Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is intended for varanids around 3-4' in length. The threaded rod, nuts, screws, washers, etc are all stainless steel. The lighting apparatus can be raised and lowered.

Feel free to question, critique, bash or imitate.

Hi Neal, You shouldn't of asked, hahahahahahahahaha,

While thats nice and clean and organized. I think its more about people. Or follows a peoples sense of organization. Not that it will not work. Its just not my idea of what monitors see.

Its kinda paint by numbers, 1. lathe on the back, 2, basking lite above flat board, 3, big plastic tub for nesting. And a ton of wasted space. Its got the parts people think are needed.

I know you live out in the desert, what do you see? If you look you can seen a system of organization. Like for you scalies. They like trees or tree stumps, with a pile of trash at the base, or a big fat rat nest, with rat holes going into the ground for safty from heat and cold. Yes, they like the look of rat nests and trash piles. Oh, yea, angle and duration of sun exposure is most important.

A trash pile offers lots of choices, you will notice your lizards have a certain place at a certain time and another place at another time. They do this during a one day period and over a yearly period. You set up, offers one basking spot, and a spot to sit above the lites, and that lathe thing is only a way to get to the top with nothing up there to do. Monitors that hang on the side of walls are not happy campers. Not alot of choices.

To me, your telling them what to do, instead of asking them what to do.

In my opinion, what your doing is a right or wrong thing, no room for error. The monitor either uses it or not. The other way, the old junk pile cage, offers all the same as yours, but also offers room for error. It offers room for the monitors to TEACH you something. So you can say, Oh man, I would have never thought that.

Anyway, I tell you this as a friend, and I fully understand you can do whatever you like. And lastly, you have done very well. So take it for what it is. And if its for melinus, they can and do get up to five feet. Cheers

Thanks for the feedback Frank.

I certainly don't mind you being critical. That is what I want and I did say you could bash it. I built that cage awhile back. I work slow, and by the time I finish a cage, I am totally sick of it, so don't worry about hurting my feelings. Your paint by the numbers comment was probably dead on. I had to chuckle about the truth in that.

About the wasted space, do you have any suggestions for how to fill the space? I have been meaning to put lattice on the other wall and mount a hide on the ceiling in that area, but something tells me that you might have other, better thoughts.

It is not a permanent cage for any species. I have heard of 5 foot melinus, though never seen one. Don't mean to argue, just clarifying. Also, I should mention that is just one corner of a 8x4x5.5' cage, which as you implied, would be rather small for a 5' monitor.

Thanks,
Neal