Super Panther Condo

[Shae]

Hello everyone!

My wife and I just finished our first home built enclosure and we wanted to share it with you all.

As this is our first, please let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions to improve it.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59112&stc=1&d=1341612986

The cage is made of Oak, with black stainless steel screens.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59113&stc=1&d=1341612986

We put two full size doors in, one on each side, and sealed the bottom 3 inches with Lexan to keep the water damage minimal. We also placed a drain in the floor to make cleaning easier and for excess water removal.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59114&stc=1&d=1341612986

After looking all over the net, we found these nice latches.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59115&stc=1&d=1341612986

There are UV and basking lamps suspended above the top screen. We also attached the spray heads of an Exo-Terra Monsoon to the plant hangers. Our panther, Diego, was eyeballing a tasty cricket in this shot. =)

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59118&stc=1&d=1341613882

And last for now is the back.

Thanks for looking!

Shae.

 

[ZPavDesign]

Looks nice! I can't wait to build my large enclosure!

 

[camaleonte82]

Can you build us one? thats freaking Gorgeous!

 

[camaleonte82]

do you have design/blue prints for it?

 

[PantherEnvy]

That is a work of art. Fully functional for correct husbandry.

 

[Shae]

Thank you guys =) we worked on it for a month! As for plans, my wife and I just sketched out some ideas on paper then added the dimensions. The overall design was inspired by a birdcage my wife saw. From there we just winged it.

 

[camaleonte82]

you should see what happens when we "wing" it... its not pretty. we have store bought cabinets that we followed the directions and they are still crooked lol. what all did you use to build it and seal it with etc... i see you used oak. nice its so gorgeous i want to duplicate it lol

 

[chamycham]

Beautiful!!!!! What size it is??

 

[maxttu]

That is seriously nice! Congrats on a job well done!!

 

[Shae]

The entire assembly is put together with pocket screws. I have made other things out of wood and this type of construction has worked very well for me. The inside dimensions are 48" tall, 36" wide and 18" deep. It is just shy of 7 feet tall at the highest point.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59124&stc=1&d=1341617591

As for the panels, we just used lots of screws. =)

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59125&stc=1&d=1341617591

I have a friend that does glass and he had a scrap of this Makrolon sheeting, so we used it. I sealed it in with 100% silicone caulking.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59126&stc=1&d=1341617591

The sealer is outdoor varithane. It looks really good, high gloss, and is VERY water resistant. It does take a good week of being outside to let the fumes die down. It has zero odor now however.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59127&stc=1&d=1341617591

As for the screens, we couldn't find any material locally that we liked. We wanted them black, and to be made out of metal, but all we could find here was painted aluminum. It dented, and scratched super easy. So we had to suck it up and fork over the $90 for a roll of stainless steel screen. It is super strong, and damn near invisible once your back a few feet, but it was a SOB to get it stretched in to the frames.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59128&stc=1&d=1341618022

 

[AlecWade]

Thats beautiful very well done. For a wing it attempt I'd grade that an A for sure! Maybe give him a few rods and more vines up top so he can perch towards the top of his new mansion until those pothos grow in. Great looking cage and cham, I hope it works great!

 

[ibdragons]

Can u build one for me to live in? Damn that cham is living large.

 

[Shae]

Thank you all for the complements and encouragement!

 

[mrfixit01]

So how much is a year's lease? I can move in next month! You both did an awesome job and you should be extremely proud of what a beautiful dwelling you have created for your cham. I'd never thought of stainless steel screening. The glass doesn't bother your cham? Usually they don't like to see their reflections. Fantastic!!!

 

[Shae]

The plexiglass doesn't seem too reflective. Diego only goes to the bottom when he is looking for a cricket snack, but so far he hasn't shown signs of stress. He was clearly peeved the first 24 hours or so, then he brightened up and took over the place. Thank you for the heads up; I will keep an eye out for the floor bothering him.

 

[ISA my Veiled]

Wow do you know howto make someone jealous lol very nice your panther chameleon must be in paradise

 

[Shae]

Jenn and I want to thank you all again. It means alot to us to hear everyones encouragement. If we can be of any assistance, please drop us a note. We learned so much doing this project.

We will keep posting our progress, and watch the other threads for opportunities to help out.

Jenn and Shae.

 

[NorCalAnthony]

That looks fantastic! I just built my first enclosure (a small 2x1x2 for babies/juveniles) and am already wanting to the full size version so your cage is definitely giving me some ideas. I really like how it turned out almost like a piece of furniture that you can proudly display instead of a clunky cage that you have to hide in a corner.

It's also nice to see another forum members in my area. I'm in Lincoln and have family there in Elk Grove. Small world

 

[Midnighthwk]

nice cage. i would just say add live plants but that just me

 

[Shae]

Thanks Midnighthwk. Do you think it needs more live plants? Beyond the two Pothos?