Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I hear of people building their own snake racks out of bookcases, etc, and I was wondering if it is as easy as it sounds. How do you keep it escape proof?

Don't go lidless. At least not for 4qt - 12qt tubs.
It is fairly easy - but I guarantee your second rack will be much nicer / better built than your first.

If you know how to use a router, you can make it real nice.

Here's my first rack - currently not finished:

Please ignore the clutter

I measure to put the bottom shelf on, then I put a few pieces of construction paper (as a small spacer) on a shelf and put tubs on each end on the construction paper - then placed the next shelf on and tested the middle to make sure the tubs slid in and out easily yet had pressure from the top. Then wood screws to secure it.

Each shelf also has T brackets on the back - as it is open back, so the T brackets give stability.

I used floor tile to raise the bottom of each shelf EXCEPT for a small area towards the back where I have heat tape. Next time - I'll use a router to cut a groove into the shelves.

I just need to add 3 more 4qt shelves and one more 12qt shelf and it's done - but I don't yet need that capacity. Still - my next rack will be better.

If you are looking for a hatchling rack to hold them just until they sell, then you want something different than what I did.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Thanks for the tips...very helpful!

I built one for my Sterilite 15qt tubs and it was pretty simple. Very similar to the other one mentioned here.
I used melamine which is bonded to some particle board. I dislike the MDF center stuff. I went to Home Depot and bought 6 pieces that are 16" deep and 36" long ($6.50 each). Those are my shelves. Then Lowes has 16" x 48" for the 2 sides ($11 each I think). I screwed the shelves between the two sides and used tubs (tops attached) with a piece of skinny cardboard as a spacer.
Below is a picture of my first one. The second one was definitely better with melamine and holds more tubs. The wood cost me $60 total and I used 2 inch screws with predrilling and countersinking.

If you need more detail on how to actually construct it please ask, I can go into it in more detail.

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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Cool...I think I get the idea from your pics. Thanks!!!

You can go lidless from small tubs, just use the small plastic shims that are used for shimming toilets, you can buy them cheap at any hardware store. Put one shim in front and one in back and it's tight as can be.

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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

That looks nice...did you build all of that yourself?

Yes, i did build the racks.
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus