It may seem silly but if it's going to save me some money, I'm willing to try it. I have a state park right down the road from me and I've noticed lots of areas with moss around. Not sure what kind of moss it is, but is it safe to put into my viv and will it grow ?
Be careful of pesticides, trash, air pollution and Chytrid....Rains carry all the pollutants into the soil and the moss.
All of that possibility and dealing with insect pest hitchhikers and most likely, rough looking moss at some point, makes me avoid local vegetation as well as moss in general. If I lose a frog and can't exactly pin point the cause, I don't wanna constantly second guess myself with using local moss. Plus, most frogs are too $$ to lose.
Leaf litter all the way.
It looks better and is easier in the long run.
just my .02
Just to add to what Phil said, chances are great that it would be illegal to collect moss in a state park.
I usually use moss in my Decorative tanks that get setup and displayed in Reptile shops. As long as it's the right type of moss and conditions are right it should take off.
I have heard that some types of moss are illegal to collect so I'd just play it safe in your scenario and order it or use leaf litter like Phil suggests.
Not to mention unwanted creapy crawlys (snails etc...). Just because you dont see them doesnt mean they aren't there. I used "local" moss on the first viv I built. It was the only "plant" that didnt come from a "controled environment". A full year later, I saw what had to be the biggest night crawler I've ever seen slithering thru the substrate. Point being, you never know what your going to get.
Derek
If you adhere to the above recommendations, and you know what species to look for, you can find some awesome wild moss species. You must treat thoroughly though or you will end up with snails, millipedes, and other potentially unwanted invertebrates.
I have several wild brachythecium sp. growing in a few of my tanks.
Another great route to go is getting a hold of some aquarium moss, more specifically, java, flame, willow, fissedens, etc. If you keep your tank misted well and humid, this aquatic moss will grow out of the water just fine. Plus coming out of an established aquarium, you SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the risk of transferring in chemicals or invasive inverts as well as diseases or parasites.
I also recommend riccia or HC as a great, green alternative to moss. These can also be acquired from an aquarium.