Climbing Apparatus?

Behira (now 2 year old and 1,050 gram female ghost BCI) loves climbing. She always goes right for the bookshelf next to my big chair in the reptile area. Every once in a while, like tonight, I give her the opportunity to climb on it. She loves it.

However, as she gets bigger, that bookshelf is not going to support her. I wanted to build a PVC square with multiple levels for her to climb and that would support her at 20 pounds. However, I have nowhere to store something that big.

Anyone know what I could use that's either smaller/narrower and I could lean or attach to a wall, etc. or that's collapsable. I guess I could just build a jungle gym of sorts into the wall with branches, etc, but I am not sure how easy or doable that is.

Any idea of what I could use as a climbing apparatus for a female BCI? I thought this might be relevant for other keepers who keep larger snakes and/or arboreal and semi-arboreal snakes.

Any ideas are welcome!

Thank you in advance and below is a picture of Behira on the bookshelf that won't hold her much longer!

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How about a nice 6' wooden step-ladder? Sturdy, collapsible...

Well I've been wanting to move into our local library with my snakes for some time: it's a fairly new & modern building, but when I saw the enormous
artificial tree (huge trunk, life size!) that's what sold me. :D No room for it in my house though, I wonder if they'd mind us being there?

If you make something out of PVC, remember to texture the surface, otherwise it's slippery. I've seen some cool set-ups some have made, but I
don't know about collapsible? I wonder if those "elbows" would stay stuck together (with your snake climbing on) if they aren't glued? You might
be able to glue just the main sections....?

I made one 6' tall x 24" x 24" out of 3/4" PVC and have not glued the corners. If it's not strong enough for that 20lb limit you're looking for - maybe make it out of 1" pipe instead?

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/rogergym.jpg

Don't know if it's tall enough for you, but they make these tree-like things for parrots to perch on. We have one that's got a wheeled platform base and I think it's about 3 feet tall with some branches on it.

Some have used "cat trees" for their boas too, but I don't know how much they can be minimized easily for storage? they're sturdy, though...

Maybe take the wooden step-ladder idea and then add some "branches" to the top by nailing a 2x4 across it?

If you have wall space available you could make 3-4 saddle racks that your snake can climb up. Just make sure the mounting hardware is screwed into a stud and not just the drywall/plaster. The nice thing is that when not in use, you can flip them over to keep them out of the way. They'd also only need to be about a foot long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyaU05ct448

Similar idea to what bcr229 posted. My retic loves to climb and knocks stuff off shelves like it's his job. In the near future I plan to dedicate a whole wall to build some snake shelves. Similar to these cat shelves but home made.

https://www.catsplay.com/climb-track...unted-for-cats

I've been thinking about this for my pythons and boas. I think I'll try the cat tree since I can't build the pvc gym.

I got something that works pretty well for climbing. I tried it out on Behira today, and will use with Yafe when he's 100% and off quarantine.

I got it from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/MetalTec...-205477926-_-N

It's a 4'X4'X2' wheeled scaffolding piece. It support 500 pounds and the wheels lock. The shelves are removable and can configured any way you want.

Both snakes will only use supervised, and there a few spots that I might not want Behira putting her head and neck when bigger because her body not fit. However, she will always be supervised. I just wanted something fun for her and Yafe to climb on outside of the tank and when interacting with us. Additionally, Behira's tank is only 1' high, so no climbing in there for her. This is a real treat.

I got this unit because of price (I was looking at extendable ladders and they were really expensive and bulky) and it folds down to 4' high by maybe 3" thick and isn't too heavy.

Here are the pictures of Behira's first slither on it (I should note it took a little work to get her off it, but she was pretty good):

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[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/erC071e.jpg[/IMG]

Easy Storage:

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That looks like a great solution! As far as any spots that pose a danger for head & neck to get stuck, you could probably make something out of cardboard to
block the hole temporarily? Can't imagine any snake wanting to force the issue with all that open space to go elsewhere, can you? Good idea, & useful for other
things too...see, this is why I love to wander thru home improvement & hardware stores...:gj:

What a great idea, Dave...I would never have thought to use something like this. Thanks for sharing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That looks like a great solution! As far as any spots that pose a danger for head & neck to get stuck, you could probably make something out of cardboard to
block the hole temporarily? Can't imagine any snake wanting to force the issue with all that open space to go elsewhere, can you? Good idea, & useful for other
things too...see, this is why I love to wander thru home improvement & hardware stores...:gj:

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Well. I did my wandering online. Spent a few months looking at different things and thinking about it from different angles. Ladders were expensive, bulky, and hard to secure safely. PVC jungle gyms need to be out together, weighted, and don’t fold down. I have limited space.

This folds up lean and quickly for storage. Is sturdy and big enough for both Behira and Yafe when both are full grown. It’s also light enough that taking it down and putting it away to store is a one person job. I can also take outside in the summer for Fun in the Sun.

Really couldnt be happier. I will block holes, etc. with cardboard as they grow. Great idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianne

What a great idea, Dave...I would never have thought to use something like this. Thanks for sharing.

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Thank you Dianne. Happy to share. Been wracking my brain for months. Glad I remembered I started this thread.

Wanted to share a video link and some pictures of Behira enjoying her jungle gym!

It's 2 1/2 minutes and she doesn't exactly move quick. No hard feelings if you skip through!

Video Link: https://streamable.com/qvrve

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