Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am building a new cage for my desert monitors, it will be the first cage i have ever built, and i need some tips. it will be 8 feet long 4 feet deep and 4 feet tall. they will have 2 feet to burrow in. i was wondering should it open from the top or have a sliding front. and what is the best wood that will last? what do yall use for the sides, back and bottom? what do yall use to keep it together? and is this cage going to be big enough
thanks
Jake

PS please no smart comments they dont help!!!

you only want dumb comments? that seems a bit limiting...
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Well ...cut to the point! metal troughs are best for indoors in most cases,you can use it as your dirt part and add on to that and they come in all size's
outdoor has its fun too! and your dersert monitors would do well in both...have fun!

Hey,

I just built a cage not too long ago and this is how I did it. I used plywood(some people also like to use melamine). I actually used a maple plywood, even though it more expensive than regular ply, because I wanted it to look nice being in my living room. I built it with a stand that is 5 feet tall so it is raised above my computer desk for the time being(I had to try to save floor space). Because it is so high up, I have doors that open outward on the front. In order to keep the substrate out, I put a little barrier inside the door to hold it in. If you are going to keep the substrate 2 feet deep, it might make more sense to have it open from the top(provided you don't have it lofted way up in the air.)
I used wood glue(for the smaller pieces) and screws. You shouldn't need more than that.
I used plexi for the doors and the've gotten scratched up so glass is probably better
I also used a water sealant on the inside to help prevent or postpone water damage from the moisture.
Make sure you lock it securly, monitors are great escape artists.
Be imaginative, and have fun! The great part about building things is that you can always fix them.
I don't know about desert monitors, but I imagine it would be big enough.
Hope this helps.
(Here's a pic of it. Ignore the mess)

Oops, wrong pic.

Hello,
I'm currently working out plans for a enclosure using plexi. What thickness did you use for that enclosure / what thickness would you recommend?
I think glass would be too heavy and fragile for my current enclosure needs.
Thanks!
-Eric

To be honest, I don't remember what thickness plexi it is. Probably 1/4 inch. If you are going to frame it out, just make sure it holds shape(and won't bend if the lizard charges it) and it should be fine. Just go to home depot or something and check out the sheets; it should be pretty easy to decide. Plexi is nice because it is very light and easy to cut with a table saw, but you will have to deal with many many scratches.

I myself am building a few enclosures for some large lizards. No pics but I am useing FRP or fiberglass rienforced plastic. Its really durable and will stand up to quite a bit of abuse.
Good Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
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0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
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