Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a ball python, which came cage and all, and I'm planning on building a new cage for him. Wondering if you guys have any recommendations on the type of wood I should use. I'm looking for something relatively light weight (as far as wood goes) and can easily be waterproofed...What type sealant would you use on the inside to keep moisture out of the wood?

Thanks for all the help!
Ray

I like to use Birch laminated plywood. Attractive, decent quality, and super smooth to easily accept various sealers.

Personally, I would build it out of 3/4" plywood even though it's heavier. I would make up the weight difference by building the cage without a floor. Instead I would just staple a piece of expanded PVC onto the bottom rim of the cage. This makes the cage lighter and gives it a much more durable floor - the part of the cage that needs it most.

I would then seal the walls with oil-based polyurethane. Apply several thinned coats.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Thanks, Chris!

I think the toughest part of the whole thing will be the door. I'm not sure yet whether I want to try a sliding glass door or not, as I'm not very handy at all.

BTW, do you (or anyone else here, for that matter) have a preferred brand of under the tank heater and thermostat? Looking for something I can set to keep the temperature constant in the cage. Also, will using an under the tank heat source effect the type of bottom of the cage I will need and the type of substrate used? (I was thinking of a plexiglass or plastice bottom for easy cleanup)

>>I think the toughest part of the whole thing will be the door. I'm not sure yet whether I want to try a sliding glass door or not, as I'm not very handy at all.

I prefer sliding doors as they give a much more "open" look to the front of the cage. Not hard to build at all.

>>BTW, do you (or anyone else here, for that matter) have a preferred brand of under the tank heater and thermostat?

I like the Ultratherms sold by The Bean Farm. I believe Cobra Heat Mats are identical.

>>Also, will using an under the tank heat source effect the type of bottom of the cage I will need and the type of substrate used?

Expanded PVC is just about the perfect material for under tank heaters. It's flame resistant, conducts heat well, provides thermal mass, and cleans well. Look for a small piece at local sign shops. You can probably get away with 1/8" thick material for a BP cage.

You might ask for Sintra instead of expanded PVC as it is the most common brand. I have called sign shops and they did not know what expanded PVC was, even though they carried it.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Thanks for all your help with this. ONe more quick question for you...on the website, it says that the heat mats you recommended do not require the use of a thermostat...do they self-regulate? If so, is it based on the surrounding air temp? Or would I be better off hooking them to a thermostat regardless.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on how the project goes...

Ray

I'd hook a UTH to a thermo anyway, otherwise they will either get too hot or not hot enough. A note on the sliding vs swinging doors... you will put a LOT more work into a swinging door, and unless you have all the tools you need to make it right, it wont last too long. (mitered corners never stay together well at all, you need to make them with a mortise & tenion joint or biscuit.) Anyway, sliding doors are pathetically easy to construct. and i like how they look better also.

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Chondros and colubrids... my 2 favorite types of snakes!

"Life is hard. Life is harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne

Thanks! That's a pretty nice set up you have pictured.

How hot is too hot in regards to the floor temp directly above the under the tank heat source? I'm assuming most would take the temp. of the floor itself from time to time...

>>Thanks! That's a pretty nice set up you have pictured.

Chondrubrid is right, sliding doors are very easy to build. I also like how his picture shows the visual difference between sliding and framed doors -- the cage with the sliding doors has a much more open look to the front, which I think looks better. You may feel differently or just like how a hinged door works.

>>How hot is too hot in regards to the floor temp directly above the under the tank heat source? I'm assuming most would take the temp. of the floor itself from time to time...

The problem with undertank heating is that the floor sometimes has to get uncomfortably hot in order to heat the cage sufficiently. This is especially problematic in large cages in cool rooms. Belly heat is not always appropriate.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)