Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what materials should i use to build the frame of my tegus adult cage in the future? can i used regular wood coated with polyurathene and plastic for the windows? i'm just looking for the price of things so that i can start saving
thanks for help -matt

Hi Matt. Here is a custom cage that my 4foot male lives in. It is made from 3/4" sandeply with 3 coats of polyurethane on the inside and the seams are all sealed with 100% pure silicone. One of the doors is 1 x 2 framed plexi and the other is framed hardware cloth. If you live in a climate with lower humidity (I live in S FL and my herp room is usually 60-70% ambient humidity) you can use plexi for both doors. I would also recommend you put anything this big on wheels. I think the whole thing cost me around $200.

>>what materials should i use to build the frame of my tegus adult cage in the future? can i used regular wood coated with polyurathene and plastic for the windows? i'm just looking for the price of things so that i can start saving
>>thanks for help -matt

By the way, it's the big cage on the bottom with the tegu in it. In the previous picture, the 4 foot cage sitting on top of it was his rearing cage for almost a year. Measurements for his current cage are 7' long by 30" deep by 2' tall with a 12" dam.

>>Hi Matt. Here is a custom cage that my 4foot male lives in. It is made from 3/4" sandeply with 3 coats of polyurethane on the inside and the seams are all sealed with 100% pure silicone. One of the doors is 1 x 2 framed plexi and the other is framed hardware cloth. If you live in a climate with lower humidity (I live in S FL and my herp room is usually 60-70% ambient humidity) you can use plexi for both doors. I would also recommend you put anything this big on wheels. I think the whole thing cost me around $200.
>>
>>>>what materials should i use to build the frame of my tegus adult cage in the future? can i used regular wood coated with polyurathene and plastic for the windows? i'm just looking for the price of things so that i can start saving
>>>>thanks for help -matt
>>

Are you looking to build a cage or more of a pen-type enclosure? For my tegus we built them both enclosures that measured about 8 ft. deep by 3 ft. high, by 4.5 ft wide. We used 3/4 inch compressed board (I can't remember the exact name, but it has a kind of smooth, easily wipable feel), and of course all of the necessary hinges and locks. The door is a swing-out type that stretches the width of the front. To build both of the enclosures, it cost us approximately $100. If you have the space, I would definately recommend this type of set-up. Good Luck!