outdoor enclosures

reptile171 · 12-24-03, 04:46 PM

I was wondering if any of you all could help me with this. My monitors are growing and will need a large enclosure and im running out of space in my room for them. Im thinking of building them an out door enclosure, but the problem is that in our area the winters are pretty cold and the summers are realy hot. would it be ok if i built them an out door enclosure made of fine chicken wire with would edges, and i would make it all boxed in (top, bottom and sides) so there would be no chance of escape. and then build on a insulated, heated room onto the cage for the winter and the storm times....what do you all think?and tips?Im new at this.

chas*e · 12-24-03, 05:55 PM

I keep my snakes outside but they freeze solid for half the year....not expensive to keep though...don't eat much.....I wish I could keep reps outside....It depends on the reptile and it's normal temp ranges..honestly there is few that could handle the TX weather changes...Canadian never

reptile171 · 12-24-03, 06:03 PM

nile, savanaah monitor

Linds · 12-24-03, 06:08 PM

I can't help but notice your signature... "Be responsible, care for your herp!". I don't mean to come across harshly, but I think perhaps you didn't think those aquisitions through before you bought them. If you don't have the room to house the animals properly, then you should wait until you do :/

Siretsap · 12-24-03, 06:14 PM

Come on Linds,

People have to stop to try to pretend to be better than others.
I think he does care for his reptiles since he is asking for advice on how to keep them outside. He didn't go ahead and test it to see fi it would fry during summer or freeze during winter.
He could esaly keep it cramed in an aquarium and not say a word, but he choose to ask questions so we should help him, not start complaining on how he shouln't have done this or that.

I know australian water dragons can build burrows and spend winter outside (there is a webcite that explained how a percentage of his awds survived through a snow storm).
check the lowest and highest temps and try to find some info on the climate from where they originate.

As suprising as it may be, leopard geckos can live through a night of about 8 celcius in your house, without problem.

burmer · 12-24-03, 06:16 PM

I've thought about it myself. But the winters here aren't mild enough to put my nile outdoors. I'm still thinking about having him live indoors in the winter and making him an outdoor cage for summer. Rob Fausts book on niles gives nice plans for an outdoor cage. But for your question. I wouldn't chance putting them outdoors in the winter. Even with an isulated room and whatever other things you do to heat it. Something could go wrong.

marisa · 12-24-03, 06:20 PM

Are you joking? Linds wasn't saying she was better than anyone. She was commenting on the fact this person has possibly dangerous moniters that are outgrowing his house by his own admission, and he should possibly think about this. If that feeling is wrong, then I give up.

Marisa

marisa · 12-24-03, 06:23 PM

As for your question, I do not keep moniters because I cannot properly house them at this time. But I do keep a green iguana and I know she can rip apart chicken wire when she choose too. We once had to seal up a hole in her old cage (she was about a full foot smaller than she is now) with chicken wire temporarily. She had it opened like a tin can within an hour.

I doubt moniters, which I think are much stronger, would stay behind chicken wire for long. Then you have a potential risk to your neighbors and whoever else, not to mention losing your moniters. Also the moniters could be really scratched up by rough chicken wire.

Marisa

Matt_K · 12-24-03, 06:33 PM

I don't think that Linds came of saying she was better than anyone else at all.. To perfectly honest, as soon as i read his signature i thought the same thing.. However, you're right, he is here and he did ask for help which is him taking a step in the right direction.. As soon as someone says they're running out of room for their herps, you have to expect the obvious 'you should have thought about that before you aquired them' replies.. And it is infact true, size should have been taken into consideration before he bought his animals..

Linds · 12-24-03, 06:33 PM

Hold on a second there. Your accusations and judgements of me are ridiculous. I wasn't saying I was better than anyone at all, but if you do not have the space to house the animal it is not responsible to go out and get it anyways. We have to do what is best for the animals, not what is best for us. I would LOVE a peachthroat monitor...wanted one for a long time, but due to space contraints, I probably won't get one for another ten years at least, maybe never :/ Maybe it would be better for him to place his animals in someone else's hands, someone that does have the room to provide for them. We have to do what is best for the naimals, not best for us. Now if promoting responsible ownership means one believes they are better than everyone, well then I guess I'm guilty

skinheaddave · 12-24-03, 06:42 PM

In this case I would have to agree with Linds. The monitors are both very young and just a fraction of their adult size. The nile is a foot long (maybe more now) and the sav is 6 inches. If he's running out of room now, he's in a heap of trouble later. Definitely not much thought put into this one.

Cheers,
Dave

Neo · 12-24-03, 08:28 PM

The thing I dont like about outdoor enclosures is that it just plain takes too much work. You have to build walls, a roof, a secure base (dont want rain causing your enclosure to cave in) then you have to figure out some way to keep bugs out.. dig a trench around your enclosure and fill it up with water... Then you could have wildlife scratching at the walls stressing the heck out of the animals cause they cant eat them. and nature itself is just unpredictable. If the area you live in wont be a problem for these conditions and many others by all means build the enclosure. they allow for a more natural realm of territory.

JeffT · 12-24-03, 09:20 PM

Well Put skinheaddave

Dude if you cant house them now how are you going to be able to build a 10 foot enclosure and a SEPERATE 6 foot enclosure for the sav. These cant be housed together as babies, let alone DEFFINATELY not adults. I dont know how you plan on having an out side enclosure with chicken wire and then some how having it insulated aswell. That means you have to completely take apart each wall each spring, correct?

reptile171 · 12-26-03, 02:14 PM

ok linds, i do have the space to house them, i do care for my herps and will do anything for them. I will take care of them always, im just trying to find the best way to house them. JeffT im not going to put them together i AM going to build the TWO enclosures with my dad this spring, when i said insulate, i meant insulate, im going to put on a indoor area about the size of there cage and insulate that part and close the doors in the winter. I have taken all of your advice everyone because i care care for my herps, you may not know if but i am expirienced and i can takke care of them properly.I love herps as much as you all do, im going to try my best to get along with everyone. I love this forum and i love you all, as you have always helped me in the past and continue to do so. I know im not the smartest one on here but i am expirienced, and can care for my herps...please forgive me for anything i have ever done to hurt any of you all.im sorry and i hope we all can start over and get along.

reptile171 · 12-26-03, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Siretsap
Come on Linds,

People have to stop to try to pretend to be better than others.
I think he does care for his reptiles since he is asking for advice on how to keep them outside. He didn't go ahead and test it to see fi it would fry during summer or freeze during winter.
He could esaly keep it cramed in an aquarium and not say a word, but he choose to ask questions so we should help him, not start complaining on how he shouln't have done this or that.

I know australian water dragons can build burrows and spend winter outside (there is a webcite that explained how a percentage of his awds survived through a snow storm).
check the lowest and highest temps and try to find some info on the climate from where they originate.

As suprising as it may be, leopard geckos can live through a night of about 8 celcius in your house, without problem.

thanks for understanding....