Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just finished these....I still need to add lighting, but it is functional without them until brumation time in a few weeks...

These are my take on the Applegate Enclosures....A single drawer on aluminum channel iron and a single floor penetration....Still a moist hide and a dry hide, but set up a little different....

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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

WOW! I love it!

And very creative!

I wish i had the know-how to make something like that.

Do those have heat strips installed somehwere as well? Will you ever build any for sale?
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www.Bluerosy.com

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

>>WOW! I love it!
>>
>>And very creative!
>>
>>
>>
>>I wish i had the know-how to make something like that.
>>
>>Do those have heat strips installed somehwere as well? Will you ever build any for sale?
Rainer....You are about the 20th person to ask me if I will ever build them and sale them...LOL
I don't know if I can unless I hire some cheep labor to do it for me....LOL
As for heating...I have cup hooks screwed into the bottom of the floor in the back and on the very bottom in an alternating pattern...VERY similar to the Applegate Enclosures I have now....I Zig-Zag heat cable (23' Zoo Med) in the cup hooks...the tubs slide right up against the heat cable.....

And thank you for the compliments.....I think I'm going to build two more of these over the winter.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Hey!,..that's really using the ol' "noodle"..LOL!. Looks like ya re-worked some old used stuff and integrated into a VERY cool functional setup bro!

I like it, the aluminum channeling was a great idea!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

>>Hey!,..that's really using the ol' "noodle"..LOL!. Looks like ya re-worked some old used stuff and integrated into a VERY cool functional setup bro!
>>
>>I like it, the aluminum channeling was a great idea!

Thanks Doug....
I used that aluminum channel for the screens and rails for the tubs.....

Bob Applegate mentioned that he had a problem with mildew and humidity in these enclosures so I made some adjustments to the older ones I have (Cut a window in the back & added Screen material & plastic tubs in the wet drawer) So on these new ones I built I opted not to use sliding glass doors..Just drop in screens....Cheaper too....LOL
Seems to be working great so far.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

.
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

Very slick! It makes the hobby even that more interesting to me, checking out killer new setups, creating new types, and building them. Those are awesome!

>>Very slick! It makes the hobby even that more interesting to me, checking out killer new setups, creating new types, and building them. Those are awesome!

I agree with you 100% Greg...it does make the hobby funner than just keeping all your snakes in a rack system....

Don't get me wrong...I still have a hatchling rack and will probably build an adult rack soon, but it's fun keeping as many as you can like this....as long as you can logistically achieve this.....You gotta have the room...
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Very, very cool, John. I'd love to see them when you get them finished with lighting. Great idea of using aluminum tracking and window hardware. Well designed and well executed.
MZ

>>Very, very cool, John. I'd love to see them when you get them finished with lighting. Great idea of using aluminum tracking and window hardware. Well designed and well executed.

Thanks MZ...They are working out well so far.....When I move all the adults to the brumation chamber next month I will add the lighting and start the next level of condos....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

I thought those were “Upscale” style? Just kidding.
Here’s what I used to use for adult leucistic rats and bigger snakes that enjoyed having more room. I really like your innovation with the simple screen fronts and the nice litter dam.
I found, as I’m sure you will, that the snakes will have a preference for soiling one area and keeping the other cleaner. They sort of house break themselves and don’t like living in their crap. The more elaborate the enclosure, the more they will utilize and you can observe a depth of behavior you miss out on in a simple sweater box. I think your snakes will really like those cages. Nice work.

Thanks for the compliments and the insight Upscale....

I kinda know what to expect from these cages....
Here's what I keep the majority of my collection in....

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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Awesome! One of the best DIY cageing i've seen. Thanks for sharing!

>>Awesome! One of the best DIY cageing i've seen. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you....Gotta couple more planned just like it...Level two and three of the condos.....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

... who thinks these look like a lot of work for not very much gain? How do you heat them?

To me those cages don't really have any hides. If I were you I would spray paint the lower tubs black so they are dark and I would just fill the whole thing with spag moss. Then add a clay pot or something to give a dry hide on top. That was the beauty of the true Applegate cages. The under trays were solid colored and small so they actually worked well to provide security. Just my .02

I think a hide is a necessary cage accessory if you are keeping a snake in a brightly lit glass aquarium-type cage and fairly optional or not required in a darker less open enclosure where the snake doesn’t feel like it is sitting duck to a passing hawk. I would bet if those tubs on the bottom were black, the happy secure little snakes would most often be sitting looking out the screens whenever the keeper is working in the snake room.

>>I think a hide is a necessary cage accessory if you are keeping a snake in a brightly lit glass aquarium-type cage and fairly optional or not required in a darker less open enclosure where the snake doesn’t feel like it is sitting duck to a passing hawk. I would bet if those tubs on the bottom were black, the happy secure little snakes would most often be sitting looking out the screens whenever the keeper is working in the snake room.

That is EXACTLY what they do in my REAL Applegate enclosures....the poke their heads out of the floor penetration and watch me through the glass....If I open their dry hide drawer they go check for food.....
Thanks for the compliments everyone....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>... who thinks these look like a lot of work for not very much gain? How do you heat them?
>>
>>To me those cages don't really have any hides. If I were you I would spray paint the lower tubs black so they are dark and I would just fill the whole thing with spag moss. Then add a clay pot or something to give a dry hide on top. That was the beauty of the true Applegate cages. The under trays were solid colored and small so they actually worked well to provide security. Just my .02

Pretty condenscending from someone who I think I got my all thread hatchling rack idea from....

Also....Do you know how dark it gets in the back of these cages on the top floor? Pitch black.
And there is sufficient amount of spaghnum moss in the moist hides for them to cover themselves completely....
The water bowls on top are wide based dog bowls that not only give them water to drink and soak in, but also give them a hide.

Heating is achieved exactly like an Applegate Enclosure....Heat cable is zig zagged on affixed cup hooks in the back (bottom of top floor and bottom of bottom floor).....The tubs set right up against them......

Not alot of work at all if you can read a tape measure and righty tighty some screws.......

And I know ALL about Applegate Enclosures....I currently have 22 snakes housed in them...
I would love to see yours.....


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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Damn...In the pics I posted to start this thread I had an old normal water bowl...the ones I had in there before I bought the dog bowls I referred to in the post above.....LOL

Thanks for the constructive criticism by the way Zach....I love that kind of stuff...
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

I Didn't mean to be condescending. The applegate style cages are certainly an interesting way to house snakes. As you would know, yours are beautiful. But to me those little cages kind of missed the boat. I used a few applegate cages back in the pet store I used to work in. And while I liked them I do feel like they have some limitations though.

The ones I used were heated with flexwatt in the rear and I could never get a good enough gradient. If I remember I could get the front glass to be like 75 and the back to be 87??? ish... I never tried them with lights.

What do you get?

>>The ones I used were heated with flexwatt in the rear and I could never get a good enough gradient. If I remember I could get the front glass to be like 75 and the back to be 87??? ish... I never tried them with lights.
>>
>>What do you get?

I use heat cables on everything....My preference.
The Applegate enclosures I acquired came with some old school heat cables that work well still....
And there are mirrors on the ceilings to reflect light and heat in the upstairs area.....Pretty cool design I thought.

When the lights are on:
In the backs of the drawers I get 90-93....
In the front of the drawers I get 70-73....
In the back of the upstairs I get around 90....
and in the front of the upstairs it hangs around 75....

When the lights turn off:
The only temp that changes is the front (by the glass)upstairs....I get 72 /- depending on room temp....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>> "And there are mirrors on the ceilings"

** Does that help get them in the mood for breeding..HAHAHA!!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

No....It just keeps them aroused during.....Ha!
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

.
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

And...Duct tape and snakes don't mix too good as I've learned in the past.....Other than that....Nice enclosures Zach.
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...