Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to build a nice cage for my savannah. I have search on online for ideas but havent found any. Is there any blueprints or how to manuals online that could help me? Thank you for any help that you can provide

Historically the main monitor forum has been a great source for cage building information so you might post over there if you have not already. In years past many keepers basically built large plywood structures and sealed with with polyester resin. Nowadays it seems like laminating fiberglass reinforced panel (FRP) onto the plywood is more popular.

It is rare that you find detailed plans or blueprints for such a simple structure. If you give us an idea of what you want the cage to be like we can help you with a "cut list". Bighurt and HappyHillBilly are both knowledgeable when it comes to caging for large lizards.

In my opinion one of the biggest issues with caging for large varanids is the tradeoff between size and manuverability. Basically to make a cage large enough for a Savannah means it can't be moved into the typical home. So also let us know what your plans are for dealing with this. Recommendations might be different if you're only keeping the cage in a garage than if you need the cage to be modular (something you can take apart) with the potention for moving in and out of a bedroom.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I have my garage set up for reptiles. So thats were the cage will be. As far as size of cage thats not an issue ill use whatever space i need to , to make him comfortable.

Sounds good. Do you have an idea of what you want this cage to look like? Size? Substrate depth?
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

As far as looks Im not sure something about 8 foot long 4 foot wide and about 4 foot high. Subtrate right now he is on eco earth and vermiculite (spelling?). He seems to like it alot he digs a little cave for him to hide in. Is there another substrate that would be better for him? I have never built anything like this before so im kinda going into it blind.

Thank you for any and all of your help. Its nice to have a site like this where ppl can come and ask questions and get real answers.

I thought I replied to this but evidently not, or it was deleted by the mods.

I asked how deep you wanted the substrate, not what you were using.

Have you considered using a large trough like Bighurt suggested?

Otherwise, a plywood box built to 8x4x4 is about as easy as it gets. Very little cutting required.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I always ask people if this is intended for a display or for housing...

If you intend for housing I recommend the Pro Exotic approach, Horse trough's

"Galvanized metal "horse troughs" are galvanized metal tubs used most commonly in farming for feeding and watering livestock. You can find them at farm supply stores, livestock supply stores, feed lots, Horse and Tack, online Stockyard Supply and Hutchison, even Home Depot often carries the smaller sizes.

Metal tanks are preferred over the Poly (plastic) tanks for monitors. The Poly tanks have a sloping, textured side. Baby monitors and feeder insects can climb the sides of a Poly tank, making for easier escape. They cannot climb the vertical sides of the metal troughs.

No caging manufacturer makes a usable adult monitor enclosure. Most are front loading, with no depth for any substrate, and even those with a substrate "lip" of 3-4 inches are a nightmare when the substrate inevitably gets tossed up in the tracks of the door or glass. There are no allowances for overhead lighting that would create a decent basking spot. I love Vision caging for snakes, but it works horribly for monitors, and believe me, i have tried. And tried. And tried.

After using a glass tank for a baby monitor setup, you will have to find a larger cage for monitor adulthood.
Your best bet is to build around the metal troughs. They are nearly indestructible. Leakproof, rustproof, swell proof, crack proof, rot proof, they hold substrate up to 2 ft deep, and compared to custom caging, they are SUPER economical.

Use the trough as your base, build from there. You can make it as plain or fancy as you like. You can use a flat acrylic lid (very common for Ackie setups, and we use an acrylic lid for our Gila setups, as shown in the pic) or you can build upward and create more vertical height, with a top loading or side loading cage. When building up from the trough, you can create whatever windows/visuals/access that you desire.

If the trough does not meet your visual needs, be creative. I have seen a really cool painted metal trough (see pic). You can also do the "hot tub treatment" and use wooden slats as a "skirt" around the trough, if the metal is not visually appealing to you. Or go with a literal skirt and use cloth to drape around the trough to hide the metal side. Be as creative as you like, but use the trough as the economical, indestructible base to start from.

The pics below include PE Gila setups with a simple acrylic top and large hinges (we tried long piano hinges with 6 million screws, what a dopey idea THAT was). Also shown is a pic of our large 10 ft circular troughs. We have done many species in those setups, from Ornate Uros to Gilas to large Blackthroats (more pics of all troughs in the PE facility photo gallery). There is a pic of a Green Tree Monitor setup, including sheets of FRP for the walls. The trough in that case holds just the soil substrate of the cage.

The longer series of photos show the building process and detail for a 10ft x 3ft trough. Simple plywood walls, some top loading doors, a side door for additional access, light placement, etc. Certainly you can see how this type of approach could be used to create a fancy front loading and visually beautiful cage that was still able to allow for 2 ft of soil substrate."

Care of Pro Exotics

I can't say it any better myself.

A few examples;




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Jeremy Payne

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

1.0 Snow "Khal"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Khal"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost **coming soon**
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost **coming soon**
1.1 Khal Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
2.0 Child