Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a 4'X4'X2.5' melamine cage that has fixtures mounted on the inside. I was just wondering what you guys do to cover the fixtures so the animals will not get burned, where you get them, what I can expect to pay, etc. Thank you in advance. I have an adult Mangrove that will eventually go in there but I want to make sure that she is used to me before putting her in a cage that big because my JCP is in the exact same sized cage and I have to put my head in to get her out and I am not looking forward to taking a bite on the face by a four foot Mangrove. Again, Thank you, Eric-

First off, you should invest in a snake hook. Whether dealing with venomous or not, it makes it easier. MY JCP is 6ft long, and what a VICIOUS animal he is. I don't even think to go in there with my hands.

On to your question. You can use a couple of different methods. The least harmful I think would be vinyl coated wire mesh. The vinyl coating will protect from burrs or sharp edges when your snake rubs against it. You have to make sure that the mesh isn't that close to the heat source however, because the vinyl can melt. Otherwise you can just get some regular wire mesh. You can find it at any hardware store. The only downfall to that is it may be harsh on a snake's nose if the rub against it, and knowing my snake, that would be often. The cost is usually pretty cheap for the mesh, not more than $10 or so total. If you are handy, you could build a "screen" made of wood, and attach just regular old vinyl windowscreen to it.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Supplies/Product/Big_Apples_Bulb_Cage_264500.html

There is also that company with the logo of an Iguana dressed up like a carpenter. Can't remember that company and kingsnake's "breeders, dealers,stores page is down at the moment.
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Current snakes:

0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

7.6 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

0.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I just built a cage for the light out of some 1/4" wire mesh I had around the house, it was really easy to make and it has a door on the bottom so I can change the bulb easily.

what did you make the hinge out of?

cheers

sam

I went really simple so the "hinge" is just peices of wire on one side with small plastic clips to hold the door closed.....really easy, cheap and effective.

Is this cage for use with a snake or a lizard? In my experiences, such screen covers for basking lamps are worse off than having the bulb itself exposed.

If it is just a bulb, a lizard that jumps and tries to cling on to it, will have a very difficult time in doing so, and will simply fall off- with exposure time to the skin being a fraction of a second.

Whereas, in the use of such a screen cover, that metal that is only inches from the head source absorbs heat very easily(most metals are great at that), to the extent where the metal may often be close in temperature to the light itself(after remaining on all day). By having mesh around the bulb, this makes for an easy place for jumping and holding on to, and lizard claws can sometimes even get stuck in such a screen, which increases their exposure time to such a hot surface temperature. You are going to have a greater occurrence/chance of nasty thermal burns by using a metal screen around a light like that, as the animal has a greater period of contact with the piping hot temperatures, when compared to a light bulb by itself.

Snakes on the other hand, I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference, as they will be able to come in contact with virtually the same temperatures, whether it be the bulb itself, or the metal screening around it, therefore if the snake is able to access the part of the enclosure with the heating element, I think you have just an equal chance of thermal burns.

I recommend you use one of those infrared temp guns and measure the temperature of the screening around that light bulb, after being on for a couple of hours. You will find that the metal heats up very easily, and can very easily burn the animal(much like how you can burn yourself very badly by touching a pot that has been over a flame). Or put a piece of metal out in the sunlight on just an 80 degree day. After several ours being exposed to natural sunlight, that metal object will have heated up to a temperature significantly hotter than the air temperature.= I have gone out and measured the temperature of the sidewalk on a 75F sunny day, to be 145F... Think about the temperatures of a piece of metal held less than a few inches away from a 100watt light bulb????

Just thought I'd throw in my two cents, as I have done a fair bit of experimenting with temperatures, being a monitor keeper(and having to supply basking temperatures of up to 160F). I have found that screens around bulbs are more hazardous to lizards than without screens, and for snakes, the burn potential is still there...

Cheers Everyone,

Bob
treemonitors.com

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TheOdatriad

Hi, long time lurker here, decided to start posting.

I build light houses on my cages using the same material as the cage itself. The mesh is hardware cloth, which is stronger than you can imagine, while at the same time being resistant to heat and gentle on a snake's nose. I use an external door for bulb changes.

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Ken LePage
Invictus Exotics