Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, how do all of you keep your hoggies? 10 or 20 gal? Rubbermade containers? Custom enclousures? Lets see some pics......
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Jenea

1:0 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

A friend of mine just started making these reptile racks for me and to see if he can sell some on my web site. www.westernhognose.com every self has heat tape and a thermostate. the bottom is for storage. what do you think? thanks.

JIM

Right now my collection is not big enough for a rack system, so I am going for astetics. I am almost finished with my hoggies upgrade. He will be going from a 10 gal, to a 36"L x 20"W x 18"H enclousure. I will have pics as soon as all the glue dries! I see so many pics of these beautiful snakes, but never their enclousures....made me curious.

Hey Jim, what kind of database do you use to keep track of your collection, or do you do it the old fashion way? I recently found a program that is made specifically for reptile husbandry, and just wondered if many people use them.
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Jenea

1:0 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

I once tried to use the "hungry herps" software for the collection at my old job and used it for a time except I couldn't export any reports because I was on a network. That flaw was fatal and I moved onto my own customized database. Besides, that software had way too many things on there that were not useful and made the software cumbersome. For instance, there is a section for measurements including the distance from the eye to the nose, and the distance in between eyes... who cares?? Not to mention that the really cheesy colors were horrible to look at. I do have to admit that the service was great, the creator of the software called me back on Thanksgiving Day about some questions of mine!

I wound up finding a professional database manager who volunteered his time in creating an awesome program for me using MS Access. It was extremely flexible and tailored specifically to my needs and I learned a lot. Keeping track of more than 200 individuals can be difficult, but it can be done with the right software!
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS

If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov

I dont have a huge number of snakes so the old record card way work well for me. thanks.

JIM

The rack looks pretty good, pretty standard. I had to build a lot of my own racks because I refuse to pay the outrageous prices that people sell them for! If your friend can sell them at a significantly lower price ($100 or more) then he might have a shot at making a profit! My question for you is, is the material sealed in any way? As you can imagine, unfinished wood would absorb moisture, develop fungus, warp, and all sorts of things.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS

If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov

I was worried about the same thing but I was unsure what would be safe to seal it with? It is made of MDF and it seems to be much better at not absorbing moisture then the melamine racks that a lot of other people are using. Will see how well it holds up after a few months of use. Thanks.

JIM

I have heard that MDF contains Urea formaldahyde, that leaks out whenever it is sanded or cut. I would seal it with a clear acrylic if you like the look.

The database I found was at eyehit.com/degei. It actually let me download a free trial (the prog. is only 20, so not a big deal). I was impressed, because it even let me keep track of my feeder inventory. Sounds like overkill with only 2 snakes, but I plan on getting more.
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Jenea

1:0 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

I have made many types of racks, not just for reptiles, out of regular framming material wether it be 2x4, or 1x4's. You just need to screw 3/8-1/2 inch plywood to the back and screw it to the supports as shelving for stability. This also keeps it from warping and bowing especially in a controlled indoor environment where you dont have the constant shrinking and swelling due to outside moisture soaking in. This lumber is usually kiln dried and I have never had a problem with it, even the racks I built 15 years ago are still holding up well.

just do not use any lenghts with knots in them. This is a weak point that cracks and is also where sap comes out. Pine sap seems to be very irritating to reptiles.