CHECK OUT this CAGE!!!

[squale]

What do you guys think of this cage for a Ball Python? Better than a Vision cage, etc?

Description:
This cage was custom made by professional cabinet maker, and has many nice features. As you can see from the pictures, the cage's front corners are angled, and the glass was specially beveled so as to enable greater viewing of the animal(s). Even the back of the cage is glass so as to offer a full view of your pet.

A specially cut "snake plate" is included should you decide to house a snake in this cage. This piece of perforated plexiglass prevents the snake (or any high jumping lizards) from gaining access to the inside upper level of the cage.

The measurements are as follows: 37.5 inches wide, 26 inches tall and 24 inches deep. The formica is a rich wood finish. The top of the cage lifts up and a recessed brass latch enables the top to be lifted with ease.

The tank has two recessed light fixtures for heat lamps and a full spectrum florescent light across the back of the tank.

The large piece of driftwood in the picture also accompanies the cage.

Four (4) vents ensure the tank does not overheat and offers some air exchange to avoid stale air. To better monitor the temperature of the tank, a heat regulator will accompany this cage at no extra charge. This electronic unit uses a thermostat to regulate the amount of heat being put out by the heat lamps. An additional thermometer is already enclosed inside the cage.

Pics:

http://www.cybassist.com/jkevin/cage/cage1.jpg
http://www.cybassist.com/jkevin/cage/cage2.jpg

[Jeff_Favelle]

It'd be even cooler if Ball Pythons weren't burrowing nocturnal snakes that you'll hardly ever see if given the correct cage setup. Might as well get an earthworm if you want to DISPLAY your Ball Python.

[striko_69]

What price are you payin for that?

[smeagel]

That is a very nice display cage, but I second Jeff's comments. Get yourself a nice display animal and put your ball python in a rubbermaid.

[squale]

yeah but what's a nice display animals that also likes to be held, etc?

and what do you guys think about this cage as a snakes cage? it looks wooden so I am not sure if that is a bad thing..

[squale]

well I am getting just 1 ball python as a pet and the cage will be in a living room, so high visibility.

the thing that concerns me about this cage is:

1.) I think it's wooden inside so I am not sure if that is a hugely bad thing or not for heating reasons and also cleaning, bacteria buildup, etc.

2.) It opens up through the top so I am not sure if this will make it a real pain in the butt to clean and also make it more likely that the snake will bite you when you go to pick them up versus a side opening cage?

3.) Can you FlexWatt heat tape on a cage like this? I am not sure if flexwatt heat tape can be applied directly too wood, and if so, will the heat go through the wood and into the cage to addequately provide the right heat for the snake?

BTW... this is a local person that is selling this cage, they used to have 3 bearded dragons in it and then later a Ball Python. I can probably get the cage for about $200 if this matters to your opinions... they had this custom built so I would imagine they spend MUCH more money on it initially. I think the cage is about 3 years old..

[peterm15]

well thoes ppl didnt know much about reptiles.. 3 beardies in that size of a cage... thats only 6sq feet.. maybe good for 2... but im not sure about 3... and a ball, really not a good cage for that... id put 1 beardie in it but thats about it.. and here

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/peterm15/cage028.jpg

this is the inside of the 8sq foot cage i biult for my beardie.. complete with lights heat paint electrical and all the rock wall... about 200 bucks...

save yourself some money and just use a rubbermaid for your ball.. youll buy that cage and just end up switchin to a rubbermaid anyways

[smeagel]

Nice cage peterm15! Looks like you pu alot of work into it

[greenman1867]

I would say that is a very nice cage for a IJ Carpet or ATB/ETB/GTP etc. I would highly discourage it for a Ball Python as they are very very solitary animals that require low traffic and the security of a smaller, opaque or non-transparent enclosure.

$200.00 seems to be a great deal but I would really reconsider the animal you wish to use it for.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Lizards makes 10,000x better display animals than snakes. Especially the really active ones.

But good display snakes are milks and corns, many of which are active during the day. Womas will be be out and about during the day. Same with Diamonds, Jungles, Irians, sometimes Spotteds and Children's. Heck, even Rosies might be out and in full view during daylight hours.

I'd put a big Jungle in there myself. Mine are always visible during the day unless they are in a shed (moist hide box).

But a Ball Python? That'd be the worst to try and display. Especially if the animal's needs are even remotely considered.

Cheers. Keep us updated.

[squale]

yeah I would get another Jungle Carpet python but they are just a bit too nippy and move way too much when holding them...

but I do think they are one of the better looking snakes out there..

