Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All, I'm in the process of having a custom rack made for my larger animals. I'm planning on using 46 gallon Iris Holiday Storage boxes. While there is a great deal of information on constructing smaller racks, theres not much on heating, or constructing larger ones. Does anyone have any suggestions for heating a rack this large? I'm also wondering should I have the tubs which are 53"L x 20"W x 14"H slide out along their length (53" since I plan to be dealing with agile, rear-fanged species. I figure if my rack is 20" W, there will be less room for a difficult animal to get out while I'm trying to get it back in. I would also like to get any feedback on using radiant heat panels in my rack. I was thinking of routing out a large area and mounting it to the shelves of the rack. I plan to use the guidelines from various websites to construct my rack. Unfortunately, I'm not very handy so I won't be doing the construction myself. I'm hiring a carpenter to construct a couple of 3 level racks for me. Does anyone have any potential pitfalls, problems, or concerns that I should inform the carpenter about (since I doubt he's ever done anything like this before). I'd appreciate any input you guys might have.

I've built several large box racks, but nothing quite approaching the size you listed. I also have extensive venomous experience and have built racks for them and other fast moving species.

First and foremost, I have a couple of comments about your box selection. If it's the same Iris box I'm thinking of, there are two things you should consider.

First, the lid of this box is domed and contributues significanly to the listed height of this product. In a lidless rack system the actual height of this box will be well under 12" and probably closer to 10". I only saw this box in person one time, so I'm not exactly sure.

Something to think about if the species you're keeping is semi-arboreal. BTW, is this for Thrasops?

Secondly, at 53" long you could possibly waste a considerable amount of material since wood comes in 48" increments. Strongly consider having the carpenter cut strips of plywood and make frames to conserve wood. Thin pieces of material can be attached over or in the frame.

The are other solutions as well, but I won't get into those.

Given my extensive venomous experience, feel free to e-mail me to discuss the species you are keeping. I may have a box that is better suited to what you're trying to accomplish.

As far as heating the rack, I have a few different suggestions depending on what species this is for. Radiant heat panels are one of my ideas and would fit well with my suggestion above to use frames rather than solid pieces of wood for the shelves.

More comments:

A box this long may not function well in a lidless racks system. They often flex slightly when only partially open, causing the boxes to slide poorly. If this were for a Boomslang that could be a problem. I'd hate to have one of those launch itself onto my shoulder while I was trying to get the box back into the rack.

Any large box should absolutely slide out lengthwise. Boxes are most flexible at the midpoint of the long side and it's best to have these areas close to the sides of the rack. Furthermore, it's almost impossible to slide a box this big out sideways and have it remain stable. A huge safety issue for venomous species, or any species when you consider the boxes could fall.

I have numerous other ideas and concerns about this rack. If you feel more comfortable discussing the species in questions offline, feel free to e-mail me.

I do not keep any dangerous snakes at the moment, but I do keep Gonyosoma which is a very fast and agile species. I keep them in lidless racks and can tell you they can be a nightmare in a rack that does not function well. Depending on the species you are working with there may be better options.

Lastly, if we don't discuss this further, please make sure to have the gap in the rack at least 1/8". Any less can be a problem for large boxes. In fact I prefer to build them with a 1/4" gap and then shim some material to make the gap suitable for the species in question.

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Hello All, I'm in the process of having a custom rack made for my larger animals. I'm planning on using 46 gallon Iris Holiday Storage boxes. While there is a great deal of information on constructing smaller racks, theres not much on heating, or constructing larger ones. Does anyone have any suggestions for heating a rack this large? I'm also wondering should I have the tubs which are 53"L x 20"W x 14"H slide out along their length (53" since I plan to be dealing with agile, rear-fanged species. I figure if my rack is 20" W, there will be less room for a difficult animal to get out while I'm trying to get it back in. I would also like to get any feedback on using radiant heat panels in my rack. I was thinking of routing out a large area and mounting it to the shelves of the rack. I plan to use the guidelines from various websites to construct my rack. Unfortunately, I'm not very handy so I won't be doing the construction myself. I'm hiring a carpenter to construct a couple of 3 level racks for me. Does anyone have any potential pitfalls, problems, or concerns that I should inform the carpenter about (since I doubt he's ever done anything like this before). I'd appreciate any input you guys might have.

Chris Harper posted some great info for you. I just want to add another view. I don't know what rear-fang species your are considering, but if it is a quick-moving and aggressive species, I would want to know where the snake is pointed before I opened the box. If the boxes are clear enough to see in then great. If not, you may want to attach a little acrylic window in the front. I've fastened a small rectangle of clear acrylic with nylon bolts and nuts, and it worked very well. Maybe a mute point, but maybe cages would be better? I used to have some rattlesnakes, and let me say, a cage with a clear swing-down door was great for seeing what is happening before you opened the door. The swing-down door also gave you something to hide behind just in case.

You may have to consider how you would move this rack. A 53 inch long rack is going to be difficult to manouver through doors, hallways, etc.

I am currently trying to build a rack for my Sterlite Wreath boxes (28x28x8). One of the problems I have run into is that most standard doorways are less than 30 inches wide, which means my rack cannot be moved in and out of a room in one piece. So I am building each shelf separately and having the rack bolt together so that I can unbolt it and move it if need be.

I have everything measured and cut, I just need to put it all together this weekend. If it works, I will post a pic (if it doesn't, I will slink away with my tail between my legs!!!).
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham