Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm getting my first snake in about a month. Albino burmese.36"

I have a carpenter friend who will help me design an enclosure.I have read all the back posts, and still would like hear opinions. Whats most important when designing an environment. I have an un-finished basement, so I can make it fairly large.
It may be fairly damp and cool in the winter in this basement.

Make sure the cage is secure and can maintain good heat and humidity. You may want to use heat inside the cage. Such as heat emitter or heat panels. You might want to run an oiled filled heater in the basement to knock out the chill.
I would make the cage so it can house the burm for the rest of its life. Also make sure that when you build the cage it can get through the doorways.I recommend a 4 by 8 by 2 ft cage. You can make sliding glass track by cuting grooves into some 2 by 4's. Make sure the top is cut deeper than the bottom. This lets you push up on the glass and remove it if need be. Make sure all wood is sealed. Use silicone in the corners of the cage. You may want to build the cage and have it set up before you get the snake. This allows time for the cage to be aired out.And it allows you time to make sure the temp is going to be stable. I would use a thermostat as well. There are several to choose from.I use helix and have also had good results with Alife. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any more questions.

>>I'm getting my first snake in about a month. Albino burmese.36"
>>
>>I have a carpenter friend who will help me design an enclosure.I have read all the back posts, and still would like hear opinions. Whats most important when designing an environment. I have an un-finished basement, so I can make it fairly large.
>>It may be fairly damp and cool in the winter in this basement.
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Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net

No one is to be trusted

Your biggest concern is your cool basement. You might consider a thick wood for your cage as it will be easier to retain heat inside the cage. Make sure it is VERY secure (thick, tempered glass fronts, reinforced seams, heavy brackets/locks, etc.). I would recommend not exceeding a cage over 2' in height so you can adequately heat the cage (as the other post mentioned, a 8' x 4' would be quite adequate for the largest of burms). I use Pro Product radiant heat panels exclusively and absolutely love these products....this would work well for your situation. Aside from that, you might also include a couple of fluorescent lights if the cage is kept in a dark basement...just connect them to a household timer but leave the heat on 24 hours a day. Humidity can be accomplished via daily misting or, more preferably, the inclusion of a misting system. GOod luck and post a pic of the cage.