Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all,
Almost done the details of the new monitor cage. Just added a 7 ft (and I swear about 1000 lb) pine log to the cage. It arcs over the water bowl and provides a large basking spot of 120 degrees and other outshoots for a temperature gradient. THe log had been cut down from a pine tree in my front yard and has been drying in the socal sun for about a month. It has gotten much lighter. See below for the (almost) final version for Maynard.

Here's some other pics taken throughout the construction process:

Can anyone comment about any issues you see with the cage? Right now i have 120 degree basking spot. 90 degrees on the hot side and 75 (or shed room temp) on the cold. humidity about 70%

Hi Jeff,

For people to seriously consider talking about your cage they have to know what your goals are with it. Also although monitors require generally the same husbandry specifications knowing which type you plan to keep would also help.

Other then that you could use that cage for alot of things. You could lock up your dog or girlfriend when they get out of hand or try growing tomatoes in it hahahahah....so what do you want to use it for????

Cheers,
Mike.

Here are the details -
The cage is for a (somewhat) overweight Sav Monitor. After he gets used to it, I hope he will use all the furniture for climbing and basking and exploring and for my observation. I have a ton more space over the cold side to build, but I want to see what he does on the warm side first. He has started to build a burrow and I hope he makes one so he feels comfortable and safe.

Time will tell Jeff, simply adjust as you go, you have already gone above and beyond what most keepers do, so keep it up.

Cheers,
Mike.

>>Can anyone comment about any issues you see with the cage? Right now i have 120 degree basking spot. 90 degrees on the hot side and 75 (or shed room temp) on the cold. humidity about 70%

Looks great. I'd add some elevated platforms mounted to the walls on both the warm and cool sides, and more trees (for climbing and perching) in addition to the one under the basking lights.
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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

THanks for the ideas Mike. I put more logs on the hot side, so he can get to the lights without having to go all the way through the water to the cool side and then up and over (although he could use the exercise). I also plan on putting a ledge on the cool side, but want to make it look at natural as possible.

One question I had was, with all this new furniture, he hasnt been up to the lights yet. I believe he is still scared from all the changes and is still taking cover from the big human monster. His old cage had the door on the top, so I could walk into the shed and he wouldn't see me right away, just when I opened the top. Now the whole front is clear, so as soon as I come in, he goes running for the hills (or his burrow).

Is it the case where he needs to get comfortable with everything before he will venture out and start to climb and warm by the lights? Should I, when feeding him, lead him up the log to the lights with the mouse, to get him acclimated? I know patience is the key here, but doesnt he need the lights and the warmth for proper digestion?

You do not need to lead him to anything. They are very intelligent animals, simply offer food and if he does not take it from you, leave it there - it will soon dissapear.

The lizard will heat up when it needs too and will become more aware of you over time and start to tolerate you. Just do things on his terms and dont complicate things by trying to lead him to do what you think is right...remember, he WILL do what is right for him (or her hehe).

In one to three months youll be able to feed and have some fun interactions with him/her no doubt. Just be patient.

Cheers,
Mike.

I think it's just a bit of fright from being in a new place and also, mostly from having the front viewing. He doesn't feel nearly as hidden and secure as he did in the old cage.

Until they feel comfortable and secure, they use their basking sites quickly and sporadically. Once settled in and feeling at home, they'll use it more often and longer.
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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

I agree with you Mike. I went out today at lunch and he was up there basking away. One he saw me coming, he boogied behind the log a bit, but hopefully he will get used to me.

He'll eventually get to the point where you can stand in front of the cage or even slide the door open without him fleeing.

*this does NOT apply to the people who like to "reach in and grab" their monitors all the time.
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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

Nice disclaimer Mike.

Hahahaha,
MIke.

>>Nice disclaimer Mike.
>>

Because a lot of "them" visit the forum and read our posts.
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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

I more like a 'poke my head in the shed and see what he's up to' type of owner. I'll work on some things in the shed, and let him watch me (with the glass closed), so he knows I'm not a threat. In the old cage, he used to put his front feet up on the top of the trough to get a look at the outside whenever I had it open. I want to get to that level of comfort again. I havent been getting anywhere near him since I installed the furniture and the lights.

I think you've put a lot of great work and time into your cage. This should be ample room for a Sav. With your temp distribution and cage design, you could even offer more vertical hides and opportunities. Other limbs or shelving would probably be used. They are not too arboreal, but mine take advantage of upper hides and rock areas. I like your sliding glass track. May I ask from where you bought it? What are it's dimenions and is it aluminum? I looking to design a new cage and would like to use steel or aluminum glass track for 1/4 inch tempered glass. How did you mount it to the wood? Does your's have rollers in the bottom track? I'm worried about what aluminum would do to the glass over time without rollers of some kind to help with the gliding. Thank you.

I got the track from Outwater plastics. It has 'boots' for rollers, about 1 per foot. There were many different styles, but I picked the one with the highest bottom lip, so the dirt won't get in the track. To attach, since it's plastic, I just used flat head screws and attached to the bottom of the window pane.

I think it looks great! I'm using something similar for my Bosc.
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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

With the cheap prices for Savannah monitors, what you show is an example of how much care in your caging you are providing your monitors.
I don't know if you are housing Savs but here is a pic that was forwarded to me.
This appears to be a 55 gallon aquarium, very sad.

>>With the cheap prices for Savannah monitors, what you show is an example of how much care in your caging you are providing your monitors.
>>I don't know if you are housing Savs but here is a pic that was forwarded to me.
>>This appears to be a 55 gallon aquarium, very sad.
>>
>>

Unbelievable!

Savs are majestic creatures and deserve much better!

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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

Hi Mike,

I think a small part of the problem may lie with some snake keepers who are attracted to larger varanids but then want to keep them like snakes in small bins or tanks.
While they are similar with some attributes, they do have four limbs and like to walk around and tear stuff up while looking for food thus requiring large amounts of space.

Maybe the solution is to tell everyone that their new Sav will be just like a dog. It will need a large kennel, plenty of food, it will need to run around, it will tear stuff up, and you don't want it running around in your neighbors yard.

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WWW.LIZARDRC.COM

>>Hi Mike,
>>
>>I think a small part of the problem may lie with some snake keepers who are attracted to larger varanids but then want to keep them like snakes in small bins or tanks.

That's part of it, the other part, which is even worse, is the impulse buyers who see a pet shop tank with 1/2 dozen 12-18 inch Savs lying there on astroturf or pine shavings and buy one because they look cool, and they're bigger/cooler that a skink or gecko. They have no idea whet they'll grow into, or how to properly keep them. When we give them some advice, they compare what we're telling them to what they saw in the pet shop (20 gallon, small light dome & heat bulb, water bowl, and sand, pine, or whatever) and they take the easy/cheap way out and righteously think to themsleves "I'll just do it like the pros at the pet shop"

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Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

Isn't it funny (sad, really) how pet shops will tell you the same care requirements for almost all of the reptiles they sell? Also strange how it's always what they happen to have in stock. I have always noticed pet shops to recommend exactly what they have on hand. At one point the "big new thing" was those 40 gallon breeder tanks with the sliding screen tops. If you were to enter any pet shop (and even the reptile shops) in my area, you would have thought that all reptiles can happily live out their lives in a 40 gallon aquarium with a screen top.

That's why I do most of my reptile supply shopping at home depot and tractor supply.

Hey, it's better than the 20 longs they used to have! At least those're big enough for most ball pythons and common pet shop colubrids.

I'd rather see them choose what animals they sell based on what supplies they sell--i.e. they only sale animals that they stock all the needed supplies for. If they only stock 20s...leopard geckos, corn snakes and house snakes are the on ly critters they sell...

I'd kill for pet stores to start selling *real* cages though.