Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm planning on purchesing a Burmese Python and want to build my own custom cage but I have no idea of what to build it out of besides using plexi-glass for the door and veiwing holes. I also need a way to heat the encloser I was planing on building it
6 foot long 3 foot tall and 4 foot wide. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRICATED.

How big of a burm are you getting? The dimensions you mentioned would be way too big for a baby. It would be great for a full sized adult, but a baby will take a couple of years to need a cage that size. Also, what type of tools/experience do you have for building cages?

Sorry for the questions, we need to see where you're at for suggestions.
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

i have alot of experiance with tools I've work 3 years with a Home remodling and repair company I know that it would be too big for a baby Burmese but I'm thinking of the long run and want to have it completly finished before he gets that big.

Here is a picture of what we're working on. There are 8 more cages going in, we should be done this weekend. I'll post more pics of the finished product next week.

The top, back and sides are made with melemine. The floor is regular plywood with laminate glued to it with contact cement. The front is maple plywood and the door frames are solid maple. The 4 cages on bottom are 6'x 3'x 16" high, with shorter cages I don't like to make the cage more than 3' deep because it makes it too dangerous to get big snakes out if you have to crawl into the cage to get them.

The heat is flexwatt, recessed from the bottom and the thermostat probe is between the flexwatt and the bottom of the cage.

Hillbilly is right about the different materials he listed by cost below. It depends on how nice you want to make the cage. Ours cages are in the living room, so I wanted to make them like furniture.
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

Hi there!
There are many cage material options. It depends on how much you want to spend and what you want it to look like. Usually, the lower the cost the easier it is to build.

From lowest cost to most expensive:
* Plywood - painted, polyurethaned, gel-coated, laminated with formica, or something comparable.
* Melamine
* Expanded PVC, sintra, and other types of plastic.

Heating:
Depends on preferrence of belly heat or overhead heat.

* Heat tape (Flexwatt) - takes a bit more work to install but is inexpensive and eliminates loss of space inside the cage from overhead heat sources.
* Heat mats.
* CHEs (ceramic heat emitters) - consumes aproximately 7 - 8 inches of overhead space inside the cage.
* Radiant heat panels - a bit pricey but said to be energy efficient and they don't take up much overhead space. They also don't increase the ambient temps by much, if any at all.

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

www.natures-signature.com