Reptile & Amphibian Forums

am curious to hear some opinions on what types of enclosure is best for hots(crotalids),and why....in the past i have kept crotalids in top-loading tanks(i.e. homemade enclosures,and yes even aquaria with locking tops)....i have kept snakes in front-loading cages as well-vision,more homemade ones,etc....i gotta say it seemed to me for hooking,etc.,i like the 'from-above' style better,though i see almost everyone keeping hots in neodesha,bush,visions,etc.,which are front-opening...seems easier for an agitated/active/feeding-frenzied/etc. snake to cause trouble from a door opening at the snake's level,than to do the same from a higher-walled top-opening cage...i consider a rack most rack systems more like a side opening cage,due to their (often)shallow profile...can anyone tell me why more enclosures don't open from the top,seems to work fine when placed on the floor,etc....?

So far, my favorite is the neodeshas, which of course are out of business now. They're not the prettiest, and they don't stack, but they're easy to clean, have no places for snake to diappear (except behind the litter dam, if so equipped, but even that is not nearly as bad as the same spot on a vision) and they are light enough that when a snake makes a real mess, it's easy to take them outside and hose them out.

Top loading can be a pain with a lot of snakes becasue they tend to go up when trying to escape. That means trying to keep the snake down and close the cage at the same time.

Yes, front opening can be a pain if it's not designed right. The neodeshas (except the really large ones, have a single piece of glass on the front that can be slid in either direction. That allows you to stand off to either side depending on where the snake is and open the glass while keeping your hand at the farthest possible point from the opening. Hinged doors are exactly the opposite. A similar sliding door on a top opening cage would be a vast improvement over most top opening designes.

I agree with Larry 100%!
I too use Neodesha cages, for exactly the reasons Larry stated.
I have 3 Vision cages, but I hate that lip at the front of the cage. A snake can easily hide there, (not a pleasant surprise!)

Randal

Hey Randal...

What about the top lip? I can hold a NASTY Surprise like this one...I held the camera on the tracks for the glass and pointed it straight up. This is what was seen.

Al

1.0 Bothrops asper

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"Snakes in Peru are not there for decoration, they really bite people."

Professor David Warrell, Omaha 10/21/05

Your right Al!
Having a pi$$ed off asper drop on your head while reaching in to hook one out would probably mess up your weekend! LOL!

jesus,that pic's a nigthmare.yeah,a true design flaw.i would build more of my own,but dam that's a real pain in the ass!

I, too, prefer Neodeshas (is someone going to start making them again?) but also use Visions for ease of stacking (which they really don't do very well). We use pipe foam covers to basically plug the lip around the inside frame. Once in place, the snakes can't use them; piece of cake. I have used them for many venomous and so far, they have worked out real well. THey are easy to work with, cut to size and install (I just wedge them in!). There's the housekeeping tip of the day, Happy THanksgiving, Rob

>>Hey Randal...
>>
>>What about the top lip? I can hold a NASTY Surprise like this one...I held the camera on the tracks for the glass and pointed it straight up. This is what was seen.
>>
>>Al
>>
>>1.0 Bothrops asper
>>
>>
>>-----
>>"Snakes in Peru are not there for decoration, they really bite people."
>>
>>Professor David Warrell, Omaha 10/21/05
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Rob, I too have had the lip problem with my vision's. But I have never used pipe foam, how safe is it for the snake? How is it when it's wet and does it give off any harmful substances to the snake? Thanks in advance.

yeah i think the foam is an inert/stable or harmless material to use-i.e. it's not gonna disintergrate upon contact with water...no idea how it would react with urate/uric acid,but i would be surprised i the results could be any more harmful than that from any other cage/cage furnishings' material...oh yeah,don't use the fibreglass pipe insulation!lol

I use cages made by Doug Barr at Herpcages.com. He does not have pics on his site but if you go to pmherps.com they are there. Mine are 4x2x2 shift cages. the two sides can be seperated to keep the snake totally isolated from you. you clean one side, take the barrier out when the snake is on the other side to the same. they are awsome and I do not have to have any contact with them at all.

Steve Doss
Snake FX