Types of Wood for a Frilled Dragon Terrarium

Frilled dragons (Chlamydosarus kingii) are native to Australia and southern New Guinea. In their natural habitat -- dry sclerophyll and grassy forests -- frilled dragons spend most of their time clinging to the trunks of trees. In captivity, frilled dragons must be provided with similar perching opportunities if they are to thrive.

  1. Cork Bark

    • Cork bark is the bark from the cork oak (Quercus suber). The bark is harvested from live trees, which will continue to live and produce more bark over time if the bark's harvested correctly. The bark is marketed in tube and flat form, and both varieties have a number of uses. An excellent idea for frilled dragon keepers is to cover the back and sides of the cage walls with cork flats. Doing so replicates the frilled dragon's tree-trunk microhabitat and is aesthetically pleasing. Arrange tubes horizontally or diagonally, like branches of a tree.

    Sandblasted Grape Wood

    • Sandblasted grape wood is one of the most commonly used woods in reptile cages. Made from old grape vine, the wood is cleaned thoroughly and cut into sections to be sold. Most grape wood branches are incredibly gnarled and complex, lending a natural look to your terrarium. Additionally, the texture and structure of the branches allow frilled dragons to climb them easily. Try to arrange grape wood in a way that offers the dragons long vertical sections similar to tree trunks.

    Bamboo

    • While bamboo is too smooth for frilled dragons to climb, many keepers use it for its aesthetic value. Bamboo does not generally grow in the same forests that frilled dragons inhabit, but it gives a cage an exotic look whether it is a native material or not. Bamboo is most easily acquired from commercial sources; be sure it hasn̵7;t been treated with pesticides or other chemicals before you purchase it.

    Other Woods

    • Branches and sections from maple (Acer sp.), oak (Quercus sp.) and hickory (Carya sp.) trees are safe, aesthetically pleasing and rough enough that your frilled dragons can climb them. As they are not often available commercially, most of these must be collected by hand from pesticide and herbicide free areas. Further, the wood must be sterilized so that any insects and pathogens present are killed. Scrub the collected wood with a steel brush and plenty of hot water, dry them, then place them in the oven for two to three hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit.