Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Looks like this might work for Tree Monitors with a little customizations???? Saw it at Home Depot $229.00 cheeaper than you can build one.

I would add a screel top inside so that you can keet top doors open when warm and closed during winter months??
Brachches, Maybe a shelf and some cork bark backing to cling to???

Don't try to put that outside, even if you screen the top and open the top glass. It will bake a monitor on a hot, sunny day. Many a fishtank reptile has perished in the sun with a screen top in this scenario. For an indoor cage with lights inside, a few small vents on a wooden back and you may have something there.

When considering a cage, please consider what it provides the animal. To me, that green house thing does not provide anything for a monitor. It only provides convenence for you and a cheap price(not so cheap) I could make a wonderful cage for much less.

Consider all aspects of a monitors life then consider if it will be provided with that cage. Cheers

I think using it for plants would be good, not so much for a monitor. I would just make a cage that is setup for an arboreal monitor.

That enclosure would be for inside use for sure and for a wet set up like a prasinus it looks appropriate no????

Tony?
With a little tweeking here and there it could make a fine enclosure for ''tree'' Monitors.
I don't like the word ''wet'' though!
Mike

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Mike's Monitors!

Mike brother!!!! WHat's happening?
From what I can tell you movied from Ohio to Florida?? Am I right??? I saw a few of your posts but you certainly dissappeared LOL
I do not post much but read every day. SInce we talked which has been years it seems! I have a 4ft huge Macraei (Male) for three years now doing great and a Male Prasinus about 2 years
I had my first ever successful Monitor breeding and my female is laying as I type this note! She has about 5 eggs out and is sitting on them in the nest box so I am patiently waiting!!!!
Let's catch up. Call my cell any time 919-369-0233 If I miss your call I will return it dude!
CHeers!!!

Whats a phone? With all of my kids I don't ever see it, hear it...occasionally it gets trown at me and I hear this voice that says ''put it on the charger Dad''!
No, not Ohio, IL.!
Disapearing is as easy as turning off your computer, or just plain not coming to this forum much.
At any rate Brother, Congrats!! What species?
Mike

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Mike's Monitors!

Acanthurus!
Male is a Red Female is a yellow. Had them 4 years before they started breeding last year or should I say producing EGGS! Got 5 of 7 eggs out doing great about 10 inches now Born July 1
Got 7 eggs on 3/12 incubating now!!!
Wooo WHoo

Did you wind up ditching those big Melinus you had from Robyn?? Thos lizards were frudtrating to work with!

Here is my male!

He's a real Beauty!!
Mike

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Mike's Monitors!

The Peachie is sweet! I had a baby once lost him to a HEAT issue!!!

Tony,

In my honest opinion, your home depot 'greenhouse' enclosure does not provide anything for the monitor itself, aside from walls which prevent it from escaping.

The glass on the two side walls is a poor material choice for several reasons. Due to the nervous disposition of these animals, you typically want to restrict their visibility to any of your activities within the room. Visual blinds and visual barriers are important for limiting their stress levels and feelings of vulnerability- ESPECIALLY with this complex of monitors (which are wild caught).

Glass also provides very little in the ways of insulation (both keeping heat in, or keeping heat out). There are numerous other building materials out there which are much better used for enclosure walls (also keeping in mind that transparent walls aren't good for tree monitors). While temperature fluctuation may not be a big deal in your house, most people's homes experience some fluctuation in temperatures throughout the seasons. Proper building materials can limit this effect on the conditions within your enclosure.

Another problem with having the two side walls made of glass, is that you are taking away from valuable surface area which would otherwise be usable to your monitors if you made the walls climbable (by affixing cork, burlap, vinyl aquaculture netting, etc.).

There are many other reasons why this type of setup would not be sufficient or optimal for tree monitors, or other arboreal monitors, but I think that the few examples I have already mentioned would be reason enough not to use such an enclosure.

I strongly agree with what FR has already mentioned, a much better enclosure built according to a particular species' specific physiological and environmental needs (rather than buying something prefabricated and trying to 'make it fit' your animal's needs) can be built for substantially less than the price you quoted above for the 'greenhouse enclosure'.

Just my thoughts on the subject...