Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I have been working on my first outdoor enclosure and need a little advice.
As you can see in the pic I have the lower portion in 1/4 inch mesh. I figue this will keep out the snakes and other things that might try to get in but will still readily admit the insects. The top I have done in a heavy cloth used for shading patios, etc. It lets in a difused sunlight all day. In the mornings it gets full sunlight for most of the morning till about 11ish). The upper part of each side I have done with a bird netting that you would use to cover fruit trees. Is this stuff strong enough to keep out any predators?

As you can see in this pic the front part opens up inward allowing an easy unobstructed view.

The inside landscaping is still very rudimentary. The back has been designed so that I can add soil to allow for a small "hill" and I hope to have some native california shrubs and bushes along with some specially designed rock caves, etc.

If anyone has any other suggestions they are greatly appreciated!?!?!
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Cables Home
2 Kings 6:15-17

Cable here's my thinking to consider not my advice ( I'm no better advicer than the next guy). Since you have at least two different species not from the area, the sun is different from the area they are indigenous as well as it's intensity. My idea is why have the extended top? Why not put a beam accross the middle part and have two doors that open from the top, one side with regular shade cloth (staple on the door frame) used in gardening, and the other with 1/4" mesh or even 1/8 mesch screen to keep out those uglies. I would sink a large piece of 1/2" cheap exterior plywood into the ground and put some very short posts on the underside so when you put it in the ground at an angle you can be sure that it will lay 3/4" of an inch or so above the ground at the opening. I would then cover it with a heavy layer of sand. This along with the rocks and what ever else gives these guys a cavern to go into if it gets to hot or just a littel shade if they want to get out of the sun. Being that these guys are heavy into the sun in the areas they come from the question is not the sun, but providing a good deep in the ground hide spot and a place they can get out of the full noon sun on a 104 degree day. You now these guys are generally out in the morning and late afternoon, so during the heat of the day they usually look for low brush etc to take a siesta. So I think you've got it going well, and you need to plant some low bushes as well, and this you may consider dumb, but I would take a small patchh of sod grass or some cover like port chilica ice plant and put it in a corner and water it fromn time to time to give a damp place with large flat stones dug into the ground so the ground cover will grow and provide a damp spot perhaps for laying eggs??? The access as I described above gives half the cage filtered light through the shade cloth and the other full light. Be sure and angle your ground for rain run-off, which means that piece of plywood I mentioned should be dug into the high ground of your cage. I would also for sure plant some dandilions because they propigate easily once started and are relished by most lizards that do eat greens, not that yours do, but per our conversation the other day......

and build some outdoor cages! You really have some good ideas. I would like to see some of your finished products.

Hey Cable,

Nice pen man! It looks great. I like the rock pile you have in there. The Reptoman is right. You should probably plant some small shrubs in there. In my own pen I have two Red Sages, which I'm told are CA natives, and a few portulacas, some Gazanias, and some CA poppys. I've observed my DHL climb into the Sage during the day to escape the heat, or sometimes she would retreat under the rocks. Thats one other thing I've found. There can never be too many rocks. I'm kidding of course, but my lizards absolutely love 'em. It looks predator proof, but watch for cats. They are a lot smarter than I give them credit for and I wouldn't want your lizards to meet a cat.
Also, Kestrals and Sharp-Shinned Hawks can be a nuisance, so watch for them. I've watched a young Kestral dive-bomb my small pen a while back, (I was still using cloth screen at this point) thankfully he didn't push through, but it was still a harrowing experience for me and my lizards. One thing I haven't mastered yet is to entice the Pogos in my backyard to go inside my pen to get food (and become it). I thought maybe a line of sugar might do the trick, but they sometimes crawl into the pen by accident never to come out. heh Good luck man, its a great looking pen that I'm sure your HLs will love.

-Phil