Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,

Long time no post...

I recently built a cage for a friends Jungle Carpet Python. The snake has since shown signs of IBD so the cage has been put on hold. However, he's done some interior work and sent me these updated pics.

The cage is 49.5" x 30" x 48" and is built from oak-laminated plywood with a real oak face treatment. It may not show up in the pics, but the face treatment has a leaf pattern that was darkened with a green "Sharpie" marker.

Interior and exterior were stained and coated to a few coats of Polycrylic water based polyurethane. The interior also received an additional thick coat of Envirotex Epoxy. Envirotex is expensive (about $50 worth in this cage) but is very durable, solvent free, and easy to use.

Door is double sliding glass with plastic track from Rockler.

One of the pictures shows my "false-ceiling" design. From the back there is an 8" opening which allows lights to be hidden but still easily accessed and safe from the animal(s).

shows false ceiling design...

Great cage. I really like the decorative elements down the front sides as well as the lintel. One question: What would keep the plastic (or glass?) part of the false ceiling in place if a determined pusher got up there and started probing with its snout?

-Joan

The ceiling of the cage is 1" pine stock frame glued and screwed together and also supported with those small metal corner brackets you can find at hardware stores.

Heavy-duty window screen is then stapled to the frame. I use long staples - long enough that I have to pound then in with a hammer.

The screened frame is then screwed into the cage walls.

This lid is much more secure than what you see from those sliding top units so commonly seen at petstores, etc.

I like to provide a lot of ventilation in this manner and then cover it if necessary.

Do the lights in the false ceiling supply all the heat or is there something underneath also ?

Great looking cage !!!

Since his JCP specimen was an active climber the plan was to use heat panels and lights to create a vertical heat gradient.

However, we had a backup plan to provide floor heat in the winter and/or if the snake started to spend more time on the floor. If necessary we were either going to use a Kane heat mat or cut a large hole in the bottom of the floor and tack a strip of foamed PVC over the hole. A under tank heater was then going to be taped underneath that PVC. The latter idea would have been very effective when you consider the conductivity of foamed PVC.

With such a large cage in an open area of the house heat was a concern.