Maybe overdid it...

[backafter30]

I have just finished the first two display cages I've ever built. I've been working on them in my spare time for maybe a year and a half, but planning them much longer. They're all hand-built sealed wood with foam insulation carved for scenery. I used the led lights that come on a spool for lighting, and made my own heat panels by sandwiching heat tape between porcelain tiles sealed with silicone. A light switch and a rheostat are built into the front. The first cage has a generic jungle/rock-outcrop theme, with multiple caves and a high roosting space. It all disassembles and comes out for cleaning. The second cage is a jungle of Pandora, Avatar themed cage, using blue and purple toned plants. There are Unobtainium deposits, and, yes, it glows at night. It's daylight now, so I can't get pics of the glowing forest yet. I even painted scenery on the sides and background like you see at zoos, but it doesn't show up well in the pics. Comments, questions, suggestions for improvement welcome. Jim

[Sylphie]

I prefer the live plant vivs, but these are nice looking! I really like that stones in the first pic. :D

[millertime89]

Those look great! I see you're in Denver like I am. Are you on "5280 Exotics" on FB?

[Minkness]

What are you putting in them? (Reptile)

[Sasha2]

Those are gorgeous, Im loving that one with the purple plants. I wish that was in my livingroom.

[Minkness]

I bet if I had one of those to put in the living room, mom might actually let me have a snake or gecko out there on display lol

[EL Ziggy]

Those look GREAT! How long before you can build and ship me a 4x2x2? ;)

[backafter30]

I like live plants, too, but then you have living conditions that must be met for multiple things, and that complicates the issue and limits what you can put together. With fake plants, I only have to worry about the snake.

I've never heard of 5280 Exotics on FB. I thought that was a former breeder in the area? I'll check it out.

I started constructing these with corn snake-sized occupants in mind, but during construction I got a pair of Baron's Racers, which inspired the decor themes. The Avatar cage will get a Blue Baron's! Unfortunately, the Baron's will eventually out-grow these cages and will need bigger enclosures. I have many other snakes that would enjoy these smaller ones later.

My wife loves them, but even she says they aren't going in the living room!

I do lots of home improvement projects (hardwood flooring, bathroom remodeling, landscaping, etc.) so usually my cages take a lower priority on my time. At my current rate, I could do a 4x2x2 in about that many years. Maybe when I run out of other projects I could sell at local shows? I have a spreadsheet with lots of decor ideas.

Thanks!

[millertime89]

I've never heard of 5280 Exotics on FB. I thought that was a former breeder in the area? I'll check it out.

Nope, just a local group on FB. I don't post there much myself, but it's a nice group.

[backafter30]

I looked for it. Couldn't find it. I don't have a FB account. Could that be the problem? Pro Exotics was the former breeder here, not 5280, I discovered. You gotta link to 5280?

[millertime89]

Yeah, Pro Exotics was the company. Here's the page, you may need a FB of your own to see it.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5820Ex/

[sirtalis]

Wow, i really dig that avatar theme cage. I'm in the process of building a 4x2x2 for my leos, originally it was going to be planted but i may have just changed my plan lolz

[backafter30]

I only keep snakes (gotta limit things some how), but isn't 4x2x2 a bit big for Leopard Geckos? I admit what it would be awesome to have an enclosure so large in relation to the animal that it seemed like a natural habitat. Most of us just run out of space for enclosures. Would it be a community? You could lose a single gecko in something that big, especially if it is heavily planted.

[DDW]

Wow dude, you got skills:) I'd pay you to make something like this for me if I had the extra money XD great job^.=.^

[SnoopySnake]

Not overdone at all, they look great. I really like that first one.

[sirtalis]

Lol in the wild they have miles and miles, i go as big as i possibly can with my cages. What do you mean by community?

[sirtalis]

I also do all natural/planted cages. 100% bioactive :p

[backafter30]

Thanks! By community, I mean either a colony of one species, or even a mixture of species. Bioactive is nice, but then you really have to worry about the environment for both plants and animals, even microbes.

A few more pics. Closeup of my green Baron's, and a couple of the glow-in-the-dark jungle. This was taken in complete darkness, with only the light from the plants, which is why it is blurry. Even with my daughters nice Canon camera and a tripod, it's just too little light. In person, it is totally cool and downright eerie looking. My blue Baron's refused to pose, but was draped in the vines earlier and just looked killer!

[sirtalis]

His horn/nose reminds me of a hognose snake, and yes i keep 2 leopard geckos and one skink in the same cage, plus countless bugs.

[sirtalis]

Are they rear fanged?

[millertime89]

You have Baron's?! I'm so jealous...

Are they rear fanged?

They are.

[backafter30]

They're very fast and do not like to be held, but they aren't really inclined to bite. They run first, musk if they have to, but have never tried to bite. I talked to one owner who got chewed on by an adult. He said it "itched for a while". Others say to keep Benadryl on hand. Worth keeping that venom in mind, but not really considered dangerous. The young ones don't even kill pinkies with the venom. Wish I could get the blue one to pose...

[millertime89]

If you want I could drop by some time with my camera gear and we could see what we could do with them. It takes some practice and some patience, but with a little bit of work you can usually get snakes to pose long enough to get a decent picture. A remote shutter and a tripod help a LOT.

[backafter30]

More pics and an update. I finally caught my blue guy out exploring. They actually seem to enjoy their new enclosures. Much more interesting than their former tubs, but then you have to consider their species. (I have some other snakes that would be terrified and never be seen at all in these.) I tried to create the Avatar themed one with blue/purple plants with an aquatic feel to them, like in the movie, so aquarium plants seemed ideal, but they are intended to be supported by the water, and my blue Baron's, small as he is, can smash them a bit. He is perfect in there now, but when he grows, he'll demolish the scenery. Anyone know of a small, arboreal blue snake that doesn't hide all the time? Also, the cypress mulch is easy to clean up messes in, but I "overdid it" to the point that just finding what they leave behind is like a "where's Waldo" scene.