You don't use the lids in the racks, nor do you throw them away. Keep the lids. They come in handy when you need to move the rack. Take the boxes out and stack them up with the lids on. After moving the rack you put the boxes back in.



I've seen racks built that incorporated the lids but they've actually be LESS secure in every case. I could list several possible reasons, but I think the most likely contributor is the raised areas around the perimeter of the lid. These do not allow the above shelf to properly hold the lid down.



The exception to this is hatchling racks where leaving the lid actually increases security. But you absolutely need to use boxes that have flat lids.



The boxes do not move around when the snake moves. Lidless racks are very secure for most species. I've even maintained Lampropeltis triangulum spp. in them and they are great escape artists. I would not put one of those in a Vision, that's for sure.

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