Ornate monitor enclosure updgrade

[Grendel]

So here are the pics of the new enclosure for my ornate.
Since I posted a month ago he has grown from 15 to 18 inches. He now makes burrows, eats better ( one mouse/ day not including crickets, worms, and sometimes cut up raw fish). The enclosure is 6x 4x 3 filled with Florida soil covered with leaf litter. He is less skittish and takes food from tongs easily.

[Grendel]

More detailed shots/ I don't know why they are uploading sideways, they were not taken that way.

[Grendel]

Other side

[War Machine]

is that a mesh top?

[BarelyBreathing]

That's a little (a lot) small.

[Grendel]

Oh noo, the mesh separates the lights from the rest of enclosure, it is all treated wood with plexiglass doors.

[Grendel]

Well I know this is not going to fit his adult size. I already bought it a year go and it stood empty, so I'm using it for now. I think I got 6-8 months to convince my wife why I need to convert a third of the garage into a lizard enclosure.

[dinosaurdammit]

Well I know this is not going to fit his adult size. I already bought it a year go and it stood empty, so I'm using it for now. I think I got 6-8 months to convince my wife why I need to convert a third of the garage into a lizard enclosure.

Monitors grow QUICK you dont have 6-8 months if you are feeding/heating correctly.

[Grendel]

I did not know they grow fast, wow thats the first i've heard of that. I take it all of you built a 15x10x8 enclosures for your baby monitors right from the bat.

[dinosaurdammit]

I did not know they grow fast, wow thats the first i've heard of that. I take it all of you built a 15x10x8 enclosures for your baby monitors right from the bat.

15 sounds a bit excessive IMO

[War Machine]

10x5x7, and its a "grow up" tank. Kudo's your setup is better then it was, but dino is right, you have maybe 3-4 months tops with that setup.

[Pirarucu]

15 sounds a bit excessive IMOThere is no such thing as excessive for a monitor.. LOL

[dinosaurdammit]

There is no such thing as excessive for a monitor.. LOL

True i suppose.

[infernalis]

I did not know they grow fast, wow thats the first i've heard of that. I take it all of you built a 15x10x8 enclosures for your baby monitors right from the bat.

I put my babies in an adult enclosure the day they arrived. ;)

No regrets at all, they have been growing an inch a week.

[Wyldrose]

I wish I had my enclouser build for my sav when I got him. I had him in a 6x2x2 for 3 months and he out grew that fast! After I moved him into his adult home he had a huge growth spurt.


Not to nit-pick or anything, but is that a fresh pine log in there? Fresh pine has oils in it that can be very harmful to reptiles health.

[Lankyrob]

I did not know they grow fast, wow thats the first i've heard of that. I take it all of you built a 15x10x8 enclosures for your baby monitors right from the bat.

I WILL NOT buy my monitors until such time that i can provide them with a 12foot by 12foot enclosure, until that time i enjoy looking at pictures of healthy monitors online.

[Grendel]

The pine long is long dried out, it's about 3 years old.

[dinosaurdammit]

The pine long is long dried out, it's about 3 years old.

IICR pine isnt safe until you seal it very well.

[Wyldrose]

The pine long is long dried out, it's about 3 years old.

Kiln drying is the only sure way to remove most of the oils. They don't encounter pine in the wild so it's best to not use it in their enclosure.

Try birch, popular, oak, apple trees, maple, etc. Avoid berry making trees like aspen and cherry. Of course with pine ceader is also a bad one. All evergreens are best to avoid.

[War Machine]

good catch Wyldrose,

I would ditch the pine all together, simply not worth the risk. Odors in a sealed, humid box are multiplied by 100x if not more.

[Grendel]

I'll take it out to be safe/ get a different branch