GTP care: what do you use for perches?

[mainbutter]

I'm going to be designing an arboreal snake vivarium, and am currently in the process of determining how to provide horizontal perches.

Anyone want to jump in with some suggestions?

[Colin Vestrand]

natual hardwoods with the bark stipped off is my favorite... or if you use something with a thin bark, like silver maple or ash, that's great too.

[mainbutter]

How do you mount them?

[Colin Vestrand]

How do you mount them?

couple deck screws in from the outside...

really though, what kind of cage? i've just gone to home depot in the past and looked at various hardware.
the coolest i've used is those round rod holders used for closets and stuff. i'll see if i can drag up a pic.

[MattU]

I plan on using those round rod holders when I redo my ATBs cage, I figured it would be easy to pull them out for cleaning that way. Lowes carries some oak dowels too, just gotta make sure they're not treated at all

[DavidG]

Dowl rods mold quickly. The rod holders are great! I use them in almost all of my cages. The others are neo cages and just have PVC ran all the way threw. If you want easy removal build something that has support and sits in the cage. Kind of hard to explain but pretty much make an "H" and add another cross bar below the top so the bottom is on the substrate and the top perch isn't so tall the animal won't be cramped. Habitat systems (I think) uses this design. I've seen them and taken them out and they are probably the easiest to remove, but are best suited in tubs or top open cages. If you're going with glass use 100% silicone and measure and mark the outside of the glass with dry erase marker. Let it air dry outside for atleast 24 hours. I have a pic I will post of this method and natural wood. I really liked it, but got away from glass cages.

This method works really well, but use plastic screws.

[Angry J]

I made a "PVC Tree" for my juvenile GTP. S/He's in an Exo-Terra with a lot of room to roam but I didn't want to attach anything to the glass sides of the enclosure. She was outgrowing her dowel rods that I had when she was smaller so I had to come up with another solution. I torched and twisted the "branches" to give it a less this-stuff-came-from-home-depot kind of look. That part wasn't my idea but is recommended by Greg Stephens.

I took photos of the process because I was planning on writing an instructable for it, but never got around to that. If anyone would like the photos I'd be happy to post them.

When he was smaller.



Now, much older and bigger, here are a couple photos of his "tree".

[Chuckels]

I want a GTP soooooo bad. Im trying so hard not to lose focus on my BP's and Corns!

[Lucas339]

it is important to note that the PVC should be about the same thickness as the body. there have been recent discussion over at MVF that suggest improper perch size can lead to skin folds on neonates. to me, the PVC used for the PVC tree is too large. it is better to error on the side of smaller than larger.

[Angry J]

Thanks for your input. The PVC is bigger than his/her body thickness as of now, but at the rate she's growing, it won't be long. I've read Mr. Stephens' book and understand the concern. From what I've read on the MVF thread though, there isn't really any consensus on what causes the folds.

My snake uses the entire cage on a daily basis. Sometimes she's on the 'tree', sometimes, on the bio-vine, (which at this point is smaller than her body, sometimes, on the floor, and sometimes in the cutouts in the top corners of the cage. She eats voraciously and sheds completely, is alert in the evenings and shows no signs of stress. Still, I might build her a tree with smaller diameter branches. It only takes an hour and a few dollars of PVC.

By the by, can you point me to a reference to the assertion that it's better to err on the side of too small rather than too big? I'm not questioning your expertise, but I don't recall specifically reading that anywhere. This is my first GTP and I'm still learning as I go. Thanks!