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I have never looked at your newsletter before, but I do like it!...Thanks for the great website and info!
Tim

Hi, MY name is Bill and i love the news letter it is helpful.....have a good one and keep up the great news letter.

Keep up the excellent and very informative letter. Jeff

thanks for the awesome news letter.  I keep them all.  Jesse

 

 

" all I can say is "WOW and Thank You" . they will make my cage making a much easier and a more fun task. Once again thank you for your web site and you prompt support"
Burt Tejada

i have recently built my own viv thanks to your ideas... keep up the good work its beneficial to people like me!!!!!!!!!!
Jason

In closing thought I would say thanks for the plans and other info it has helped me out greatly.
Jeff

I am ... very happy with your plans, the organization that you have put into it and I am extremely happy with the response I have gotten from you when I have encountered a problem.
It sure does save money. At the same time it allows me and others like me to experience making the cage for our animal (animals) that we care so much about. I think that when someone takes the time to sit down and make something like this for their animal it really shows how much they care for them and respect them.

With your plans you can also alter the cage to each and everyone's specifications, or needs. I think what you are doing is wonderful and I want to thank you again.

Sincerely
Robert Hansford

 


"This is going to make an 11 year old and his lizard Rex very happy".

 

Spent $108.00 at Lowes, another $65.00 at Home Depot buying things that Lowes didn't have..... Spending time with my son in a hardware store.... PRICELESS!"

 


"Overall, the best thing I have found from the cage designs... is that:
They work!!!!

They allow you to view and touch your Iguana from all sides, This is a must!

Once you have the material list you don't go back to the hardware store.

Just follow the instructions and it comes out perfect.

Your maintance will be much easier.

Your iguana will thank you

Once again, you will have built something cool. "

Regards and best to all our Green Iguana friends, Lance and Joey Portwood Glidden, Texas ".

 


"Very well thought-out designs"

 

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Supporting a Large Reptile Cage Tree and Arboreal Cage Tips

Question

hello there mark, nice to see your keeping busy with your website, nice 1 for keeping me with your updates. well i have a problem arising ha ha. i have bought a red tail boa 18 month old 4 ft in lenght. the viv it was previously in was my royal pythons 4ft viv but i have decicded to go bigger and swapped him for this boa.

i wanted a boa in the first place but was put off by a man i know saying there vicious , but i had a 8 ft boa round my neck on saturday and it was great i loved it. now my prediciment is i have to build a bigger viv in the near future. i would like to provide the best living accomadation i can give him in the space provided.

this space is (length) 5 and a half ft x(width)3ftx(depth)5ft. i know these snakes like to climb but god sakes this would have to be a damn good strong solid viv to be able to take the weight on any branches or shelves it would be sitting on. secondly what is the temprament on a boa of this size and age? if you could dig out some d.i.y viv plans i would be very grateful. keep up the good work . from jason.

Answer

I think the size of the snake cage you are planning should be OK. Ideally it may be a little higher or longer but given it is quite a large reptile cage both ways, should be fine. There is no reason to think a boa that has been handled regularly from a young age and is accustomed to being handled will be aggressive. Like all large snakes, you have to give them some deference when handling them. Sudden movements or giving them a fright will usually get a fairly 'snappy' response but gentle and easy should cause no issues.

There are some snake cages building ideas and pics for free around the place - you just have to hunt them down and that can take some time. Try some of the forums for some ideas - or just buy the snake cage plans and I will answer what I can. :)

As far as support for the snake in the cage, the snake will probably get to around 50lbs or approx 25kgs. I would use some fairly hefty reptile cage logs and provided you secure these logs in your reptile cage with timber underneath the ends where they attach to the snake cage sides there should be no issue.

Glue and screw the timber supports and you can then just screw the branches into place on top of the supports. The timber support piece holds the weight and the screws in the branch really just hold it in place and stop it from moving or rotating (see diagram for pic of support piece). I usually get the timber piece so that it sits into position first on the support pieces and then add the securing screw.

This prevents the screw having to hold the timber in an un-natural or unsustainable position. The shelves would also have timber strips (say 50mmx19mm or 2"x3/4" pieces attached to the walls to support them and the shelves are then supported on the strips. The shelf in the pic, shown from underneath, does not have to be rectangular as in the pic but can be triangular or you could even just cut the corner off.

You might consider making two sets of sliding glass doors for your snake cage - top and bottom, so you can access from either and it also gives a strengthening piece in the middle of the reptile cage.

Another thing to consider is having two sets of basking lights for your snake - one at the top and another about half way, underneath a shelf for example, to give the snake some choice about where to be (ideally they would be able to be turned off and on separately).

 

Hope this helps.


 

 

Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles"
Find out how to build these snake and lizard cages and arboreal reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions any can use to make homemade reptile enclosures.
http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com

 

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