Boaphile cages NOT lizard safe. Do NOT purchase for lizards.

Originally Posted by TailsWithScales

Ditto 100%.

After 17+ years I've never had a burn and ALL of my monitors were /are climbers and had exposed lighting.

Have you made them aware of this thread??
Do you have any emails of contact between you and boaphile???

Jeff is not aware of this thread yet.

The only email I saved was the last one I wrote, that he didn't reply to:
From 08.18.2010:

Hi Jeff,

I'm sure you remember me. I'm the one that had to completely modify your cages so my iguanas wouldn't get burned by the light fixtures. I do hope you are no longer selling these cages to lizard people. However, the snakes are doing well in another one of your cages.

The reason I am writing today is to show you that one of the hinges completely broke off. This is unacceptable. Please let me know what can be done to make this right.

Thank you.

- Lizzy Leff Schuster

Hi, just curious if the hinge broke as a result from any of the modifications? It looks like that would be a no but wondering because I am planning on getting some cages/racks for my ball pythons. Btw, those dogs look so vicious... Lol! Wow, what a lame ... excuse. Thank you for info, Paige Culler

First off, i'd like to say that i don't keep lizards. However, when purchasing this cage and using it for the purpose of lizards. One would think about the bulb be exposed to the animal. This is the exact reason i use RHP for all of my snakes now, which definatley could be used for lizards. The broken hinge after 6months of use, i totally agree on however. His cages are suppose to be built to last. Well it seems the exact oposite in this case, however i can see why he would not stand behind it aswell. By you cutting into the cage, it MAY have messed up the structural integrity. Using this as an excuse to not refund you or partialling i can see. However also on the same note gives him a bad name as standing behind his own work. I dont personally use his cages either, i use Boamasters. As far as you telling him to not sell these cages to lizard keepers, i can see why he wouldnt respond. One's use with the cage is their own choice. Hopefully your "modifications" continue to work on the cages and you atleast get a few years out of them.

I don't know either party but it would be nice to see where you specifically asked the cages to be built for lizards? Was he aware that they would be for iquanas? Was he aware you didn't want bare bulbs, since you said you wanted them specifically built for you?

As for the hinge, unfortunately, since you made such major modifications to the cage, there is no way to prove that those modifications didn't cause the hinge to fall off. I'd like to hear both sides if possible.

I would have to say that any maker should stand behind their work. If the hinge broke, he should fix it, and have the integrity to stand behind his product. Was there any warranty agreement?

As far as keeping lizards in this type of cage. Sure. I could see a beardie or some smaller monitor, but that cage is not the type of place for an iguana. No offense, it's just not the right design and orientation.

I hope that you get some sort of partial refund or agreement regarding the break though. While he might not be responsible for what you do with the cage once you have it, he is responsible for making sure they last through the course of "ordinary" wear and tear.

Best of luck,


Ruan M Krugel.

I always thought Boacrap cages were just that, IMO.

I had a friend who bought a few and had nothing but the same problems with them with Boas, and they were tossed aside ( cages, not Boas). I asked how much they paid, and when I was told the amount I almost choked. I said I would just melt them down and make a Tonka truck out of them, since it's worth about the same.

i have had a water monitor burn his face on a open bulb setup. to say the least his name is scarface and is well over 4 ft. now. but the fact is any reptile can burn themselfs on those type of setups. i prefer to stay far away now!!!

That hinge isnt safe. He needs to fix that, everything else is just blah blah blah blah.

I do like the story book gallery though, was quite entertaining. People need to do the whole "captioned picture click through story" thing more often.

Surely you were aware that the bulbs & fixtures were going to be exposed prior to purchasing the cages, correct? If so, why are you making a fuss over having to modify them?

Also....I am by no means an Iguana expert, but even I know that type of cage is a terrible type of setup for a large arboreal lizard. You can't shove an animal into an improper enclosure, hack up the cage and then blame the person who sold you the cage.

Unless there is any type of guarantee on the cages or you bought a warranty, after 6 months, especially considering the modifications you made, I would you were outta luck if I were Jeff as well.

Originally Posted by DavidBeard

Surely you were aware that the bulbs & fixtures were going to be exposed prior to purchasing the cages, correct? If so, why are you making a fuss over having to modify them?

Also....I am by no means an Iguana expert, but even I know that type of cage is a terrible type of setup for a large arboreal lizard. You can't shove an animal into an improper enclosure, hack up the cage and then blame the person who sold you the cage.

Unless there is any type of guarantee on the cages or you bought a warranty, after 6 months, especially considering the modifications you made, I would you were outta luck if I were Jeff as well.

I agree that this is not a good design for an iguana cage and minimal research would have let the buyer know this. I can see housing an iguana in a wide flat cage for a small amount of time while it is little but if one is having a cage built with all the expense, one should build the right kind of cage for the critter being enclosed.

Did the seller know and build this cage knowing it was for an arboreal lizard? There may be a warranty of fitness, and the length of the warranty if not in the contract may be specified in your state law.