[NadaNaga]

Okay, so assuming I just don't want to have a rubbermaid sitting in my living room for the next 30 years. Is there an aesthetically pleasing, ball python friendly alternative?

[striko_69]

Side opening custom wooden/fibreglass vivaria?

[Jeff_Favelle]

They are still a burrowing nocturnal animal, so I don't understand how a cage that YOU construct is going to undue 100,000 years of evolution.

But go ahead and try.

[tonyb]

without getting into the viv verses rubbermaid debate, i keep my royal in a viv and i have had no problems with him at all. as long as there are plenty of hides etc. im at work in the day time so it makes no difference to me if he sleeps all day iin his hide. id say most evenings hes out and about as well. as for that viv, id say cover the back facing glass side to make it a little darker and more secure. as for them being burowing animals, well technically speaking they are not, they just like to live in rodent burrows and small holes in tree stumps etc. so as long as their hides are small dark and secure, i dont think it makes a difference. also, if you look at the longest lived of the royal pythons, they are mostly in zoos and you cant get more open and less private than them.

[YoungBuck]

From what I can see...judging by the pictures...A BP wouldn't like the enclosure it would be living in. Like Jeff said...they burrow and are usually bundled up sleeping in a hide that is out of site. If the enclosure was larger I would recommend a Boa.

[paulsreef]

You could also take a nice digital photo of a Ball and prop it up on a piece of driftwood. No bacterial build up, no food costs, no temp. or humidity concerns. There you have it, a beautiful Ball on display whether he likes it or not. Oh yeah, one week you could display a spider; another week a mojave, then a super pastel, etc.. The possibilities are endless.

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!!!

[NadaNaga]

Originally posted by paulsreef
a beautiful Ball on display whether he likes it or not

Tell me if I'm over reacting, but I think that was a little harsh. Its not like the owner of the posted display cage was engaging in animal cruelty or anything. So he wanted to put a non display snake in a display cage. Big deal! As long as he doesn't mind the fact that the snake won't make much use of it and provides enough hides for his ball, I don't see why there is a need to make him feel guilty about it. Also, he never once said that he minded feeding or properly caring for his pet. Just my 2 cents...

[paulsreef]

I guess it may have sounded a little harsh, but that wasn't my intention. Maintaining temps and humidity in that type of enclosure will be a challenge. Moving my ball to the next size up rubbermaid is sometimes enough to stop him from eating; and we're only talking an 8 inch difference in length. An enclosure like that would be a main focal point in a living room or rec. room; why not use it to it's full potential and keep something that is active and doesn't mind being the centre of attention.

[NadaNaga]

Because your average 'attention hog' probably isn't nearly as easy to care for or handle? I mean, I don't know how much knowledge squale has of reptiles, but I'm guessing not much, and never once have I heard a lizard being recommended as a first pet for a novice herper. The same goes for most other snakes. I mean I've heard that ETBs have just nasty tempraments. So if you want something that you can handle and just happen to have a pretty enclosure... I mean if his snake does turn out to have problems with it, he can always still sell it. I guess the reason I'm so interested in this topic is 'cause I'll be in a similar situation. While I plan to keep my 2 months old baby in a rubbermaid, I do plan on moving him to a 17.5 gal aquarium from there, and something custom built from there. The livingroom is usually the warmest room in the house, but I don't want to have a plastic container (eye sore!) standing around for the next 30 years. So I plan to set up a pretty enclosure. Are you saying that if I want to have an attractive set up I can't keep a ball? Or is the problem the four glass panels on the pictured display case? I only plan on having one glass side. What I'm trying to say is that I want to be a good python owner, while still keeping my living room estaetically pleasing. I think that's all squale wants too. So rather then bashing the proposed set up, how bout giving us some ideas that make a happy compromise? Thanks :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

So rather then bashing the proposed set up, how bout giving us some ideas that make a happy compromise? Thanks


Just because people aren't telling him what he wants to hear (or what YOU want him to hear), doesn't mean we are "bashing" him, and it certainly doesn't mean we're not helping him. I know that if I didn't realize that Ball Pythons were so secretive, I'd certainly appreciate people telling me, so that I could make an appropriate choice of animal to do a cage like that justice.

But, again, that's probably not what you want to hear, so I'll have to stop bashing.... ;)

[NadaNaga]

:p ....

Okay okay, so we know balls are secretive. And we know that people like yourself, who admittedly have lots of ball experience, don't recommend housing a ball in a big display case. So what's our alternative if we've already got our heart set on a ball? Also, are you advising against housing a royal in it 'cause its a 'waste' of the cage, or because you really think the snake couldn't handle it?

