Mark Chapple

Reptile cages benefit greatly from having some attractive cage furniture. Aside from the necessary hides, trees, rock walls, rocks, branches and climbing places all make your cage much more interesting for your pet.

Fake rock walls for your reptile enclosure can be made from old packing foam, foam filler, grout and other materials very cheaply. Not only do your save money but you can customise it to the size that suits your lizard or snake cage. You also get the satisfaction of making it yourself – I find that things I made give me satisfaction every time I look at them, long after I have finished.

Cage furniture, such as fake trees are easily made from cut branches and then using fake leaves or branches to make them appear. Florists will often have this material for much less than the herp shops. It can be cut to any size or shape and glued into or onto the branches and fake trees.

Wood used for your fake trees and branches needs to be treated to remove any potential parasites and organisms. Driftwood is usually already treated to some extent by the sea water but soaking large pieces and cleaned branches in salted water for a few days will remove any further organisms living in the wood. If the pieces are small they can be places in an oven for about 30-40 minutes at 300°F (150°C) to kill anything living in the wood.

Whilst you don’t need a lot of tools, a drill, pallet knife and glue are essential. I use glue guns but there are many alternative glues that can be used.

Branches can be hung across cages using hooks and eyelets in the cage walls, allowing them to be easily removed for cage cleaning and access.

Patients is the key. Whether it be letting any glues, grouts and other materials dry before moving onto the next stage or deciding how to start or what to cut, it is important to take the time and care to produce the desired effect. Hurrying will often mean that materials are not set and they then move and ruin the piece you are creating. Or you cut a piece you have prepared too short.

Above all, be creative and have fun.

For further step by step instructions to buiold these with full color photographs and loads of tips and tricks go to reptile-cage-plans.com and purchase How to Build Reptile Cages and get all of the bonuses including "How to make artificial trees" and "How to Make Fake Walls"

Pet geckos are adorable and fun and, thanks to the media, have become very popular pets. However, geckos sometimes have health problems that require at-home treatment or the attention of a veterinarian. If you have a pet Gecko or are thinking about getting one, here are three potential health problems to watch for in your gecko:

1. Eye irritation and infection. Eye problems are quite common for geckos and most encounter some sort of eye infection in their lifetime. Typically caused by debris in the eye or an injury to the eye, the symptoms of an eye infection include swelling and/or cloudiness of the eye. If you notice the gecko is having difficulty opening the eye, this is a signal to contact a vet. Rather than trying to treat eye infections at home it is best to seek the treatment of a qualified vet.
2. Loss of appetite. Appetite loss is common in geckos and isn’t always unhealthy. In fact, it is part of the natural process geckos go through as the winter months approach. During this time that is similar to hibernation but called brumation, geckos tend to eat very little and stay in hiding. To determine if the lack of appetite is normal or problematic, check out the gecko’s tail. If the tail still has a full, robust appearance, this means the gecko is likely in good health. A gecko who loses weight quickly requires attention from a vet, because the source of the problem may be dangerous parasites.
3. Infection on the skin. Geckos can easily develop skin infections as a result of walking on soiled or damp ground. The skin problem shows up as brown or black spots on the underbelly, but can also be on other parts of the body, including the toes. It is important to consult with a vet if you think the gecko has a skin infection. For at-home treatment, you should keep the gecko in a separate area lined with paper towels. Another optional treatment for the skin is topical polysporin cream.

ReptiSun 10.0 Linear Fluorescent UVB lamp - 18"

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