Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone here point me in the direction of an affordable shelf or rack system for my snakes? I saw a photo a few threads down that looked like one of those cheap five-shelf bookcases you can buy for $20 at Target. Would one of these work? I really need something space-saving yet affordable, but I'd rather not start sawing planks and drilling screws. I'm not6 that crafty. Any ideas?

Thanks In Advance,
Chris

Sam Craver from NJ makes those.....They are custom made. You buy the bins you want then you build the rack around the dimensions of the bins.....

The back is covered and 3" heat tape is "snaked" onto every shelf. The material used is melamine.....it is heavy and strong.....last a long time but can be a pain to move around.

They are not that hard to build........ If you have the right tools..... if you dont they are not that expensive to buy..... I think those in that pic are like 250 bucks......

Good luck
Raul

I was thinking of perhaps making a similar unit myself, but I've a question or two...

- Is the Rubbermaid 2221 Sweater Box a good size to house adult Ball Pythons?

- Can I simply use heat pads (already ordered some) instead of heat tape?

- Where do you buy Melamine?

I was going to just use two large Rubbermaid Max Latch Jumbo Storage Boxes, but quickly decided on the convenience of a smaller rack unit.

Thanks In Advance,
Chris

Great racks. Very affordable.

I use to think that building my own was the way. Until I totaled the finished product. Wow, was I wrong. It's cheaper to buy one of his and way nicer.

The black material is water resistant, lighter weight, and the snakes feel more secure in the black.

Troy Dozier

I bought one for my sand boas and rosy. Looks great, works great, great price and Jason is awesome to work with.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

I use all boaphile. They look great, work great, no shipping costs, snakes feel secure in them, and most importantly for me, the snakes cannot escape. I've heard nothing but great things about Jason's racks, but I have a question. Would the space between the tub & the shelf allow for a small snake to escape? I'm talking baby cobra size (similar to a corn snake that is a month or two old)? I can't have baby cobras roaming the room, and boaphile is secure, but I wouldn't mind trying different racks, just incase I like them better.

Thanks for any replies.
-----
Chad Bachman

There isn't a space between the tub and the above shelf. I've kept baby kings and now a baby sand boa with no worries. Jason also keeps his hatchlings in his racks as well.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

Chad,

I've only bred one form of cobra - Sri Lanka Spectacleds - and those were pretty huge babies so I may not have a very useful perspective compared to what you keep.

However, I do consider Jason's racks to be the most secure plastic racks on the market.

With the extra rigidity of the 1/2" material he seems to be able to control his tolerances better than other plastic racks. Also, he keeps Kenyan Sand Boas, Rosy Boas, etc. so he's used to containing small snakes.

Regardless, I still would never keep venomous in a rack without a locking front door. On that note, the 1/2" material he uses is much easier to attach a secure door to.
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Sri Lankans are one of the smallest babies I've ever seen in Naja, so I should be good. Everything is in a secure locked room, so a door would be nothing but a time consuming option for me. I've had 100's of cobras & never had an escape (knock on wood LOL).

Thanks Tiger & Chris.
-----
Chad Bachman

.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

to know that he would be best to answer that question.
I say that because Jason is a perfectionist. He handles each rack with care and is always testing spacing and security. Plus, he builds each by hand so if you need something made super tight, I bet he could handle it.

Troy

racks....because i want to buy from him but what it seems like, i dont think he has the bigger racks or got discontinued...so do u guys still keep ur bps in the largest racks he gots now? thanx for the advice or information.....

np

Thats why I stick with boaphile, cuz Jeff R. does it all himself, and has very high standards. I will try one of Jason's racks if he offeres belly heat.
-----
Chad Bachman