Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I curently have a 8x3x2 cage for my Savannah Monitor sitting in my living room. It is a 8x3x2 galvanized horse trough framed with 2x4s and plywood, with a wood, acrylic, and screen top:

I have the intention of building a top section with glass and wood about 4 more feet. Something like this:

I am moving very soon and my new place is smaller, so I am exploring options for this cage. I am thinking about moving it outside. I live in Southern California and am moving 3 blocks from the Pacific Ocean. I am trying to gauge the measures needed or options for making an this enclosure work outside.

I need to worry about preserving humidity, regulating temperature, limiting bugs in and out, drainage, sealing wood, etc.

Has anyone made this transition? Looking for some insight. For additional info, here is the layout. The grey boxes are the different places I could put the cage.

I hate to try to be Mr Know-it-all, and I do not know it all, but my snakes do live outside now, so I have insight..

You can get an outdoor tool/garden shed. Has a window, door, roof, protected from ground moisture (elevated up). There you go. You can run electricity to it. You can lock it. Outside is a plastic material that looks like wood slats. And you can disassemble it when needed. Put your cage in that, though 8ft is pretty big cage.

I have an old one that came with the house. During heat waves, it gets hot in there. I leave the door ajar to let in fresh air then, which negates any locks. I will be putting an AC unit in there, but thus far it has been OK. Floor stays cool, cages are on floor. It really is ideal in that the snakes are outside so no complaints from family members/visitors in the house.
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Mark

Thats what I was thinking. I haver room in the yard for an 8'x10', 10'x10' or even 10'x12'. I am considering it my 'reptile room'. I could easily fit the sav cage in there. I am even thinking of putting my Salmon Boa cage in there, although the snake and the cage are pretty small compared to how big it will get in the coming years.

I will need to decide how to do the ventilation, temp control and humidity.