Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone have experience housing monitors outdoors? I recently moved to central Louisiana, and I would like to learn of suitable design an d construction materials and so on. I have a young Sumatran water monitor.

One of the things I am worried about is wire mesh and nose-rubbing.

I have an outdoor cage. I use half inch 8x4 sheets of plywood. My cage is 8x8x6. Four feet of wood and then 2ft of mesh and wood on top of the cage. I had built my cage underneath a tree house sorta thing my dad built a while ago. All I had to do was get 2x4's and build the rest of the frame and cover it up with plywood. I have some really strong black mat on the bottom with a couple layes of mesh over it to prevent the monitor from digging its way out. I live in Florida so it stays pretty humid here year round. I dont know about loiusiana tho. I would look into that before you build an outdoor cage. Also another thing. Make sure you cage has absolutely no flaws in it. No small cracks or holes or crevices or anytihng. Monitors are escape artists and will do anything to find a flaw in your cage.