New Enclosure - What species would be good?

ttreptile1 · 03-31-16, 06:41 AM

I just spent the last month rehabbing this cage I happened across on Craigslist. It was a steal but a lot of work to get it like new again. My question is what species would thrive in an enclosure like this? My first thought was Green Tree python which I have experience with. My son wants a lizard of some sort. I am just leary of adding anything clawed into a acrylic cage. It's 6 foot tall with stand (little over 4' cage wise) 30" wide and deep. Has a fan ventilation system built in. Will be adding heat and misting system shortly.

Thoughts? Suggestions of species or needed modifications?

awwalz01 · 03-31-16, 08:26 AM

It might be a little big, but if you have some money to spend, you could make a really cool vivarium and put a leachie (Rhacodactylus leachianus) in it. They have very very tiny claws, so you wouldn't have to worry about them scratching up the acrylic. They make really awesome pets and are really cool looking.

sirtalis · 03-31-16, 10:10 AM

They can tear your arms up and actually have pretty sharp claws, a crested gecko trio would be really cool. Its tall enough but a lechie should have at least a 4 foot wide cage

Green tree pythons would love that cage. My last bit of advice, I have a peacock monitor and the front of his enclosure is Plexiglas, he has scratched the front really really bad. and @awwalz01 no such thing as a cage that's too big, I kept a pair of leos in a 4Lx2Wx2H for over a year.

eminart · 03-31-16, 10:19 AM

Rhino rat snake, amazon tree boa, GTP or maybe a natural set up with two or three rough green snakes?

ttreptile1 · 03-31-16, 11:46 AM

All good ideas. Been racking my brain over the last day. Really want to stick with snakes (tired of cricket, dubias etc). I prefer pythons but I do have past experience with Amazon tree boas. So I may lean that way as this is more of a display cage. Unless I can track down a decently priced GTP on craigs list or via the local herp show in April.

I've never kept Barons racers or Rhino rats before. Very interesting snakes but at their price I would just go GTP, ETB or a super nice amazon. Want something that at least sits out to bask for folks to see when they pop in.

IW17 · 03-31-16, 11:51 AM

Rhino rats and barons would be a better display animal. Etb and gtp's are always on display basking but most asian rats are on display and moving most of the time. They are hunters rather than ambush predators so they "Hunt" quite often. The biggest question is do you want something to handle or just look at?

ttreptile1 · 03-31-16, 12:01 PM

Thinking more display only. I have other pythons for handling. I will have to look into the Barons and Rhino rats more. I didn't see any for sale in the normal places like Kingsnake and Faunaclassifieds. May have to find a private breeder.

Tiny Boidae · 03-31-16, 12:07 PM

What about red tail rat snakes while you're in the Asian rat neighborhood? Definitely not a handlable critter, but they're gorgeous and underappreciated for what they are.

(Not my picture btw)

ttreptile1 · 03-31-16, 12:14 PM

I am pretty open to anything. Again, I am thinking display so I am not too worried about handling. I would also be open to keeping a group or pair in the same cage if possible. Overall I want something that isn't hidden all day until the lights go out or who spend most of the time on the cage floor.

I will take a look at the red tailed rats as well.

**Minkness** · 03-31-16, 12:39 PM

What about a carpet?

I don't know about others, but mine is almost always out and perched as high in her tank as she can get lol.

Nightflight99 · 03-31-16, 12:58 PM

I've worked with both Baron's racers and redtailed green ratsnakes, but I wouldn't keep either of those two species in a 30" x 30" footprint. They're both very active species that need a lot of horizontal space.

ttreptile1 · 03-31-16, 12:58 PM

Love the carpets. bred them for 10 years. Personally I used wider 4x2x2 cages for jungles and 6x2x2 for coastal but the Irian Jaya definitely loved the taller cage with branches. Although, this time I prefer something smaller and more arboreal.

The Barons and red tailed green rats have my interest. Not a lot of folks sell them it seems which to me is a good thing. I like oddballs especially if I am getting into breeding them.

poison123 · 03-31-16, 02:46 PM

Dont listen to anyone else. Not even your own ideas. Get frogs enough said.

IW17 · 03-31-16, 03:30 PM

Truthfully if I had this enclosure I'd look no further than some high quality tokay geckos. But the op stated he wants a snake.

jpsteele80 · 03-31-16, 04:23 PM

What ever you get i would make it an aboreal species, having said that no snake is going to feel comfortable in that with all 4 sides exposed, at least cover 3 of them up.