Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm planning to build high-quality habitats for two lizards:

...a 6yo Uro mali (32 cm, 12.5 inches)

...an African plated lizard (G. validus, 45 cm, 18 inches).

The Uro (Wizard) is in a 40 gallon breeder at this point, where he's been happy for some years. However, I'd like something easier to clean and more attractive for human eyes.

As such, I'm looking at building a 2'W by 4'L by 2'H enclosure, with three solid sides of plywood and a clear front. The base would be heavy screen, covered in pea gravel, with a drainage system below to allow cleaning by washing down the gravel and having the waste flow out the bottom, through a spigot.

For Cylde, the plated lizard, I'm looking at something a bit larger, perhaps 3'W by 4'L by 2'H.

I'm less certain of substrate for Clyde, who was kept in wood chips before I acquired him. He seems to like the play sand I'm keeping him in now (lots of digging!) I'd like something that I could wash down easily without having to empty and refill such a large habitat, but I don't know if he'd take well to small rounded pebbles or not. Sand is cheap, but hard to keep clean.

If only I had space for a self-maintaining terrarium...

Also: While Clyde is *not* an aquatic reptile, he is very fond of the big water dish I gave him -- sometimes soaking, sometimes dangling his front feet in that water. I'm debating whether to create an automatically-filtered, shallow "pond" in one end of his new home. Unlike most reptiles I know, Clyde does not defecate in his water.

I'm checking out local landscaping shops for flat stones so I can build these guys small rock gardens. I'm thinking silicon sealer would make a safe way of securing rocks together.

Yes, I'm an engineer, with tools. A dangerous entity, to be sure.
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Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/

Marine spar varnish, or epoxy paint along with silicone beading should take care of water-proofing. I know that folks have made plywood aquariums using these sealers.

The idea of a plumbed false-bottom is great. My only recommendation with regard to the plated lizard would be the use of soil over sand as a substrate. They indeed like to dig, and will create hide tunnels given the correct substrate. Believe it or not, I also find soil to be one of the easiest substrates to clean. Just remove fecal material that usually will form a cake in the dirt. Replace with a fresh handful of dirt.

>>Marine spar varnish, or epoxy paint along with silicone beading should take care of water-proofing. I know that folks have made plywood aquariums using these sealers.

Hi,

Can spar urethane really be used to seal a plywood aquarium? I know epoxy works - I've done that - but I had no idea spar varnish was sufficient.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Wizard is a lucky guy! I just was interested in your choice of substrate for him. Generally the Uros also really like to dig, so I wasn't sure how the pea gravel would work. Also it will be very important that you have a way to dry the gravel completely after you wash it, other wise the humidity levels will probably go way outside of ideal... Just my initial impressions. If you do decide to go with this set up, I would be really interested in how it works, temps, wizards reaction, and your reaciton as a "lizard care giver".

I recently added to a website a cut list and diagram of how the sides go together for a 2x4ft cage that this forum, particularly Chris, helped me design. I am including he link on the off chance that parts of the design may be helpful to you.

Sounds like a fun project!!

Elizabeth
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~echarris/archcage/

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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

>>Wizard is a lucky guy! I just was interested in
>>your choice of substrate for him. Generally the
>>Uros also really like to dig, so I wasn't sure
>>how the pea gravel would work.

We've been debating this, too.

Wizard used to dig an awful lot, until we got him an extra-long hide. These days, he sometimes (once a month or so) likes to dig under his basking rock, trying to drop it on his head. I'm always afraid I'll wake up some morning to a squashed Uro!

I'm looking at a mix of potting soil and sand, too. My concern with potting soil is that it retains moisture. My theory was that the heat lamps would dry the gravel quickly. But then again, it might be too rough for him.

We keep Wizard in sand currently. We tried newspapers early on at the instence of a vet, but Wizard tried to EAT them. Sand is a mess to keep clean, but he seems happier that way.

>>I recently added to a website a cut list and diagram of
>>how the sides go together for a 2x4ft cage that this
>>forum, particularly Chris, helped me design. I am
>>including he link on the off chance that parts of
>>the design may be helpful to you.

Thanks for the URL. I'm hacking together some plans on paper, and will have my wife (a former pro drafter) turn them into something nice. If we get something "good", I'll post it to my web site.
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Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/

For the Plated Lizard, I would recommend cypress mulch for a substrate. I've been keeping Plateds on cypress for years and have found it to work just fine whether they stay on top [G. major] or burrow under [G. validus, G. nigrolineatus]. Also, I wouldn't get too elaborate making a recirculating water bowl. Just because he hasn't defecated in it yet doesn't mean he won't. All Plated Lizards I've ever kept have defecated in their water bowls at some point, some do it more than others though. A built-in elaborate recirculating water bowl is going to be difficult to keep clean. Even recirculating water bowls will develop bacterial slime inside them. I would just go for the old-fashioned remove, rinse, replace. As for size, since Plateds are mostly terrestrial with very little climbing, except on rock ledges, I would go with as large a foot print for your cage as possible.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

>>For the Plated Lizard, I would recommend cypress mulch
>>for a substrate.

An excellent idea. My only concern is finding mulch that doesn't have any chemicals in it; I'll check around Home Depot and other garden shops.

I've heard that Uros can also do well in mulch; we've used play sand for years (wizard has no trouble passing what little he gets), but mulch might make a more comfortable environment for him, too. And it would cut down on the number of different substrates we need to stock...

>>As for size, since Plateds are mostly terrestrial with
>>very little climbing, except on rock ledges, I would go
>>with as large a foot print for your cage as possible.

I'm thinking 5x2 or 6x2, with a stone basking ledge on one end. We'll probably stick with a regular water dish, and keep the fancy plumbing for the turtles. Clyde's fascination with water is cute, but he may just be interested in the novelty.

Thanks.
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Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/