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The Fun of Do It Yourself Snake and other Reptile Cages
by Mark Chapple
Are you nuts? You think banging your finger with a hammer is fun? No, I don’t. But building your own snake and other reptile cages can be a fun and rewarding experience.Before you even start, it is important to spend some time planning your reptile enclosure and carefully examining at how other cages are manufactured. Check out all of the parts, examine the locks, joins and vents. How is the lighting done? What about the heating?Use this information to design your own cages, based on the needs of your reptile and its size. Work out the size of cage you require and design it accordingly, altering the basic designs as needed to suit your purposes.Building something yourself is a great feeling. I personally enjoy the process of shopping for materials and deciding which is best for the purpose.There are quite a few questions to consider, such as: what should I make the base from what is the best way to make a vent how do you make the base water resistant what sort of lock should I use what sort of door should I use and how do I make it what is the best light fitting How should I heat it Getting the materials home and the anticipation of starting your reptile cage is an exciting time. The will be frustrations to overcome, problems to solve but the feeling of accomplishing and achievement you finally get from building something yourself is fantastic. Every time you go into the room and see the cages you made you can feel good about them. Sure, you will sometimes get a bit picky about the smaller details. What could you have done better, what if you had done this here etc. – well maybe next time.Some people even use the skills they learn to make cages for other people and make a bit of money. Once you have the skills and tools it is easy. Even if you don not have all of the tools, there are ways around it. You can go to local cabinet makers when you need something cut to size that is too large for you to handle. They are generally happy to oblige for a small fee and you get a perfectly square piece of timber.On a final note, making your own cages is a fun and rewarding experience and is recommended it to anyone considering it.
About the Author
Mark Chapple is the author of "How to Build Reptile Enclosures". Find out how to build snake and other reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Plus a host of reptile keeping hints and tips. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
Materials for Snake and other Reptile Cages
Mark Chapple
What kind of materials should you use when constructing a reptile cage? This question was posed to me once by someone wishing to build their own reptile cage. They were particularly asking about pine and cedar as they had heard these were no good. But it did raise the question about what are the best materials. All-glass, tubs, melamine cages, screen cages, there are many different types of housing systems for herps. Take your pick, depending on the adult size of the animal, how much room you have to spare, and how much money you are willing to spend! Aquarium tanks: Good choice for keeping snakes under 6 feet, amphibians, turtles, and basically anything requiring a swimming pool or some humidity. If a screen top is used, there will be enough ventilation to keep a sand boa or leopard gecko or any desert animal in it. If higher humidity is needed, the screen top can be partially wrapped with Saran wrap, and the tank can be treated as a tropical garden; put soil in it and plant some plants to raise the humidity! Viewing is unrestricted, the tank can be easily cleaned, it will not get scratched, and temperatures are easier to maintain. They are very cumbersome to move around, especially big ones, or fully-loaded ones. They need to be on a solid table or stand and if you do want to move them, the stand will need solid castors. Many lizards such as water dragons should not be kept in glass tanks, as they do not understand glass and will continuously ram into it. Tanks should not be considered for chameleons; cages are better. Plastic/Rubbermaid tubs: The feeding trough sizes are great for turtles! You can half-fill them with water, pile rocks in a corner for the basking area, put a lilypad or two in it, and have your own indoor pond complete with turtles! For the more common sizes, the sweater boxes and shoe boxes, any non-aquatic herp can be kept in them. In fact, these are used in breeding racks and in households with too many herps to be able to have the amount of tanks/cages to keep them all in. Not good for arboreals, as they cannot climb. Perfect for use during the quarantine period prior to introducing a new animal to an established collection. These restrict viewing, and are generally limited to hatchling animals. Good to use as an emergency/isolation enclosure. Melamine cages: Melamine is the stuff many countertops are made of. They resist moisture well, so rotting is usually not a problem. They're easily cleaned as well. Custom-made enclosures are sometimes made of melanine, and you can build furniture-quality enclosures youself. These can be made to fit a leopard gecko or a fully grown green iguana. With a glass front, these enclosures hold humidity incredibly well. Wood [plywood] cages: Same as for melamine, except much cheaper and easier to work with. Both enclosures, if ordered from a custom builder, can cost a great deal depending on size and material. Screen cages/Reptariums: Excellent for anoles, chameleons, light-bodied snakes, and young water dragons. The major disadvanges are that the largest size is only 29" x 29" x 72", humidity is very difficult to keep up, and strong animals could knock them over or even move them. This is a great idea for an easily-transported cage for small animals. MDF or craftwood: Same as for Melamine but also much cheaper. Good for use in combination cages ie Melamine basse with MDF sides, back etc. It can be painted, has good thermal properties and if used in conjunction with a coating material such as Contact, will hold humidity