Venomous Caging

Reticsrule · 09-28-05, 07:58 PM

i would like to know what you guys would recommend as the best brand of cages to house venomous snakes in. im talking about the plastic cages such as boaphile, animal plastics, neodesha, vision, etc. im not very good at building things so if one of these brands or a similar brand would work, i would prefer it over building my own.

P.S. Once again, please do not think that i am planning on buying venomous snakes anytime soon. i would just like to see what is the best brand of cage to house them in. thanks

cantil · 09-30-05, 10:15 PM

Venomous caging is to a LARGE extent a mater of personal preferance. The two factors which must be considered above and beyond the usual conditions for caging other reptiles (ability to provide heat, humidity, etc.) when considering hot caging are can you work with the animal in the cage in a safe manner and is the cage absolutely escape proof. Within this framework the attributes of the animal and the comfort of the handler with a specific style of enclosure are important. For instance housing a small elapid in a vision cage might be a bad idea since they can easily perch on the lip of plastic above the sliding doors while the same cage might be perfect for a mid-sized rattlesnake. By the same token some people prefer front opening tanks whereas others prefer top opening enclosures as this limits (to some extent) the animals ability to skitter out onto your floor. No matter which caging you choose you will find some people who swear by its merits and others who see nothing but flaws. There is no perfect venomous cage which works univerally for all species at all times. Your best bet is always to see animals in the collections of other people and get a feel for what works in a given situation then to consider the individual needs of the species and specimen which you are going to keep. Hope this helps, cheers.

cottonmouth89 · 10-05-05, 07:35 PM

I would say that neodsheas are the best by far. I keep one of my hots in it and its perfect for them.

BWSmith · 10-10-05, 08:33 AM

I have not used Neodeshas in a long time. But last time I used them, the doors tended to fall out. Visions have the lip to make a nice little venomous booby trap. i use all Precisions for my venomous but plan on trying Jungle Habitats for them since they are working well for the other snakes.

BWSmith · 10-10-05, 08:35 AM

I will also go out on a limb and say that likely you are not ready for a venomous species. You are 14 years old and it appears you have 2 boas and a Beardie. I would wait at least 4 years and find a seasoned handler to train you. There is also a good book you can get

Reticsrule · 10-10-05, 06:12 PM

like i said earlier im not planning on getting any hots until i have my own house, which will be a long time away from now. im just trying to learn as much as i can now so i dont have to do it later. i know two people that keep hots and im sure they would be able to help me out in a few years. and i will definetely look into that book

what is the site that it is on again? thanks for the help as well

BWSmith · 10-10-05, 08:38 PM

Port Credit Pet Center may still have some signed copies.

McCarthy Boas · 10-10-05, 11:02 PM

Hi,

I can make you a nice custom cage when you are ready for HOTS. But like BW said I would wait until you are older and have been trained by someone that deals with HOTS. Anyway here are some pictures of a custom cage I made for a rattlesnake. It has two locking systems and a center divider to help when cleaning the cage. This cage cost $430.00 + shipping.

Take care
Tom

BWSmith · 10-11-05, 07:27 AM

nice job Tom. And that would be great as long as you are only stacking one cage high. Do you have a design for stackable with dividers? i would assume that they would have to be hinged doors.

McCarthy Boas · 10-11-05, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWSmith

nice job Tom. And that would be great as long as you are only stacking one cage high. Do you have a design for stackable with dividers? i would assume that they would have to be hinged doors.

Hi BW,

I am working on designing a cage with sliding doors that has a divider that can be removed from the front of the cage for my Vet. It is a surprise for my Vet. He takes good care of my snakes and dogs, so the least I could do is make him a cage for some of his hots. If you would like, when I do make one, I can e-mail you a picture of it. I personally don't like hinged doors on any reptile cages so I try and make all my cages with sliding doors. This way you can open the cage just a little if need be or remove the glass and you have full access to the cage for cleaning. By the way, do you like the all clear look or do you think they should be clear only in the front. I like the fact that you can look from any direction and see in the cage. This way you know the hot snake is in the cage and has not escaped.

P.S.
I am sorry I did not get better pictures of this cage for you until after you had your book done. I would have loved to have a picture of it in your book. If you would like, e-mail me a banner code for your book and I will add it to my care sheet page on my site with the other good books I like.

Take care
Tom McCarthy
www.McCarthyBoas.com
mccarthyboas@comcast.net

microwavedapple · 10-11-05, 12:20 PM

tom your cages are pretty cool. do you make them and sell them?

BWSmith · 10-11-05, 12:43 PM

I prefer only one side clear just for the stress on the animal. Wild caught Diamondbacks, for instance, can often be very stressed and problem feeders if they don't feel secure. But I will soon be looking into all new venomous display cages for my programs. All clear with a hinged locking door ont he reat would be ideal to eliminate the need to alternate lighting. I am anxious to see the front divider design. I have not been able to figure out how to do it. Of course, as soon as I see yours, I am sure I will be slapping my forehead

McCarthy Boas · 10-11-05, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWSmith

I prefer only one side clear just for the stress on the animal. Wild caught Diamondbacks, for instance, can often be very stressed and problem feeders if they don't feel secure. But I will soon be looking into all new venomous display cages for my programs. All clear with a hinged locking door ont he reat would be ideal to eliminate the need to alternate lighting. I am anxious to see the front divider design. I have not been able to figure out how to do it. Of course, as soon as I see yours, I am sure I will be slapping my forehead

Hi BW,

I do sell some display cages on my site that might work for your programs. Each unit is 24" long x 8" or 12" wide x 5" deep with 2 or 3 compartments with individual sliding lids with locks. They are made out of 1/4" Acrylic. I also have a box that has two 12" X 12" X 8" compartments with locks. If you are interested in them just go to my "Acrylic Cage" page of my website. I can even make custom sizes that would work for you if you don't like the ones I have.

As you can see you can even fit a 6' - 6" BRB in it. This is the 12" X 12" X 8" box.

Take care
Tom

McCarthy Boas · 10-11-05, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microwavedapple

tom your cages are pretty cool. do you make them and sell them?

Hi microwavedapple,

Yes I do sell wood and Acrylic cages. You can see more pictures and info on my website. However I think the shipping to Nottingham,England would cost way to much from the USA. http://www.McCarthyBoas.com

Take care
Tom

BWSmith · 10-11-05, 01:26 PM

Those are definately affordable. I need some heat packs anyway. i may go ahead and order one to see how I like it. Is the Pin Lock keyed?