Large climbing reptiles require a suitable habitat. Nothing is more disturbing than seeing large pythons, boas, or iguanas in tiny barren tanks with inappropriate things to hang or climb on. These reptiles need naturalistic environments that mimic their natural rainforest habitat. The trouble is that you can't just find large tree limbs in the pet store and anything you pick up outside is not always reptile-safe even if you are able to have it treated and disinfected. Plus, large pieces of suitable driftwood cost a lot of money! Here is an inexpensive method to create natural looking, tree-like branches that are more like the large vines or moss-covered limbs that tropical reptiles love.
Buying the supplies for your branch will require a trip to the local big box stores or even your local hardware store, but if you have different kinds of reptiles, you most likely may have some of this stuff already, plus scrap PVC pipe can be gotten from plumber friends and the infrared stripper lamp borrowed from painter friends. The benefit is that once the supplies are in hand, you are now equipped to make several branches for any size habitat.
The branch I made was for my small-ish stunted iguana, who does not have very good use of his back legs. The branch needed to be big enough for a comfortable basking branch and allow a good grip since he is a weak climber.
A word of caution about bending the PVC pipe. The use of a heat lamp, such as is used to strip paint, is desired over the open flame of an acetylene torch. A hand torch will work but be aware that burning PVC fumes can, well, kill you— so use the heat lamp and obey all safety precautions.
Buying the supplies for your branch will require a trip to the local big box stores or even your local hardware store, but if you have different kinds of reptiles, you most likely may have some of this stuff already, plus scrap PVC pipe can be gotten from plumber friends and the infrared stripper lamp borrowed from painter friends. The benefit is that once the supplies are in hand, you are now equipped to make several branches for any size habitat.
The branch I made was for my small-ish stunted iguana, who does not have very good use of his back legs. The branch needed to be big enough for a comfortable basking branch and allow a good grip since he is a weak climber.
A word of caution about bending the PVC pipe. The use of a heat lamp, such as is used to strip paint, is desired over the open flame of an acetylene torch. A hand torch will work but be aware that burning PVC fumes can, well, kill you— so use the heat lamp and obey all safety precautions.
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Signing UpStep 1: Step 1: Preparation
Gather your materials:
5 feet of 2" PVC pipe
Concrete bonding adhesive
Paint brush
small bucket or container
Roll of landscaping burlap
Terrarium moss reptile bedding
Coconut husk reptile bedding
Infrared paint stripping heat lamp
Other materials you'll need include a tarp or plastic drop cloth when brushing on adhesive, heavy work gloves for handling hot PVC, latex gloves when working with the adhesive, and a wide container for mixing the moss and husks.
Prepare your materials:
• Cut the burlap into eight strips about 3 feet long and 6 inches wide.
• Break up equal amounts of the coconut husks and moss and crumble together in a wide shallow bin or container. You will have to shred the moss into small bits.
• Clear out an area and lay down your drop cloth.
5 feet of 2" PVC pipe
Concrete bonding adhesive
Paint brush
small bucket or container
Roll of landscaping burlap
Terrarium moss reptile bedding
Coconut husk reptile bedding
Infrared paint stripping heat lamp
Other materials you'll need include a tarp or plastic drop cloth when brushing on adhesive, heavy work gloves for handling hot PVC, latex gloves when working with the adhesive, and a wide container for mixing the moss and husks.
Prepare your materials:
• Cut the burlap into eight strips about 3 feet long and 6 inches wide.
• Break up equal amounts of the coconut husks and moss and crumble together in a wide shallow bin or container. You will have to shred the moss into small bits.
• Clear out an area and lay down your drop cloth.
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However the whole idea of building n making your own is to do a fun project! So I say do what ever you like, My snakes love there home and so I'm happy.
Thanks for the idea pipervin. I need to make a bigger tank for my royal python, now that she's fully grown. I'll give your method a try.
Fred82664 says: Feb 10, 20103:17PM
" so your saying Darwin was right after in that Evaluation dose happen after all even if the hands of human to push it along. Kind of makes the makes the Cristian fable of creation a deception. lol ( get the pitch forks and torches Fred found a flaw in the religion teachings ) honestly I was not trying to bash your libe. I did not see the fact that we humans have done that much mutation in the reptile life !"
And yet one still has to poke a stick at a dead caucus.
I could be using this web site for a sociology experiment. Step back from the tree so you may see the forest.
"I tend to only post stuff that I know about. You might like to try that."
If that is true YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME ! and yet you clam I know nothing about biology. lol I could make the clam that you are a pompous overly compensated value of self. regardless of that being true or false I would not make such a clam. I do not know you as you do not know me and yet you posted something you know nothing about. so now you have posted a false statement. One might think on you validity to any more of your postings !
Furthermore, travel to a foreign country and try to live as you do at home (casually consuming food and drinking tap water) and you will get sick. It is a matter of the microbiology to which your body is not accustomed. Similarly, a reptile that has been captively bred has never been exposed to the microbial fauna that its wild brethren have. Thus, it hasn't built up any defense and in a captive habitat, has no option for retreat or escape.
Please save your soap box for sites where it is more appropriate.
it is called ADAPTION TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT . what is so funny is that people think they can leave this life with out dieing. some days death would be welcomed like a old friend that one has not seen in a long time.
Take the branch and scrub off any dirt with a good scrub brush. Then boil it - if it's too long to completely submerge boil each side - or boil water and pour it over the stick in your driveway or yard.
Once the branch is fully saturated with the water you can bake the branch at 350 in an oven to kill most of the parasites or bacteria. Watch the branch so you don't start to char it - you just want to bake it dry. The water evaporating from inside the branch will steam out a lot of the bad stuff. I do it for my degus with apple branches and grape vines.
However I know of several of my friends who have tried the approach of "Just pick up a big branch, it's going to be fine" and have seriously hurt their pet, or worse yet, one even ended up dieing from it's ailments. I agree with whoever had said that whole bit about natural defenders, and other microbial beings that naturally balance things out, not to mention the whole captive bred point as well.
I am not a reptile specialist, however I know what I've seen, and this is one of the best looking, and likely highly accepted (Reptiles are not too keen on those white plastic pipes and won't just bask anywhere...) I've seen for a DYI option.
Personally, this get 5 thumbs up from me, because I intend to use this for my own Ball Python. Everything can be bought sterile, and moss is healthy for any animal.(It's also usually pretty PH neutral, or so I've heard)
But I wonder if treating the PVC this way would affect off-gassing. I know there are reports of PVC off-gassing negatively impacting health. Could accelerate the process?