Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wondering if staining wood or waterproof contact paper would be better for a semi-humid enclosure. Thanks for all replies!
-Richard

Staining the wood only offers a small degree of protection, even if you use an oil based stain. Any clear coat you might use over the stain is where the true water resistance comes into play.

I'm becoming more and more sold on contact paper, especially after reading a recent post where someone writes about using it in both a Water Dragon and Tegu enclosures. The post was about glass if you have not already seen it and can't find it.

So I'll vote contact paper. Make sure to apply it before the cage is assembled. And go ahead and apply it so that it extends into the joints. This is not so much for the extra protection as it allows you to take the cage apart and reapply it. If you had wood in contact with wood and used glue you'd have a hard time getting the cage apart.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

Chris,

I think contact paper does work okay with some snakes, but for most lizards, it's a bust. We use it at the Wildlife Discovery Center in some wood cages we had constructed about a year ago. Several of the cages are experiencing severe wear due to monitor lizards. Fortunately our Black and White Tegus aren't housed in a contact paper lined cage, but believe, it they were, it would be just as shredded as our other cages have been. It may work great for GTPs as seen on Greg Maxwell's site, but I made one cage with it and was less than satisfied with the results. Of course we know the true wonder-material is Sintra!
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois