Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live on the far out skirts of San Antonio (Castroville), and like you we get slamed with rain, the other day we had 5" in an hour and we've had up to 8" in an hour a couple years ago when we had that bad flood here. You've got your pen outside, I still have not put my outside pen together as I've considered several different possibilities, but the one thng that kills me is the rain, if I have a bottom to my pen it will flood no doubt--If I leave it just natural I am still concerned as some of my Angels and South mountians I would not want to loose due to the torrential rains we do recieve from time to time. Even with large rocks and the like I am not that comfortable that htis would take care of them in incement weather, plus probably like you we have varmits and roadrunners and critters of all sorts that would love a tasty meal so the pens have to be animal proof as well. How have yours faired through these rains? What about making a 4" PVC run that goes underground into a water tight container say 2L x 2W x 12H inches and put that skid proof 3m tape (4 inches wide) on the inside of the pipe so they can run up and down the pipe and get hold with their claws? THis would allow me to encase the "den" in 1/2 wire underground so the squirrels or diggers couldn't get through and technically the dens could actually be outside the cage, and the cage area may not need be as large, but have some huge large roks and plants etc. for them to dig under to lay during the season and run around during the warm times. I have some others that want to lend me their chucks as well, but I need to garuantee thier safety.....so I have been leery in spending the money partly again because of the unbelievable rain we get out here. Being a California boy for over 49 years or so I haven't ever seen rain like this..........
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Phrynosoma.com

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

Lou,
Most of my pen has a clear PVC corrugated roof ( from HD) to keep out those "cursed deluges". It was fairly expensive and after nearly 6 years there are quite a few leaks/ tears etc in it. When I am forced to replace it I will go woth the greenhouse grade of clear visquene/ rolled sheeting type. It has to be cheaper, easier to replace & I might fix it up to in removable sections.
My underground is actually concrete cinder blocks and old concrete drainage piping layed above grade & covered up with loads of this & that. I though about pvc piping but always felt it would be too slick and not have enough ability to breath.

And we get much more rain here in Houston that you guys way out west in Castroville!! We consider that to be almost at the edge of the desert !!LOL

Should have gone with Crawfish instead of Lizards!!
DVL

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did you mean to write speelcheck?
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***