3: Bung loads of stuff in a carrier bag.
> ...


sounds like a plan


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

I'm on Instagram if it helps 


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

ronnyjodes said:


> I'm on Instagram if it helps
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


instagram's for posers who love a bit of sepia tone


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Meefloaf said:


> instagram's for posers who love a bit of sepia tone


I fail to see your argument . Instagram is fer proper nartherners that live oop narth and norin t'Cornwall tha knows.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Might be worth mentioning that if you use rotting bits of wood, they carry on doing just that in the viv- adding to the substrate, of course- which means that sooner or later, they have to be replaced. I see today that the nice mini-stump I have in the reedfrog tank is pretty much on its way back to its constituent elements- damn, that means another walk in the woods, soon! 


:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

ronnyjodes said:


> I fail to see your argument . Instagram is fer proper nartherners that live oop narth and norin t'Cornwall tha knows.


Dus tha famli kna tha's bin tekin foto's a' thitar darn sarf ?


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

*Fellow furrager and sheffielder*

Nice to see a fellow forest furagger and another sheffielder at that. I love what you can find in the woods and the wildlife that crawls out later for the frogs to feed on


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Are the woods of sheffield not full of netto trolleys, doggers, nappies and peter Sutcliffe? Lol


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Meefloaf said:


> Are the woods of sheffield not full of netto trolleys, doggers, nappies and peter Sutcliffe? Lol


Great soil though cuss of all the soft southerners we've buried :lol2:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

BigBoots said:


> Great soil though cuss of all the soft southerners we've buried :lol2:


Good thing I'm from Wakefield then eh


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Meefloaf said:


> Good thing I'm from Wakefield then eh


Southerner by proxy Joe 


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Wakefield well I live in Sheffield and work in Leeds so were do you shop for your frogs or is it all on line.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

I have to travel up and down fella


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Yerr not great is it have you been to the place in Shipley heard it's pretty good but not had chance to go in yet.

Dave BigBoots


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> Southerner by proxy Joe
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Only soft Northeners are afraid of FB, though... :whistling2:


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

I had a rather spur of the moment forage this morning after checking a fallen fence panel out in the garden...I hadn't quite realised just how overgrown it had gotten! :lol2: 

First I spotted this brick out in the bracken behind us, and had to have it... it had an absolute bundle of woodlice and things under it so I've set it in a little box with some dirt and spare isopod food I had, just to see what comes out of it!








I'm not quite sure what I'll do with it yet...
I also got some leaves and moss from various places in the garden...and here was me, planning to go to the woods! No need 
























Excuse the rubbish pictures...it's cold out there! Still shivering...

I also found a few pinecones for the Chipmunk to chew on for a while. They might get popped into someones viv if he leaves anything of them, they're quite pretty looking.









Time for a cup of tea now I think


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

i miss my chipmunk.

i'd love to go foraging but whats this with the avoiding dog walked area's ? also, i'd imagine the soil round me being arsenic rich


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## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

I live next to a coppice and a park, i always see really nice moss and wood etc when walking my dogs but always thought i couldn't use it becuase it might have harmful bugs living inside. Guess i was wrong, will be going out with a bag tomorrow if it aint still chucking it down with rain :2thumb:


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Drayvan said:


> I had a rather spur of the moment forage this morning after checking a fallen fence panel out in the garden...I hadn't quite realised just how overgrown it had gotten! :lol2:
> 
> First I spotted this brick out in the bracken behind us, and had to have it... it had an absolute bundle of woodlice and things under it so I've set it in a little box with some dirt and spare isopod food I had, just to see what comes out of it!
> image
> ...


Looks like you found some nice things my fellow forager : victory:
liking the moss covered brick and some of that moss is almost illunimous :mf_dribble:
Why can't I find some such a beaut of a colour.. aha..

Great idea with the pine cones, might have to find me some of them :whistling2:
(Any excuse to go foraging)


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

ust loving this post great to see everyone getting involved I picked up some interesting moss yesterday will post some pics later. Thanks 

Dave BigBoots


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## Cornish-J (Sep 4, 2011)

I always find collecting moss from outside is pretty pointless - as soon as it hits a 90% humidity viv it will just go brown and look rubbish, it's not a tropical moss.