well. Excellent to work with and has a smooth finish. You can also use thinner sheets as it retains its rigidity. Some people recommend wearing a mask when cutting or routing MDF as it can be dusty. Pine or Cedar: Niether of these timbers should be used to construct a cage. Making the whole reptile cage from the pine or cedar has potential health problems for the animals. These woods emit aromatic hydrocarbons that can damage the health of the animals and cause various symptoms. There is probably little issue using as the woods in framing, as the wood has often dried out a lot and released much of the volatile material, or at the very least, the rate at which it is released is very slow. It also is recommended that you do not use pine or cedar as a substrate. Pine and cedar wood shavings used as substrates have a very high surface area and so the hydrocarbons are released much more readily, making them potentially toxic, especially as the animals like to burrow and immerse themselves in their substrate material. PVC Tubing & Mesh or Plexiglass: These materials make excellent larger cages for animals such as monitors, larger snakes, chameleons and iguanas. They do tend to lose a bit of heat but any large enclosure will require some effort to maintain a higher temperature. Lighting at the top and some at the sides (if needed) will create a sufficient heat gradient. Short of building a large frame with glass and a large door, this is the most economical way to make a larger enclosure if you do not have woodworking tools. Overall, if you want to construct your own cages for most reptiles, you are probably better off using plywoods, melamine and MDF types of materials for most of the cage. There does not at this stage seem to be any identifiable health issues caused by these materials. Another benefit with these materials is their insulating properties. Glass is not a good material for most reptile cages (except aquatic species) as it loses heat rapidly. Many glass terrariums have an open top with no seal and this also causes a high heat loss. This means the glass cages are more expensive to heat if you use certain types of heat sources. The front of the cage can be sliding glass, Plexiglass or a constructed glass door. A pine, oak or similar timber frame at the front will give the cage a more professional and decorative appearance. If you paint your cage, remember to let it dry out for a minimum of 2-3 days to release as much of the volatile material from the paints. 5-7 days would be even better. It is a good idea to make the base of a wooden reptile cage from melamine and use Silicon to seal around the edges, to prevent moisture penetrating the melamine or plywood sheeting. There are hints and tips on applying Silicone in the "How to Build Reptile Enclosures" booklet. A base of vinyl flooring can also be used if you are concerned about water penetration into the timbers. Be sure to seal it with Silicon and seal the holes where temperature probes are passed through. You can also coat the MDF or plywood interiors of the cage with 'Contact', a plastic sheeting with an adhesive backing, in any colours you like, before you assemble the cage. This will remove the need to paint the cage inside, reducing fumes, and also provide a water proof seal for the MDF or plywood. Contact comes in a range of colours and is very easy to cut and apply. About the author: Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles." Find out how anyone can build reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
The importance of a plan when building a reptile cage
Mark Chapple
Would you put together a model plane without look at the finished plane or looking at the plans? Does a builder build a house without a plan? The answer to these is pretty clearly no. A homemade snake or other reptile cage is so much simpler though, you say. I can just put it together as I go. Not so, my young apprentice. There are many pitfalls awaiting the inexperienced. Simple things you can miss. Silly mistakes you can make, and believe me, it is very easy to make them. There are a host of things that can make a simple cage take much longer than it should plus some possible costly mistakes.If you have never kept a reptile, then before you even plan a reptile cage, you need to do some research on what sort of cage your retile will need. A snake will need cages of certain dimensions; lizards will need other dimensions and arboreal species yet another type of cage with different dimensions. It’s also helpful if you know how large your pet will get so you can plan ahead.Another benefit of a plan is it helps you to think about your pet reptiles other needs such as heat mats, basking lights, UV lights, misting systems, substrates, decorations such as artificial walls, artificial trees and branches, and how these can be made and placed in the cage.Once you have a clear idea of what you want the finished product to look like and how large it will be you are ready to plan how you are going to construct it. At this stage, having a plan, however rudimentary, is important. Once you have a plan in place you can think through the issues. In many cases it will allow you to remove the problem before you even start, as the plan often reveals an error or issue. Naturally, the more detailed the reptile cage plan, the more you can make allowance for possible issues. It can also eliminate waste and save money as you only purchase the correct amount of material.Having a plan is useful as it allows you to see and understand how the cage will be constructed. You can work out how you may want to alter the plan if you feel the need to change.And finally a plan is essential for the construction phase. What goes where, what is the order of construction, what size should this piece be and so on. When building a reptile enclosure if the plans are detailed enough you will find that you constantly refer to them. This also helps minimise costly errors.Using a plan, whether is be yours, a purchased plan or someone else’s, will save you time, money and effort and produce a much better results for you and your pet reptile.
About the Author
Mark Chapple is the author of "How to Build Reptile Enclosures". Find out how to build snake and other reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Plus a host of reptile keeping hints and tips. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
by Mark Chapple
Are you nuts? You think banging your finger with a hammer is fun? No, I don’t. But building your own snake and other reptile cages can be a fun and rewarding experience.Before you even start, it is important to spend some time planning your reptile enclosure and carefully examining at how other cages are manufactured. Check out all of the parts, examine the locks, joins and vents. How is the lighting done? What about the heating?Use this information to design your own cages, based on the needs of your reptile and its size. Work out the size of cage you require and design it accordingly, altering the basic designs as needed to suit your purposes.Building something yourself is a great feeling. I personally enjoy the process of shopping for materials and deciding which is best for the purpose.There are quite a few questions to consider, such as: what should I make the base from what is the best way to make a vent how do you make the base water resistant what sort of lock should I use what sort of door should I use and how do I make it what is the best light fitting How should I heat it Getting the materials home and the anticipation of starting your reptile cage is an exciting time. The will be frustrations to overcome, problems to solve but the feeling of accomplishing and achievement you finally get from building something yourself is fantastic. Every time you go into the room and see the cages you made you can feel good about them. Sure, you will sometimes get a bit picky about the smaller details. What could you have done better, what if you had done this here etc. – well maybe next time.Some people even use the skills they learn to make cages for other people and make a bit of money. Once you have the skills and tools it is easy. Even if you don not have all of the tools, there are ways around it. You can go to local cabinet makers when you need something cut to size that is too large for you to handle. They are generally happy to oblige for a small fee and you get a perfectly square piece of timber.On a final note, making your own cages is a fun and rewarding experience and is recommended it to anyone considering it.
About the Author
Mark Chapple is the author of "How to Build Reptile Enclosures". Find out how to build snake and other reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Plus a host of reptile keeping hints and tips. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
Materials for Snake and other Reptile Cages
Mark Chapple
What kind of materials should you use when constructing a reptile cage? This question was posed to me once by someone wishing to build their own reptile cage. They were particularly asking about pine and cedar as they had heard these were no good. But it did raise the question about what are the best materials. All-glass, tubs, melamine cages, screen cages, there are many different types of housing systems for herps. Take your pick, depending on the adult size of the animal, how much room you have to spare, and how much money you are willing to spend! Aquarium tanks: Good choice for keeping snakes under 6 feet, amphibians, turtles, and basically anything requiring a swimming pool or some humidity. If a screen top is used, there will be enough ventilation to keep a sand boa or leopard gecko or any desert animal in it. If higher humidity is needed, the screen top can be partially wrapped with Saran wrap, and the tank can be treated as a tropical garden; put soil in it and plant some plants to raise the humidity! Viewing is unrestricted, the tank can be easily cleaned, it will not get scratched, and temperatures are easier to maintain. They are very cumbersome to move around, especially big ones, or fully-loaded ones. They need to be on a solid table or stand and if you do want to move them, the stand will need solid castors. Many lizards such as water dragons should not be kept in glass tanks, as they do not understand glass and will continuously ram into it. Tanks should not be considered for chameleons; cages are better. Plastic/Rubbermaid tubs: The feeding trough sizes are great for turtles! You can half-fill them with water, pile rocks in a corner for the basking area, put a lilypad or two in it, and have your own indoor pond complete with turtles! For the more common sizes, the sweater boxes and shoe boxes, any non-aquatic herp can be kept in them. In fact, these are used in breeding racks and in households with too many herps to be able to have the amount of tanks/cages to keep them all in. Not good for arboreals, as they cannot climb. Perfect for use during the quarantine period prior to introducing a new animal to an established collection. These restrict viewing, and are generally limited to hatchling animals. Good to use as an emergency/isolation enclosure. Melamine cages: Melamine is the stuff many countertops are made of. They resist moisture well, so rotting is usually not a problem. They're easily cleaned as well. Custom-made enclosures are sometimes made of melanine, and you can build furniture-quality enclosures youself. These can be made to fit a leopard gecko or a fully grown green iguana. With a glass front, these enclosures hold humidity incredibly well. Wood [plywood] cages: Same as for melamine, except much cheaper and easier to work with. Both enclosures, if ordered from a custom builder, can cost a great deal depending on size and material. Screen cages/Reptariums: Excellent for anoles, chameleons, light-bodied snakes, and young water dragons. The major disadvanges are that the largest size is only 29" x 29" x 72", humidity is very difficult to keep up, and strong animals could knock them over or even move them. This is a great idea for an easily-transported cage for small animals. MDF or craftwood: Same as for Melamine but also much cheaper. Good for use in combination cages ie Melamine basse with MDF sides, back etc. It can be painted, has good thermal properties and if used in conjunction with a coating material such as Contact, will hold humidity well. Excellent to work with and has a smooth finish. You can also use thinner sheets as it retains its rigidity. Some people recommend wearing a mask when cutting or routing MDF as it can be dusty. Pine or Cedar: Niether of these timbers should be used to construct a cage. Making the whole reptile cage from the pine or cedar has potential health problems for the animals. These woods emit aromatic hydrocarbons that can damage the health of the animals and cause various symptoms. There is probably little issue using as the woods in framing, as the wood has often dried out a lot and released much of the volatile material, or at the very least, the rate at which it is released is very slow. It also is recommended that you do not use pine or cedar as a substrate. Pine and cedar wood shavings used as substrates have a very high surface area and so the hydrocarbons are released much more readily, making them potentially toxic, especially as the animals like to burrow and immerse themselves in their substrate material. PVC Tubing & Mesh or Plexiglass: These materials make excellent larger cages for animals such as monitors, larger snakes, chameleons and iguanas. They do tend to lose a bit of heat but any large enclosure will require some effort to maintain a higher temperature. Lighting at the top and some at the sides (if needed) will create a sufficient heat gradient. Short of building a large frame with glass and a large door, this is the most economical way to make a larger enclosure if you do not have woodworking tools. Overall, if you want to construct your own cages for most reptiles, you are probably better off using plywoods, melamine and MDF types of materials for most of the cage. There does not at this stage seem to be any identifiable health issues caused by these materials. Another benefit with these materials is their insulating properties. Glass is not a good material for most reptile cages (except aquatic species) as it loses heat rapidly. Many glass terrariums have an open top with no seal and this also causes a high heat loss. This means the glass cages are more expensive to heat if you use certain types of heat sources. The front of the cage can be sliding glass, Plexiglass or a constructed glass door. A pine, oak or similar timber frame at the front will give the cage a more professional and decorative appearance. If you paint your cage, remember to let it dry out for a minimum of 2-3 days to release as much of the volatile material from the paints. 5-7 days would be even better. It is a good idea to make the base of a wooden reptile cage from melamine and use Silicon to seal around the edges, to prevent moisture penetrating the melamine or plywood sheeting. There are hints and tips on applying Silicone in the "How to Build Reptile Enclosures" booklet. A base of vinyl flooring can also be used if you are concerned about water penetration into the timbers. Be sure to seal it with Silicon and seal the holes where temperature probes are passed through. You can also coat the MDF or plywood interiors of the cage with 'Contact', a plastic sheeting with an adhesive backing, in any colours you like, before you assemble the cage. This will remove the need to paint the cage inside, reducing fumes, and also provide a water proof seal for the MDF or plywood. Contact comes in a range of colours and is very easy to cut and apply. About the author: Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles." Find out how anyone can build reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
The importance of a plan when building a reptile cage
Mark Chapple
Would you put together a model plane without look at the finished plane or looking at the plans? Does a builder build a house without a plan? The answer to these is pretty clearly no. A homemade snake or other reptile cage is so much simpler though, you say. I can just put it together as I go. Not so, my young apprentice. There are many pitfalls awaiting the inexperienced. Simple things you can miss. Silly mistakes you can make, and believe me, it is very easy to make them. There are a host of things that can make a simple cage take much longer than it should plus some possible costly mistakes.If you have never kept a reptile, then before you even plan a reptile cage, you need to do some research on what sort of cage your retile will need. A snake will need cages of certain dimensions; lizards will need other dimensions and arboreal species yet another type of cage with different dimensions. It’s also helpful if you know how large your pet will get so you can plan ahead.Another benefit of a plan is it helps you to think about your pet reptiles other needs such as heat mats, basking lights, UV lights, misting systems, substrates, decorations such as artificial walls, artificial trees and branches, and how these can be made and placed in the cage.Once you have a clear idea of what you want the finished product to look like and how large it will be you are ready to plan how you are going to construct it. At this stage, having a plan, however rudimentary, is important. Once you have a plan in place you can think through the issues. In many cases it will allow you to remove the problem before you even start, as the plan often reveals an error or issue. Naturally, the more detailed the reptile cage plan, the more you can make allowance for possible issues. It can also eliminate waste and save money as you only purchase the correct amount of material.Having a plan is useful as it allows you to see and understand how the cage will be constructed. You can work out how you may want to alter the plan if you feel the need to change.And finally a plan is essential for the construction phase. What goes where, what is the order of construction, what size should this piece be and so on. When building a reptile enclosure if the plans are detailed enough you will find that you constantly refer to them. This also helps minimise costly errors.Using a plan, whether is be yours, a purchased plan or someone else’s, will save you time, money and effort and produce a much better results for you and your pet reptile.
About the Author
Mark Chapple is the author of "How to Build Reptile Enclosures". Find out how to build snake and other reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Plus a host of reptile keeping hints and tips. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