[beardiefan]

If you have your hearts set on a ball get one.If it's going to be hiding 90% of the time anyway. Put it in a Rubbermaid and you will be able to enjoy it just as much as you would in that beauty of a tank. The only difference is the snake will be happier. I can't help you on what to put in the tank. I'd want it in my living room with something arboreal and diurnal. I just wouldn't put $2000 rims on a Pinto. LOL
Don

[Jeff_Favelle]

Oh the snake could handle it. My point is that an empty cage will look the EXACT same as that cage with a Ball in it (provided its set up to PROPERLY house a BP). I don't think its a crime to forwarn a dude about how he's not really going to get full enjoyment out of such a great cage.

Heck, put a mousewheel, a fountain, a tanning bed, and the BP in that cage. It doesn't really matter to me. Just trying to save people some time, effort, and hard-earned cash.

[smeagel]

I admit that when I was a new ball owner I thought the same way: I can set my dispaly case or tank up to properly house my ball so he will be happy. And I tried for about 4 months. When my snake was feeding off and on, had incomplete sheds, and was hiding all the time I decided to listen to the words of wisdom of people on here like Jeff. After I switched to a rubbermaid my snake started feeding regularly and stated having one piece sheds. Everyone including myself was just trying to help and save him time money and pulling his hair out cause his snake might not be eating regularly, just like jeff said.

[squale]

I don't think you guys are bashing me at all,, I know you are trying to help and I appreciate that!!!

I am just in one of those situtation where I think a Ball would make the best pet for me and I need to put it in my living room, and all these cages online are honestly very very ugly I think. Like people keep recommending the Animal Platics cages, well they might be great and all, but to put that in my living room would make the room look like hell. Maybe a snake isn't what I need right now, I might go after an aquarium with fish instead..

[smeagel]

snakes can make great display animals, you just need to find the right display animal for you. And ball pythons are great snakes, just not as good a display animal as others. Jungle Carpet Pythons make good Display animals, thats what i would go with.

[beardiefan]

A Jungle Carpet is what I would get also. I'd put up with their "nippy when young" nature, to have a Jeff Favelle "if you want them, you have to pay for them" snake in my living room.

Don

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!

[NadaNaga]

:jawdrop: An aquarium to replace a snake?! I guess you did just want something to display in your living room. My mistake. I will now attempt to bow out gracefully. I'll make my own enclosure thread should the need arise. Cheers!

[JonD]

An aquarium would be a great idea for display. Always lots to see/watch no matter what time of day it is!;)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Aquarium fish make AWESOME displays! Fish are ALWAYS moving, they are often active during the day, and they are relatively inexpensive to get startde with.

Post pics, best of luck.

[smeagel]

LOL

[striko_69]

Sorry mate, ur another victim of the rubbermaid discusions..... lol

I'm not getting a ball anymore because YOU CANT KEEP THEM IN VIVARIUMS. I really wanted one as well. Been reading all the time on them. But nevermind...

[bloodbeard]

I have to agree with tonyb, my royal python seems perfectly happy in its wooden slide front vivarium. And to be honest she enjoys climbing the sides of it in the evening and I find her hidden under the newspaper or under her hide log in the morning. I put a stick low down for her to explore but nothing to high. As Jeff says you cant really undo evolution and she isn’t meant to be a climber, it just keeps her entertained when she explores and if (or when usually) she falls it isn’t going to hurt her. If your worried about the heat situation and wooden vivs, i've never had a problem with putting the heat mat inside and taping it down, then make sure that there is always some substrate on top of it. (If you use newspaper you can tape down a few sheets so that they don’t get to close. if you’re worried about that.)

[smeagel]

trust me, your ball can dig under the substrate and get under the news paper even if you tape it down, and lay directly on the heat mat. Then you will have a burnt snake.

[beardiefan]

Originally posted by smeagel
trust me, your ball can dig under the substrate and get under the news paper even if you tape it down, and lay directly on the heat mat. Then you will have a burnt snake.

And possibly with tape stuck to the wounds, or other parts of the snake. Don't use tape, period.

[bloodbeard]

hmmmn, well the heat mats im using have never given us a burnt snake, and i know that they don't realize if they are burnning. i dont like to use tape that much, so i use it sparingly. mainly on the heat mat to stick it to the bottom of the viv. electrical insulation tape dosent stick very well to snakes, but does fine on heat mat to wood so i use that. but thanks for the comments, i always did feel a bit funny about tape.