Crape myrtle branches seem to do well in GTP enclosures with no treatment. They are very attractive as well, and they are relatively straight and cylindrical, making them ideal for chondros. I have heard of people using regular polyurethane sealant to water proof branches. Rob MacInnes (co-owner of Glades Herp) once told me that this works just fine, but to let it dry, set and cure for 30 days before use. Where you live it would probably be a good idea to let them cure out on your porch/patio.

If you Google "crape myrtle", you can find live ones for sale a fairly low prices. We have them all around here in people's yards, but I don't know about where you are. If you buy them live, you will need to cut the branches and let them dry out for a while. It won't take long in your climate. A friend of mine told me he doesn't even dry them. He said he's been using fresh crape myrtle branches in his GTP enclosures for years with no apparent problems.

Remember- when selecting your perches, GTPs prefer to use perches that are no larger than their own girth. They want to be able to coil firmly around the perch. There is a popular GTP book that says not to give adults perches any smaller than their own girth, but my personal experience has shown this to be incorrect. Look at the perches that Rico Walder (signalherp.com) uses. They are considerably smaller than the girth of the animals. He is obviously doing something right... he's the largest and most successful GTP breeder in the U.S.! -p-

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]