Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings all. Tossing another question out for discussion. I'm considering building a snake cage, rather than buying one. I'm considering two possibilities and would like to hear pros and cons of both.
1. Three sides wood (like cabinet grade plywood) glass or plexiglass across the front. Not sure what would be best for the bottom since I'll need an under tank heater. glass or plexi probably best there too since it would clean easier. My only real concern is how well the wood could tolerate the humidity needed for a rainbow. A few coats of polyurethane might resolve that problem. I'm thinking 3 sides enclosed might give more privacy and thus a more secure feeling.
2. Build the entire thing of plexiglass with a wood frame. Easier to clean all around.

The advantage I see to using plexi is I can drill air holes down low and still maintain humidity levels fairly easy. What thickness plexi would I need? I'm thinking probably 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch would be sufficient. The only articles I found on it were for aquariums. With those the weight of the water was a factor in the thickness. That won't be an issue here.

Ideas? Suggestions? Comments?
Thanks in advance.

I've both built my own cages out of cabinet grade oak plywood with a solid wood front frame and bought cages.

There is a sense of accomplishment with building your own cages and if you have an odd area you can build the cage to fit better than a standard size from a manufacturer.

Building your own cage will require woodworking skills as it has to be strong with tight seams. Mine are lined with formica to make the as water resistant as I could make them. And of course all the seams have to be well sealed. Being solid wood I went with overhead Radiant Heat Panels (RHP's). Those work great but are more pricey than other heating options.

Another factor is building your own cage will likely NOT save you any money. Will very likely cost more, maybe much more than purchasing one. Simple cost of materials. The cage suppliers use low cost materials and buy them in bulk and work their designs around sheet size for minimal waste.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats