Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For the last couple of days I've been all over the internet looking for a large cage for an adult pine snake and realized 3 things.

1): A prebuilt enclosure of the appropriate size would cost more than I was willing to pay.

2): No one makes a plastic storage box that is big enough to fashion into a display case for a snake of that size.

3): Mesh cages look like a solution, but there is no convenient size for a large snake that doesn't take up too much floor space.

So, I thought about buidling my own. I didn't want to use wood because it is too heavy for an apartment dweller like myself and more difficult to clean than plastic. So here's what I came up with .

Take two plastic storage boxes (at least 26 inches in length and 18 inches height) and cut 1 end off of each (just enough to leave flat, compatible edges on both). Do the same to the covers, making sure to shorten them by the same amount.

Cut off the rear and 2/3rd of the side lips of each lid (to allow for hinging later).

Use brackets (9 pairs evenly spaced: 3-front, 3-back, 3-bottom) to suture the two box portions together. Use rounded top bolts (like they have on playgrounds) with the rounded side facing in (so as not to hurt your pet).

Use what ever type of hinges you want to attach the lids (can make them linked, or one on each side, or make one of them permanently closed).

Cut whatever size viewing windows you want in the front and sides and use sheets of plexiglass (In this size probably scraps from home depot) bolted from the inside with the same type of rounded bolts used earlier.

Remember air holes!

Those springy metal cage locks work fine for keeping the little beast from escaping.

Looking at less than 100$ for the whole thing, probably less than 70$.

If you use nesting boxes for construction, you can easily unbolt the two halves and stack them together for transport. The whole set up will probably weigh less than the animal housed inside.

I'm working on one now.

If anyone else decides to build one, post some pics when it's done. I'll do the same.

Sincerely, a really cheap guy.

although i was having trouble understanding completely what you are trying to explain, here is my opinion.
i would be fairly weary about cutting and joining two tubs.
for this reason i would suggest making a frame of a cage out of 1x2s and using tileboard to skin the inside. if you cared about appearance then use 1/4" plywood or something similar like hardboard to skin the outside. then use your choice of sliding glass or hinged doors (with 1x2 frames). this cage would be very light and the tileboard would be easy to clean. additionally 1x2s are realyl cheap and if you didnt skin the outside the whole thing would be even cheaper. i would guess you could make the whole cage this way for less than $100 depending on size, and in my opinion would last much longer.

if you do go with your idea please post pictures, i am interested in how you are going to join the two tubs.
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- Jason F.

Do you mean storage boxes like Iris or Sterilite? That thin polypropylene plastic? Maybe I don't have a good picture in my head of what you're trying to do, but I don't see how you're going to cut the ends off with enough precision to butt them together. Plus, that plastic is not very strong for holding hinges. It cracks easily when cut. And the flex in the lid...

Sorry for the negativity. I hope you prove me wrong for doubting.

On a positive note, here is another low-cost scheme:

Get 2 Cambro white polyethylene (HDPE actually) boxes, the large size (18x26) with any height you want, as they come in various heights. These boxes are nice thick HDPE like Vision cages. Anyway, cut (using a rotary cutting tool or hole saw or whatever) an access hole in one end of both boxes such that you can run a length of PVC tubing of large diameter of choice to connect the boxes. Your pine snake will love it. My brother has a setup like this for a bullsnake. The snake loves the connecting tube. You can heat part of one side, and leave the other cool.

For lids, use the lids they give you, one for each box with no mods necessary, or make your own from wood or PVCx.

The HDPE cuts like butter and will outlast your snake's lifespan. Way way better than any boxes you'll find at Walmart.

You can find Cambro boxes at us-plastics or at cambro.com I think. Do a search if interested.

Good suggestions; I was worried about the thickness of the plastic and how to keep it rigid.

The precision in the cuts is definitely the crux of this plan. I was planning on leaving a bit on each cut edge and sanding to fit.

The two halves would not overlap, and would be bolted together with brackets spanning the junction.

Because of the size of the snake having less than a perfect meshing of the two halves would not be a problem. Although the cage definitely would not be water tight by any means.

Certainly would not be a pretty cage.

I'll keep y'all updated on how things go.

Mark, What A cool idea for keeping a bullsnake.

I applaud your efforts Cheap Guy. But being building challenged, unlike a lot of the other nice people here. I guess I would be prone to looking at your situation(if it was me) differently.I can see the folks who enjoy building stuff here get as much kick from the building as the herp keeping itself.You may be one of them,More power to you!

For me, time is also money. For just double what you are paying I could get a nice Boaphile,Vision,PVC cages,cheapcages etc. the same size and cash in on their well thought out design and have something very practical, effecient and nice looking to spend a lot of time with. I am not wealthy and I am impressed by the skills of so many gifted folks here but am sometimes amazed at how little people are willing to spend on good caging that will be used for a long time on a hobby that is so important to us. Folks will spend a gazillion dollars on an animal and balk at putting out the bucks on a good quality enclosure (built or bought) for their important animal.It's not unusual for:

Bike guys spend thousands on their bikes
Hunters spend thousands on good equipment and trips
Campers,photographers,wood workers,fisherman etc.

Not Dissing you. Frugal is good and allows for other things.Just think we need to sometimes recognize how important our hobby is to us and well spent bucks can be a good thing. Good luck. Bob.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I picked up some great ideas.

That's what I love about forums; come in with an open mind and willing to accept constructive criticism and you'll leave with a much better understanding of your project/problem.

I'll post pics when I finish the enclosure.

2): No one makes a plastic storage box that is big enough to fashion into a display case for a snake of that size.

How big of a cage do you want? About 48" x 18" of floor area?

Take two plastic storage boxes (at least 26 inches in length and 18 inches height) and cut 1 end off of each (just enough to leave flat, compatible edges on both).

I think this could be done. But you'd want to build a jig of some sort which would add a lot to the cost. Unless you were thinking of building several?

Do the same to the covers, making sure to shorten them by the same amount.

I'd rather attach a wooden face frame.

Cut off the rear and 2/3rd of the side lips of each lid (to allow for hinging later).

Unecessary with a wooden face frame. In fact a lot of the other things you wrote would be unecessary with a wooden face frame if I understand things correctly.

Here is what I mean by wooden face frame.

This is a 50 gallon tote attached to an epoxy sealed face frame:

Side view:

Bank of cages made from a different 50 gallon tote:

I would use vinyl film instead of epoxy to seal the back of the face frames if I were to use this design again.

If you get the two boxes cut accurately let me know. I have some ideas on how to attach them.