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

I must admit, I'm surprised by the lack of bug life in the moss... so far there's been one earthworm, 2 weevil things and 2 little springtail type things pop out and that's it...well, there were a few slugs too but they got put outside again! Oh well, at least it looks pretty even if it didnt provide much in the way of free food :lol2:


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Cornish-J said:


> I always find collecting moss from outside is pretty pointless - as soon as it hits a 90% humidity viv it will just go brown and look rubbish, it's not a tropical moss.


None of my tanks are 90% humidity, So I've found it does very well in my vivs, the last lot I collected lasted about 3 months in viv conditions.. so not too bad for something that's free : victory:



Drayvan said:


> I must admit, I'm surprised by the lack of bug life in the moss... so far there's been one earthworm, 2 weevil things and 2 little springtail type things pop out and that's it...well, there were a few slugs too but they got put outside again! Oh well, at least it looks pretty even if it didnt provide much in the way of free food :lol2:


Ah that's a shame, probably the time of year, can usually find all sorts of little creatures bombing around in moss...


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Dave BigBoots


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Sue hope that takes looks amazing very much like pond weed. Gorran love a good forage lol

Dave BigBoots


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## stulynn (Nov 6, 2013)

While out foraging seen some nice pieces of wood with bracket fungus would it be safe to use.


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

stulynn said:


> While out foraging seen some nice pieces of wood with bracket fungus would it be safe to use.


Awesome, seen this fungi quite a few times when i'm on a forage, although i don't know a whole lot about fungi/mushrooms, I've just had a read up on them an seen that some specie of bracket fungus can be used for human consumption, meaning it isn't poisonous or an irritant. But for use with phibs, I wouldn't know. Might look into that a bit more : victory:
Also not sure how they would stand up in a vivarium environment.


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Well I've been foraging again will be starting on a new tank soon yahhhhh. Anyway I think I hit the jackpot after a forage on a sandbank I found this







all in one piece but has a little play to give me some flexibility a very happy forager lol

Dave BigBoots


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Bracket fungus is fine- like all fungi, it rots in the end, but it is attractive while it lasts. Bigboots, I use lots of driftwood that looks like your find in my reptile tanks. Because I get it from the beach, and it inevitably is very salty, I don't use it for my 'phibs. Yours should be fine, though.


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

BigBoots said:


> Well I've been foraging again will be starting on a new tank soon yahhhhh. Anyway I think I hit the jackpot after a forage on a sandbank I found this image all in one piece but has a little play to give me some flexibility a very happy forager lol
> 
> Dave BigBoots


Nice find :2thumb:

I need to find me some of this driftwood..


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Dark Valentino said:


> Nice find :2thumb:
> 
> I need to find me some of this driftwood..


The beach I use is on the Isle of Sheppey, near my ex' place. The council dutifully 'clean up' the touristy public part, but if you walk to the end, there is an untamed section that has loads of drift. I imagine all beaches are like this, the trick is finding the 'untamed' part.


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## Dark Valentino (Mar 15, 2013)

Ron Magpie said:


> The beach I use is on the Isle of Sheppey, near my ex' place. The council dutifully 'clean up' the touristy public part, but if you walk to the end, there is an untamed section that has loads of drift. I imagine all beaches are like this, the trick is finding the 'untamed' part.


I wonder where they take all the driftwood :mf_dribble:

Sounds like a plan, I will have to find an untamed beach near me to have a good old forage on, That's hoping I can find one.

Your earlier comment, driftwood from the beach not being used in your phib tanks? Is it possible to clean them up of salt so they can be used?


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

I was planning on soaking it in water over the weekend just to be on the safe side. 

Dave BigBoots


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Dark Valentino said:


> I wonder where they take all the driftwood :mf_dribble:
> 
> Sounds like a plan, I will have to find an untamed beach near me to have a good old forage on, That's hoping I can find one.
> 
> Your earlier comment, driftwood from the beach not being used in your phib tanks? Is it possible to clean them up of salt so they can be used?





BigBoots said:


> I was planning on soaking it in water over the weekend just to be on the safe side.
> 
> Dave BigBoots


I imagine soaking should work- never done it though, as I also pick up rotty stumps and bits of wood from a woodland in the country, which I tend to use for the phibs.


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## BigBoots (Jan 17, 2014)

Yerr I've spotted a nice rottie stump had a small piece of it a while ago but this is like 4 ft and loads of Moss on it so going back with the car lol 

Dave BigBoots


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