Questions about making a snake enclosure

[GSMenardi]

I feel a bit silly making so many new topics in such a short time, sorry!

I've had an idea that it could be possible (and cheaper) for me to make a snake enclosure myself. I was thinking that I could go to bunnings or somewhere similar and buy a basic open cabinet sort of thing. From there I should be able to add doors, ventilation holes and anything else it needs, right?

My main concern is that if I were to buy something like a basic cabinet, would the wood and materials used to make it be harmful to a snake?

Also, what are other peoples experiences with making their own reptile enclosures?

 

[Variegata]

I feel a bit silly making so many new topics in such a short time, sorry!

I've had an idea that it could be possible (and cheaper) for me to make a snake enclosure myself. I was thinking that I could go to bunnings or somewhere similar and buy a basic open cabinet sort of thing. From there I should be able to add doors, ventilation holes and anything else it needs, right?

My main concern is that if I were to buy something like a basic cabinet, would the wood and materials used to make it be harmful to a snake?

Also, what are other peoples experiences with making their own reptile enclosures?

It's a lot cheaper to buy a second hand wardrobe or cabinet. Buying a brand new cabinet and converting it into an enclosure will cost as much as buying/building an enclosure.

 

[shellfisch]

You just need to be careful that the wood won't absorb moisture, so something like Melamine is best, and seal the joins etc.

If you are handy with that sort of thing, go for it!

 

[brisbaneboy]

hi i am building my own snake enclosure and am using melamine, but my question is i live in qld and am wondering wat sort of heating and lighting equipment i need all sites say something differeent help wood be muchly appreciated

 

[Megzz]

hi i am building my own snake enclosure and am using melamine, but my question is i live in qld and am wondering wat sort of heating and lighting equipment i need all sites say something differeent help wood be muchly appreciated

Depends on what you are keeping in there.

 

[Fuscus]

In warm areas (QLD, NT), I recommend using peg board as a backing to prevent too much heat and moisture building up in the cage.
Also if you are building with melamine use lots of glue to seal your joints to prevent water from getting into the chipboard proper.
DON'T leave any unprotected edges otherwise the lifespan for the cage will be less than a wet season.
If you decide to build your own beware of precut melamine lengths from hardware chains. A 1220mm sheet can be anything from 1210mm to 1230mm. Cutting melamine is an art and requires practise though it can be done at home.
Plan to expand. I built a cage bank to fill an entire wall even though I didn't have enough animals to fill them. Eventually I'll be getting rid of the air-con unit ( our house has great flow-though air) and putting two more cages on top of the existing ones

 

[GSMenardi]

Peg board is good idea, thanks. Thanks for the pics too, it's good to see an example of what someone else has done.

I know from experience, chipboard is just no good in the tropics.

Variegata - I would get something second hand, but I'm just not comfortable making a house for a snake using something that has been used by other people. Thanks for the suggestion though.