DIY Cages and Reptariums

[jwthought]

Hey,
I'm thinking about building my own enclosure and I came across a few links and info that I thought might be of some use to people:

DIY PVC enclosure. Looks great for iguanas or chameleons:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/9008/pvccage.html

This woman can custom make different sized reptariums. They're for sugar gliders but they'd work for chams too.:
sugarglider.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/315484 - 70k -

You can also make your own reptarium from pvc. Just get the measurements of the size reptarium you want, buy appropriately sized and cut pvc tubing and joints, and put it all together. You can buy replacement screening, clips and cage liners here:
http://www.dblrsupply.com/store/nests/reptarium.html

I've done this before and the only difference is that the tubes are white, not black. Definitely cheaper than buying the whole thing.

This is the one that I'd really like to build sometime. This was an article from chameleonnews.com. I found this fascinating:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/diy_outdoor.html

Have fun!

 

[Vegas Chad]

And some more...

http://www.reptilerooms.com/framepa...//members.cox.net/vetteman527/build_4x4x2.htm

http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/oct2003/baby_caging/baby_caging.html

 

[Mesnik]

Hey guys,

I am new to chameleons and while I wait for mine to arrive home (will pick it up at the local show this month!!!), I have been working on a DIY cage (for when he grows older!).

I surfed this forum quite a bit and copied some ideas here and there.

This design is being made out of 1 x 2 oak, and will have aluminum screen (I know, I know). The base will also be oak but I have not started on that yet.

The screen will be attached like the screens are to a door: I will route a groove and use that rubber thing to keep the screen inside the groove.

On the picture, the red and cyan sides will be screened doors, and the other two, against a corner wall, will have a solid backing with decoration (probably that fake rock stuff).

The two doors will have two studs (each door) at the bottom and will lock from top. I don't need them to swing so this way, I can easily remove them.

The bottom was copied, with the intent to treat it with epoxy, and have a bucket underneath.

I have this in CAD if any one is interested...

Just thougth I would share, as many have done and it is always useful for us willing to DIY.

I will post final pics when done.

Roberto.

 

[lonomac]

I like the Outdoor enclosure idea. Only problem I would definitely have is ants. they'd be in there in no time. Also scorpions and Black widows are a problem here, but the ants for sure

 

[jwthought]

yeah, i am trying to figure out how to combat the ants, too. They are all over here in the FL Keys. A raised enclosure with its legs in oil is said to deter ants, but I cant see how it could be incorporated into the greenhouse design. Any ideas?

 

[Will Hayward]

The only solution for the outdoor enclosure would be to creat not only a moat around the pen... But also to digout nice and deep, the space the pen will takeup, and put down gravel and layers for hte plants to ensure no pests are diggin their way in below the moat.

 

[lonomac]

Think thats how it will have to go. Could just make a simple flat bottom platform with 6+ legs standing in buckets of oil. Id be paranoid of it catching fire though . Sounds like most of the work has nothing to do with the actual enclosure.

 

[Will Hayward]

Think thats how it will have to go. Could just make a simple flat bottom platform with 6+ legs standing in buckets of oil. Id be paranoid of it catching fire though . Sounds like most of the work has nothing to do with the actual enclosure.

And with that method all of your plants would have to be in pots, rather than in the ground utilizing natural nutrients.

 

[apple]

you guy/girls are lucky i cant have an out door enclouser i live in the city brooklnyn ny my back yard is cement and wouldnt even think of leaving my lil ones outside

 

[Chill]

For awhile i had the greatest most pimp idea for a cage. But it was for more than one chameleon. it would include built in lights and sprinkler system all on timers. and the best part was it was fairly cheap as far as cages go and it could have room for a fully grown panther, 2 or 3 grown veileds male and female of course. and two smaller cages that could fit a pair of jacksons comfortably and another species as well! it was made all of wood and the building was fairly easy. Im 17 and i can do it so i think anyone can. i was going to use ficus's in there and jus all kinds of stuff. It was a great i dea but i decided on the free roam technique. But if anyone is interested in the idea id be glad to give them a general idea of what i was talking about...

 

[Zerah Morris]

As long as you guys are talking about outdoor caging here is my newest creation. It is constructed of old decking from a remodel in the neighborhood so all the 2x6's were ripped in half. A dado blade was used to create lap joints and dados for strong construction. Everything was glued together with poly glue and weather proof deck screws. It was then covered in shade cloth, and very heavy cloth used as divider walls so that the chams do not see each other. Each 4 foot door covers two cages. This caging bank has two misting systems. A standard, for me, the orbit 1/2" mister head, but it also has regular 180 degree flower bed sprinkler heads mounted above on a ball valve so that I can literally make it rain, the grooming behaviors become quite bizarre after about an hour and it really hydrates up fresh imports in a hurry. This caging bank was specifically placed in a flower bed that ran between a sidewalk and my home for shade loving chams and gets about 2-3 hours of mild late day sun, some bask, some move down into the foliage. The canna have not fully recovered from there transplant but are coming along well, and yes I still have and use the other enclosure but for smaller chams. Right now this one houses one adult, and one sub adult johnstoni males, 1.1 year old deremensis, and an adult common fischeri male. The smaller chams are in the outdoor enclosure from the article on the e-zine, and include 1.1 young deremensis, 0.1 B. tavetanum, a young female johnstoni, and a neonate common fischeri.

 

[apple]

wow nice cage so you always keep your chams outside???where are you from??

 

[Zerah Morris]

No they usually get about 8-9 months out depending on species, I am in Oklahoma. I have an indoor system in the garage that has it's own heating and cooling system as well as a full misting system. Small cages but it gets them through the winter and on any sunny days, it is Oklahoma so the weather changes a lot in the winter, they all go out for the day.

 

[Will Hayward]

Zerah, Are the tops fabric or wire?

Very nice.

 

[Zerah Morris]

Hey Will, they are fabric as well. When the watering system is on "rain" it pools on the tops of the fabric and then you get drips coming from every were just like rain, they love it!

 

[Will Hayward]

Thankyou.

One more, is the water from a heated tap, or receive supplemental heat?

OK, two more. As I understand it, the plants were put in and then the fabric mounted. So there is no way of getting into the lower part of the cage, sonce the doors are only about 1/3 the height at the top, correct?

Have you had any troubles with the latter?

 

[Zerah Morris]

The water comes off a mix valve I built from the washer hook up so can be heated, so far I have not needed to though, ambient is still close to 100 degrees here so the cooling mist pulls me down to the mid to low 80's.

I designed so that I can reach the bottom. I dug out the existing bed, then used a golf course greens mix of 70% sand and 30% soil to fill, misted it heavily and tamped it into place until it was very compact, I then covered that with 1-1.5" smooth river stones about 3" deep so the "bottom" actually comes a little over the top of the bottom stretchers right now, it should settle a bit. I can reach the bottom with a little stretch but a really feisty cham can avoid me if he really wants to. As I am hands off mostly anyway this is not a problem, no gravid female will be left in these cages once she gets close to laying.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Zerah Morris]

And of course no post is ever complete without a few pics of the inhabitants!

This is my juvenile male johnstoni. He has a juvenile mate in the other enclosures.

This is jail break. Fishers are known for being escape artist and this one is no exception, turn your back for a minute with the cage door open and you are going to be searching the hedges a few feet away from the sidewalk for a while! Only took one time to learn this!!!

Thanks for the look more to follow no one else was cooperating this afternoon before the misters kicked in.