what wood to use as a perch for gtp?

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imnow2010

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hi just wondering what perch is good for green tree pythons i got told that pvc pipe is slippery is that true is tas oak good to use or do any of you know anything good to use as a perch?
thanks
 
I have used pvc for my perches for over 4 years now with no problems what so ever. If you want to use real wood I would use a hardwood such as manzanita for longevity.
 
Eucalptus, wattle, any native hardwood branches are fine. Tassie oak, which is a Grevillia, is also fine.

Jamie
 
It depends a bit on the age. Bamboo is good for juveniles or hardwood branches for adults. Broom handles and doweling cut to size is not bad.
I would not recommend PVC pipes due to the fact that they're so slippery and unnatural. I know that a lot of people use them but I never would. They're of little to no use when it comes to shedding.
 
It depends a bit on the age. Bamboo is good for juveniles or hardwood branches for adults. Broom handles and doweling cut to size is not bad.
I would not recommend PVC pipes due to the fact that they're so slippery and unnatural. I know that a lot of people use them but I never would. They're of little to no use when it comes to shedding.

For neonates and yearlings I use plastic coat hangers and it works great.

In one of my enclosures I haven't put any foliage in yet, there is only pvc perches. The only possible object in the enclosure (s)he can use as an aid to shed is the perch holders. More often then not I find the sheds(completely intact by the way) wrapped around the perches.
 
Bushman have you tried Pvc as a perch, its clean, easy to use and as for shedding, mine shed using the pvc perch all the time. Not sure where your info was coming from. Most large US breeders use plastic or pvc perches with no drama. As for unnatural its unnatural to keep them in a box as well. The only down side i have found with it, its not that appealing to the eye.
 
PVC pipes, coat hangers, plastic trellis, plastic straws, broom handles, etc., are poor substitute, they look awful but they are cheap, practical and easy to maintain. It's a matter of personal taste whether you want to have your beloved GTP living in a naturalistic environment or in a plumbing work shop. We can't ask the snakes what they prefer but it seems they survive and do well in both environments.
Bamboo is actually as slippery as PVC pipe but I feel sorry for those snakes that have no choice but to sit on a pipe or two, or three; all of the same diameter. I wouldn't want to sit in one chair all my life. :)
 
Ryan, I've never used plastic plumbing pipes as perches for snakes and never will.
My info comes from seeing other keepers set-ups and watching their snakes move on them. I agree with Michael that they're poor substitutes for natural perches.
I don't keep snakes in boxes.
 
I don't understand how its a "poor substitute" when if im reading correctly the main reason why people don't like them is looks. Do reptiles care what there cage furnishings look like? I don't think so.

The reason I use pvc perches is pure functionality. Between two jobs and college I have no time left. At this point I have most of my enclosures set up so I can empty them and toss there contents into my dishwasher.

Believe me I would love to setup a display for one of my greens, with a misting system, live plants, and the whole 9. I just cant find the time to maintain a system like that.

Waterrat- you mentioned different perch sizes. I feel a variety of perch sizes is vital. Ive found my greens are more active when I gave them a variety of sizes. If anyone is interested I use 1/3", 1/4", and 1/2" diameter pvc.

Regards, Patrick
 
Caliherp you americans must be doing it all wrong going by some of these posts. Imagine if the likes of rico walder etc used plastic perches i wonder if people would question his way of keeping.

Bushman i have been using plastic perches for a few years now with not one problem. No shedding issues, no kinked animals, all move around there cage a lot. People seem to think gtps are lazy and need a lot of stimulation with regards to perches and the cage prettiness for there gtps. What i find if the green isn't moving its being fed to much normally on a weekly basis. Try feeding a lot less frequently and they move and exercise a lot, most of my adults are only fed once a fortnight or once every three weeks. This gives them the time to digest and move around to exercise. So imnow2010 plastic or timber perches will work fine, just make sure the diameter of the perch suits the size of the gtp.
 
Caliherp you americans must be doing it all wrong going by some of these posts. Imagine if the likes of rico walder etc used plastic perches i wonder if people would question his way of keeping.

Bushman i have been using plastic perches for a few years now with not one problem. No shedding issues, no kinked animals, all move around there cage a lot. People seem to think gtps are lazy and need a lot of stimulation with regards to perches and the cage prettiness for there gtps. What i find if the green isn't moving its being fed to much normally on a weekly basis. Try feeding a lot less frequently and they move and exercise a lot, most of my adults are only fed once a fortnight or once every three weeks. This gives them the time to digest and move around to exercise. So imnow2010 plastic or timber perches will work fine, just make sure the diameter of the perch suits the size of the gtp.

I do not have much experience with GTP's as I only have one that is just over 12 months old but I do not feed mine until it hunts around the cage for a couple of days. This seems to start about 8 days after a feed and therefore is fed about 10 days apart. Mine is still in a plastic tub and I provide two perch options of slightly different sizes at two different heights, both run from the hot end to the cool end. I find that my GTP will move along the branch horizontally to thermoregulate throughout a 24 hour period but will climb all over when it is hungry. I use natural timber for my perches because I was unsure about shedding and grip on a smooth perch and I thought the natural smell would encourage movement ( exploring smells).
 
Caliherp you americans must be doing it all wrong going by some of these posts. Imagine if the likes of rico walder etc used plastic perches i wonder if people would question his way of keeping.

We cant do anything right can we? You would think after well over 30 years of trial and error we would have got a decent handle on how to keep them. I mean its not like an American wrote the book that so many regard as the chondro bible. Who the hell is Greg Maxwell anyways?



What i find if the green isn't moving its being fed to much normally on a weekly basis. Try feeding a lot less frequently and they move and exercise a lot, most of my adults are only fed once a fortnight or once every three weeks. This gives them the time to digest and move around to exercise. So imnow2010 plastic or timber perches will work fine, just make sure the diameter of the perch suits the size of the gtp.

I actually feed my adults a large mouse about once a week. They defecate like clockwork, usually every 6-8 days. The food size is a bit undersized for an adult, but they keep a healthy body mass IMO. (I keep my snakes lean) I guess my feeding regimen stems from a fear of prolapse. My train of thought is if I feed smaller prey items more often its easier on there digestive system.
 
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Everyone does things different, what work for one may not work for another. I understand the looks of plastic is not that of a nice branch but plastic does work well as well, and imo a lot cleaner and easier to keep clean. I brought the feeding up as imo the cage layout and what you use in your cage ie, perches, substrate etc has nothing to do with how much the gtp will move about and exercise.
 
There's no need to get sarcastic or bring nationality into this discussion gents, as many US keepers prefer natural branches as well. It's a personal preference and one based on a great deal of thought for me.

Caliherp, my preference for natural branches is not just based on aesthetic considerations but about form and function. The texture and irregularities of a natural branch in most cases are considerably greater than a plastic pipe. This assists the sloughing process.
Give a snake a choice and I'll bet that they choose the rough branch to start the sloughing process on every time.

Another important factor is movement. I've observed a big difference in the way snakes move on a plastic pipe compared to a rough natural branch. They slip and slide on it, especially when it's wet. When they reach up for it off the ground for example, they find it very difficult to gain purchase with their forebody, as the ventral scales have no purchase. Compare this to a snake reaching up to haul itself up onto a rough textured branch and it's amazing to watch, instead of being painful to watch.

As I said, it's a personal choice and one that I've made after a great deal of thought and observation. Using PVC pipes probably causes captive GTP's no real harm, so each to their own. Personally, as a keeper I would never use a plastic perch in preference to a natural perch and I'm sure that most snakes wouldn't either. I'm sure that if you installed plastic PVC pipes in the rainforest of their natural habitat, that no snake is going to use it as a perch. :)
 
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Patrick you say you have never used plastic perches but you have observed a big difference, dont see how that is possible, as visiting other collections will not show you a big difference in a short amount of time. Its funny you bring up what they choose. I have one or two cages with both plastic and real branches and i have found they use both for periods of time.
As we both have said its a personal choice, i just don't like seeing incorrect responses like they they have no use when it comes to shedding. A healthy Gtp will shed in a plastic tub on the floor with no substrate with nothing to grip onto.
As for pipe installed in the rainforest to see if they use them, try putting any enclosure in a rainforest and see if they use it. They wont. :)
 
We cant do anything right can we? You would think after well over 30 years of trial and error we would have got a decent handle on how to keep them. I mean its not like an American wrote the book that so many regard as the chondro bible. Who the hell is Greg Maxwell anyways?





I actually feed my adults a large mouse about once a week. They defecate like clockwork, usually every 6-8 days. The food size is a bit undersized for an adult, but they keep a healthy body mass IMO. (I keep my snakes lean) I guess my feeding regimen stems from a fear of prolapse. My train of thought is if I feed smaller prey items more often its easier on there digestive system.

Haha! Bloody Yanks :)! Only kidding! I remember Rico Walder telling us at a gathering here in Oz that he feeds his adults, even the females, only 1 adult mouse per week - they have a very economical energy budget since they don't move around much. He suggested that this almost eliminated the tail-hanging we see so often in captive Chondros.

Jamie
 
i'm confused so what should i use for a perch should i use all 3 wood, pvc and bamboo with all different thickness my gtp is getting to big for its enclosure and i need to get a longer perch so it can fit the new enclosure i went to bunnings and the only wood i can find is pine and tas oak and i think pine will kill them i'm sure they have more and i'm just not looking in the right place what wood do i use and where can i get it from?
 
i'm confused so what should i use for a perch should i use all 3 wood, pvc and bamboo with all different thickness my gtp is getting to big for its enclosure and i need to get a longer perch so it can fit the new enclosure i went to bunnings and the only wood i can find is pine and tas oak and i think pine will kill them i'm sure they have more and i'm just not looking in the right place what wood do i use and where can i get it from?

I think the uptake from all of this discussion is any perch material will be fine for use as long as it will not poison your snake but this is what I use found in my backyard for free.

IMG_3446.jpg
 
My 2 cents plus gst.
Offer a natural perch which varies in shape and diameter that way the animal isn't coiled around something that is uniform in size.To my way of thinking a uniform diameter perch just doesn't make sense for the well being of the animal.
 
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