What type of tree branch is good for climbing?

[megan13]

My new BP loves climbing on her hide box, and even her thermometers! I was thinking it was time to get her a climbing branch so maybe she would stop tearing down her thermometer and hydrometer :P. I was wondering what tree branch is safe for a ball python, and if I could find one myself without having to go buy one at a petstore.

[shaunyboy]

i am unsure if the following would suit your ball but.....

i use a tree called a silver birch for my carpet pythons

its bark has all sorts of wonderfull colours through it

i've also used branches from plum and apple tree's

pine and most carnifirous trees are toxic to carpet pythons,i'm thinking more than likely ball pythons to

i'm sure one of our ball whizzkids will post a reply soon

you must remember to post pictures once you get the branches in your tank ;)

cheers shaun

[It'sKourtneyYo]

I'd go with anything that is thick enough to hold him/her up. but you have to either bake it to kill any parasites or whatever or soak it in bleach before you put it in the cage. what I did when I had my ball I went behind the levee by my house, got a good piece of drift wood, soak it in bleach let it sit out in the sun for a day then hosed it off and made sure there was no bleach left on it and let it dry and put it in his cage. He was checking it out the second I put it in there and was always on it.
http://i39.tinypic.com/zmcuiq.jpg

[It'sKourtneyYo]

P.s To make sure there is no more bleach on it you have to hose it off then let it dry and make sure it doesn't smell like bleach at all.

[shaunyboy]

i wiegh down my branches,so they are submerged in the bath filled with cold water and bleach

i leave them for 5 or 6 hours,then i take a scrubbing brush to them ( please wear safety goggles or safety glasses,bleach ain't no fun in your eye )

leave them another hour,then let the water out the bath and rinse the branch down with the shower head

i then fill the bath up with clean cold water and leave for 5 to 6 hours

after that i scrub any parts of the branch i missed the first time round,then take the branch out the bath

i then place it in the cuboard we call the drying cuboard.its the cuboard that your hot water tank sits in

after a few days once the branch is thouroughly dry,i cut to size and put it in the tank

the above is my way of doing things and have had no problems to date with this method

cheers shaun

[Aaron_S]

I like driftwood.

Also, where are your gauges that they are "tearing down"?

[youngster]

Also, where are your gauges that they are "tearing down"?

^^^ Thisssss

They need to be on the ground where it can actually give a proper reading of what the snake is feeling.

[It'sKourtneyYo]

^^^ Thisssss

They need to be on the ground where it can actually give a proper reading of what the snake is feeling.

thanks for saying this or I would have never known!
I have mine on the cage and Vlad has part of his body on it right now as we speak. lol I'll have to move it whenever he goes in his hide or he will try and bite me. lol

[alessia55]

If this is the kind you have, that stick to the wall of the cage...

http://source-www.petco.com/assets/product_images/4/4258369048B.jpg

put it on the ground instead. Like Eli said, it should be measuring where the snake is. This particular brand is also not an accurate temp/humidity reader. Just thought I'd point it out :)

[It'sKourtneyYo]

If this is the kind you have, that stick to the wall of the cage...

http://source-www.petco.com/assets/product_images/4/4258369048B.jpg

put it on the ground instead. Like Eli said, it should be measuring where the snake is. This particular brand is also not an accurate temp/humidity reader. Just thought I'd point it out :)


It's kind of like as in it sticks to the wall but it doubles as a hydrometer and thermometer.Like this one!

Redirect Notice (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=reptile+thermometer+hygrometer&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1011&bih=536&tbm=isch&tbnid=1MtBYKUbMuoDWM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thechickenhutch.com/index.php%3Fmain_page%3Dproducts_all%26disp_order% 3D2&docid=pk1-foedvaLjDM&imgurl=http://www.thechickenhutch.com/images/es68029.gif&w=500&h=500&ei=2yDsTuL_NeSNsQLLz8XfCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=543&vpy=198&dur=59&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=136&ty=162&sig=107930434842905413602&page=2&tbnh=149&tbnw=147&start=14&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:14)

not sure if you'll be able to see it but once I get his permanent home I plan on going digital.

[millertime89]

yeah, I've got one of those, get it on the ground, they're pretty crappy, but I use it for a rough estimate and use my temp gun for exact temps.

[youngster]

I also do what Kyle does, I have two of the same exact analog thermometer and they are 8 degrees apart :)

That's why I got a temp gun, much more versatile, easy, and accurate.

[SpOoKy]

I have never bleached, soaked, baked boiled any branches or rocks I use in my enclosures. No bugs in north america will do harm to your reptile. I give them a quick wash off let them dry then in they go. I always thought bleach would do way more harm then a little dirt from outside.

[Norm66]

I have never bleached, soaked, baked boiled any branches or rocks I use in my enclosures. No bugs in north america will do harm to your reptile. I give them a quick wash off let them dry then in they go. I always thought bleach would do way more harm then a little dirt from outside.

I tend to agree people go a bit overboard on stuff like this. I'd probably do a bleach soak for an hour, rinse it and let it dry completely. I've learned from the fish world that once dry pure bleach is completely gone and safe. There's no residuals left. Of course you have to use the cheap stuff that doesn't have any additives for this to be true.

When I got the rocks for my 125 gallon aquarium I hosed them off, scrubbed off the stubborn clay/dirt and put them in the tank. Never had a problem. I'm sure it would be the same with a branch from outside. The only reason I'd do the bleach thing at all would be in case there were bug eggs I wouldn't want in my house not that they'd hurt the snake.

[SnakeyJay]

If an animal isn't native to the country your in then you might not know how bugs/bacteria will effect them. Native herps will have built up a resistance to the bacteria found. Plus I don't know, but could you possibly bring mites in this way??

[millertime89]

reptile mites are transported by reptiles and can't survive long without a host.
I have baked branches before, and in addition to killing bacteria, baking or bleaching also keeps larvae of pests out of your house.

[megan13]

Thank you for all of your answers, I will definitely try to try that soon, and I will post pics if I do! Also, my gauges are exactly like that, and they are on the lowest part of the wall at the bottom

[SnakeyJay]

reptile mites are transported by reptiles and can't survive long without a host.
I have baked branches before, and in addition to killing bacteria, baking or bleaching also keeps larvae of pests out of your house.

Oh I understand they can't live too long without a host but I wasn't sure if it was an issue as people have brought mites bk on their clothes n skin after visiting an infected collection.