Lil' snakes in big enclosures.

[grahamh]

Bart and Lisa Bredl moved into their new enclosure on Saturday. They've been in a 300mm x 200mm Critter cage for the last couple of months. They are three and a half months old. Their new enclosure is much bigger.

I know from several sources that very young snakes get a bit stressed in large enclosure and actually do better in smaller spaecs.

I decided to put their critter cages minus the top into the new enclosure to see how the used the new space. I checked them after a couple of hour (dark lights on) and found them checking out hteir space - climbing branches and checking out rock shelves etc. They both went back to their critter cage later on - inside their paper towel tube hide (which is disposable when the mess it up). Last night it was feed time. Bart had his feed high up on a rock shelf near the Black light heater and Lisa too hers from within the Critter cage. An hour later and for the rest of the night as far as I can tell they were both high up near their Black Lights catching some extra heat.

This morning Lisa was high up but away from the heat and Bart was back in his Critter cage.

They definately call the Critter cage home but are also making good use of the extra space. Neither one seems stressed and they were both happy to take two fuzzie mice each so I reckong they feel pretty comfortable.

G

kool How big is their new cage????????

[grahamh]

Hi Bren

1Mt high 1mt wide half mt deep. Lots of rock shelf, and wide branch space plus some home made heat cave that have really worked out well and cost about $15 each to make. This should do them for a while.

G

It sounds like a very good setup.

[grahamh]

I'll try to get some photos up in the gallery.

[Hawkeye]

I have had my bredli (Chili) in a large cage from the outset (90X40X60cm wxhxd) and he has done fine. He goes all over the enclosure and very rearlt even goes into his hide. He spends most of his time under the heat lamp or up on his tree trunk or watching through the glass. He doesn't seem too streesed about things at all and is having a great time.

He also heads towards his enclosure when he is out and wants to get back. I use the rationale that they have the whole world to move in in nature so why limit them in captivity. But saying that he also has a hide to secrete himself into when he is ready to shed etc etc).

Cheers Hawkeye

[grahamh]

Yep Hawks

I had the same view - big world they live in - as long as they can hide from it when the want to I reckon it makes sense. Nice to see them moving around and strengthening their muscles.

G

[africancichlidau]

I, too, put my Bredl's into a large enclosure at a young age. I believe the bigger the better as long as they have lots of nice little hidey holes in there.

[grahamh]

Phil

I think you're right. My two seemed to have moved out of their Critter's and are spending most of their time up high now. I'm sure this is partly due to them having just fed and there being less heat in the Critter cage itself. Having said that though they each have a heat rock cave that is as warm as the place they've chosen. We'll see waht develops. I'm sure the secret is to give them the secret places in various temperatures.

G

[Alexahnder]

did you make the rock shelf yourself?? i was wondering if u could use expandable foam for rock backing.

[grahamh]

Alex

I was thinking of doing an article on the construction of my new enclosures. What I thought would take me a couple of weekends ended up taking 6. The amount of work to produce what I wanted was far beyond my estimate of time and money.

Anyway the rock shelf was constructed on an MDF backboard 2m x 1m. On to this I staples some fine (12mm) square wire mesh and formed it into the shapes I wanted. Then I used expandable foam ($80 worth 6 large cans) and pumped this into the mesh framework. Once this was set I trimmed off any that had expanded past the mesh and gave it a general cleanup. the next stage was to use plaster of Paris to give the basic surface texture I wanted, this took two or three applications. The last coat had sand and various ochres mixed in to give me an 'almost what I want' finish. Lastly I painted the rock wall with a mixture of PVA glue, Ochre and sand. The final result is not bad. The second of the enclosures is better than the first as I got a bit more artistic with the rock strata and the Bredls love it.

I can make a melamine rack in a day and a second day for the electricals but my 'Natural Environment' Mark 1 was about 150 hours work including shopping for parts and materials. Material cost alone was $2200 and way over budget.

I thought I could have done it for half that cost.

G

[Magpie]

Wow Graham, I can't wait to see them. An idea you might like is to embed real rocks into the backing. Alternatively, a piece of ply can be fixed to the backing as a shelf, then made to look like a rock. I have thought about using clay as a backing then coating it with sand / dirt so will be interested to talk to you about it. I don't want my 'regular' enclosures to be so fancy, but 1 or 2 display ones for the lounge room might be nice one day.
Is the backing fixed into the enclosure or removable?

[Brodie]

Hi,
I wish I was as artistic as you guys, when i finally get my snake, hopefully a bredl and hopefully tomorrow, i wanna put a rock wall as backing, as the place where i am getting them from has one like this to keep the juvenile bredl's in and they love it, every time i go in they are high up on the rock wall, getting some warmth. Any chance of some pics Grahamh?
Cheers

[Hawkeye]

The foam backing you are talking about is done in very good measure by Fangs and in the flesh they look fantastic.

As him about his experience (hes proud of them and get the plans early b4 he decides to make his miilions with reptile products )

Cheers Hawkeye

[grahamh]

If you want to see some of the photos of the enclosure and Bart and Lisa Bredl an Roy the Olive you can go to

http://www.aussiepythons.com/modules...view_album.php

G