From: IO00844@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (((ZERO)))
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Re: My First Iguana, (Wood Perches)
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:21:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: MAINE.92100.122157IO00844
 <92098.222409IO00844@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> <1992Apr8.161847.9731@news.iastate.edu>
Organization: University of Maine System


It is a good idea to have a piece of wood in an iguana/lizard cage, but
selecting the right piece of wood can take hours...if not days. First of all,
most of the driftwood sold in the pet stores I've been to is outrageously
expensive! I can't beleive how much they charge for a piece of wood with
a piece of paper around it or a stone base.  One of your best options, if you
live in the country is to try and find your own peice of driftwood...if you
can't, then some other peice of clean, dust free wood will do...unless of cours
e you wish to pay $30 for a nice big artsy piece of driftwood that may end up
with lizard feces on it.

I was trying to be so careful about the wood I chose for my iguanas when they
were still in a small 20 gallon aquariam that I wet it and then microwaved it
to make sure there weren't and bugs in it. I also sealed it with wood putty,
but that chipped off (some of it did) over time. All in all, my method worked,
but I can't do that now that they're much bigger.

A perch, by the way, should have a diameter that at least matches that of the
iguana that uses it. It get's more difficult to find one when you've got an
iguana that keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Anyway, my sticks are getting larger and larger.  You'll want to find one with
with out too many deep, thin, dark cracks in it. These are excellent hiding
places for bugs (mites etc.). If you find a good perch that has these, you can
try puttying them up with a wood patching kit. I don't know about you, but I
wouldn't suggest varnishing or urethaning the wood...I simply don't trust
the fumes/chemicals in it..even when try. They get magnified when enclosed in
such a small environment.

Also, you probably don't want a branch with any bark on it. This will rot
away over time and is also a great hiding place for insects.
You'll want a dry branch as well. If you find a wet one, let it dry out complet
ely before putting it in with the iguanas. It should be wet, because you should
 scrub it clean with a brush/cloth and soap.

If you find a branch without any cracks, grooves, or clawholds a  method I
use which works, is to saw the grooves in yourself. However, if you have a
beautiful peice of wood, it does tend to take away the attractiveness of it.
I suppose it all depends on how you do it and what size grooves you put in it.
You'll want to put these in in as many directions as you can also making
crisscrosses or else they won't do a lot of good. The iguanas claws will just
slide along the grooves and won't be effective.

Another method if you do have a 'crackly' branch is to clean it out, and then
just always pay close attention to whether is has gotten any visitors by little
 insect creatures.  It's all up to your better judgement.

Also, if your iguanas do end up going to the bathroom on the perch, you'll
probably (don't know why you wouldn't anyway) want to clean it off right away
or else it can stain the wood and also make it much less attractive =-)
It's probably not a bad idea to clean the perch off regularly anyway..though
I've got no proof of this.
     Anyway, that's about all I can think of for now. I'm sure there's more.