Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My savannah monitor is still quite small but I want to be prepared when he outgrows all the cages I have readily available. Does anyone have advice on whether a plastic stock tank or custom wood enclosure is preferable? If the later is better I need to make arrangements with a carpenter. Thanks

Hi!
Things have been a bit slow around here lately, but in general, you'll get more responses by posting in the main "Monitor" section here instead of these sub-forums.

Caging - I feel that with medium to large monitors a custom-built enclosure with one of the larger metal stock tanks inside of it should be adequate for a single male sav. Females, being a bit smaller as an adult, can get away with slightly smaller enclosures, if space is a concern.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Thanks for the posting advice. Stock tanks I know - however what would you build around it to complete the cage/prevent climbing. Do you have any pictures of what you use/have used? I can get some carpentry work done but I've got to have some mental picture in order to know what to ask for.
Lauren

I don't have any pics of large setups, I'm right about at the same stage as you, where I can use smaller ones at the moment. There are several pics within this forum that you can search for, though. The key is to use several variations of words in your search. Using the "plus sign" before a word means that the results will contain that word. (The plus sign is interpreted as code within posts and it won't show up, that's why I spelled it out instead. Use the actual sign when doing searches.)

I did a search for: (plus sign)monitor (plus sign)cage and got several results, including this one: forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1184800,1184800

Here's a fairly recent thread that shows a person's enclosure: forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1371993,1374049

There are plenty more photos, you'll just have to search for 'em.

One other thing, a lot of people line the inside walls with FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Panels) that can be found at home improvement stores.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Excellent suggestion. I did find quite a few pictures - nothing I could build alone of course! I'll start calling around for a carpenter. I wish someone would put a pre-fab monitor cage on the market!
I appreciate your help HappyHillbilly
Lauren

Ahh, it was nuthin' for me to take a few minutes to try to get you headed in the right direction. You're more than welcome, though.

The "Cage & Habitat" (something like that) forum here at KS is another good place for photos and plenty of experienced people willing to help with some of the details, like, what type of poly-coating to use, types of wood, etc...

Pre-fabbed cages are nice but quite expensive. After building one yourself you can see why. LOL! By getting a carpenter and a genera; idea of the plans, you can modify to meet your personal needs & desires.

Best wishes to ya!

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

a month later, but here is some info from our FAQ on cage construction using the metal troughs...
Pro Exotics FAQ on monitor troughs

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Bump. That's an awesome site that I wish I came upon a long time ago. I totally thought about the idea of using horse troughs somehow for use with burrowing reptiles, but couldn't quite picture it in my head. Now I see actual pictures! Sweet, now I just need to find space, and someone with carpentry skills. My sav needs a new pad asap and as soon as I have the money.