Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any good cage designs out there with a removable divider(s) for segregation while cleaning? I'm contemplating building a divided cage with either 2 areas or a 4 area cage that can be used for a pair of Agkistrodon contortrix, possibly to seperate them normally and allow them to "find" each other for breeding. I surmise that each section would have its own access, likely from above. As these are display animals I would be creating a naturalistic environment.

Any input is welcome.

Thanks,
-Jason
(also posted in Venomous forum)

i dont know of any comercially avaiable cages. but i have always had ideas about building custom cages but dont keep hots so have had no need to try them.

i would think it would be more benificial to have two cages with a removable divider. one snake in each cage. then to build a detachable hide box for each, which would be outside the cage structure. to me this would make things much easier since the snake will most times already be in the hide box and also will likely retreat there when you annoy em to clean the cage.
if you like this idea let me know and ill elaborate more.

I don't know of any designs or plans, I think it's just limited to your imagination.

Combining dividers and naturalistic vivara can be difficult as it's often hard to keep the dividers sliding normally, assuming that's what you had in mind.

Factor in tiny babies from the "live-bearing" adults and you also provide more area for babies to get lost.

But I'm not sure if I understand the design. By access from above do you mean cage access or access for snakes to go from one section to another?

Chris- to answer your question, "yes". Now to clarify. I had first envisioned a divider in the cage for cleaning purposes with one snake per cage. THEN my thoughts drifted to having a divider in each living area PLUS one between the housing areas for two different animals allowing them to be introduced for breeding without hooking and moving the female (less stress on the animals).

For today I am just building new trap boxes to solve the cleaning issue (the ones I have rigged up now are less sturdy then I'd like, being made out of nesting Tupperware bowls) but I would like to get them in a more naturalistic environment and trap boxes don't allow for that easily though I suppose it is possible to camouflage them. Maybe that is where I should focus more effort.

If going with the divided caging idea the divider would have to be thin for sure if connecting two cages for breeding, as neonate copperheads are small and crafty.

-Jason