Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been wanting another lizard for sometime now and I think a Mail would be a nice fit for me. I am going to be building a custom cage for him and was wondering if the dimensions I had in mind would suffice. I've read that a 4'x2'x2' cage is a nice fit for an adult uro. Problem is, the surface my cage is going to sit on is only 16 inches wide, but 7 feet long. So, I was wondering if a 5 or 6 feet long, 16 inch wide and 2 feet tall cage would be enough for him when he's full grown.

16" is still a bit small for the width, even for a longer enclosure. You need the space to provide a heat gradient, which is difficult in smaller enclosures

Yeah, that's what I was worried about. I was trying to keep my room the way it is now, but if I have to build a new stand and do some rearranging I will. What would you recommend for a cage size? After thinking about it, a 2 foot tall cage seems like a little much. So maybe 4 feet long by 2 feet wide by 16 inches tall?

And then for substrate, I think I am going to go with millet bird seed. I was just wondering if you have to line the entire cage with the bird seed or if doing a section of the seed and a section of play sand would be alright. That is, once he is mature enough to be on the play sand. I was planning on burying some PVC pipe and creating a tunnel for him to hide in in the sand.

Thanks for the help.