Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Windows are in. still no concrete... sliding doors allow climate control. Anybody got a plane that will fly my igs to Dallas? flying there and driving back with them is gonna suck! Thanks for the compliments. Mark you get partial credit, your set up is sweet.
Really, I'm in Dallas by DFW. C'cornuta good to see you around again How have you been? I not wild for the look of chain link fence and the holes are too big for my caymanensis. I also had some size constraints from my wife. more pics to come

jf

Shaping up to be one groovy lizard den, looking forward to the finished product.

looks pretty awsome

-----
-Robert

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an egg-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

The chain-link I used was a special order 2inch chain link pvc coated. I think your brac is same year as mine so that would be fine now especially if yours is a male. My male is now very large, double the size if the females. If you dont like chain the look of chain link I would still use some type of PVC coated wire. The chain link however is ten times more sturdy and is put together in bolt together panels which also makes taking it apart easy too. You just un-bolt and store or move flat.

thanks guys.
Concrete poured! I got an inch of elevation from the center drain so cleaning with a hose should be easy.
Mark, I have 2" welded wire with powder coat for my big male and I went with 1" for
my little guy. I havent seen him since Jan. John didnt think he was big enough for 2" and better safe than sorry. I will build the kennels this weekend and post a pic.
Damn its hot here. I woke up to 76 and it was 95 today. I wont even need lights

jf

Get used to the heat, jf. It's like this a good portion of the year....

yeah I have been told, or warned. I wont need any heat pads or lights this summer. Something else to get used to and figure out.

jf

Nope. No heat pads or lights for the summer and *probably* not until well into October and *maybe* not until November. It just depends. What is more important here is shade. Even inside won't get out of the 80s.

Inside, for your own comfort be prepared for much higher electric bills. Just FYI, when my Cyclura is inside she seems to spend as much time in the air conditioned part of the house (*with* a/c our house runs about 78-80 and midsummer we find it very hard to get it below that)as she does near her own warmer areas. Outside she spends more time in the shade that the sun midsummer, though she does enjoy soaking in the rays for at least part of the day. I've temped her as high as 117 looking happy and content. My little guy, otoh, seems to stress out and show signs of overheating at 110, but he's still a baby.

built kennels friday night. they are really nice. Access doors I put on top as lids. painted and sealed concrete this weekend to make cleaning easier. should finish build monday. gotta shop for rugs and furniture and go get my lizards in 2 weeks. next pics will have cyclura in them

jf

The only problem I see is if the back panels dont lift up, you will have to step over and get on your hands and kness to clean iguana crap closest to the building. Get yourself a broad long handle taping knife,

http://www.walltools.com/store/advance-curved-blade-aluminium-back-long-handle-drywall-knives-blue-steel-adv-018-cb-024-cb-026-cb.html

best tool ever for cleaning iguana crap off concrete

Its on my list. I put down an epoxy paint to minimize sticking and staining.
thanks for the tip

jf

I would suggest leaving the concrete unfinished. I would be scared of what that paint might do in 100 degree plus days of sun. Also, unfinished concrete might give better nail wear than painted which I might imagine would be kinda slick? Just a thought.

Very true about the nail wear. My igs nails are worn down blunt. No scratches.

Hey Joel:

Nice to see your set-up progressing. I’ve been without iguanas for nearly 4 years -- just photographed some, so decided to post.
I lived in Houston briefly in the late 80’s. The temp can change 45 degrees overnight when a cold front blows down from the north. You will probably miss the relative stability of dry California weather. The drive from Houston to LA can be done in 23 hours. From N. Cal to Dallas probably longer, and the 2 hours lost for time changes will not help matters.
Your move brings back memories of my own from LA to NY. Atleast you have the option of driving. Shipping an iguana box right after 911 was more expensive than a passenger airline ticket. Driving will hopefully be less stressful. During my move the golden retriever had a stoke, and the igs were in shock. After insulating, sheet rocking and building individual enclosures, the iguanas were shipped. They initially did better in one big enclosure. It took months for the pecking order to re-establish requiring some separations. Since your move is in Spring instead of Winter it will hopefully go smoother – Good luck.