Burm Housing...

Samba · 04-19-04, 10:30 AM

Hey everyone... I just wanted some advice on building a burm enclosure. Currently his enclosure is too small and I cannot let him have the room to himself anymore. I would like to do something really neat for him, like a large wood (?) and pvc coated wire mesh cage or something. I have a basic design in mind, but one thing I really would like is to make the cage so I can assemble and disasemble it. (I would like the cage to be fairly large and the hallways in my home wouldn't allot the size I'd like). My burm (who is a male - thank goodness!) is about 14 feet long. Any help would be appreciated!

lostwithin · 04-19-04, 10:50 AM

Hi from what you said, I would suggest a plywood cage, of the right dimensions, with a simple sliding glass front, paint the wood with an epoxy, too water proof it, my cages are basically a wooden box, out of the top I cut two 16" x (whatever the depth of your cage is) on both sides, I put heat lamps on one side and the other is for air flow, with a large burm cage I would put support in the middle (a couple 2x4's) too support the center of the top, that will allow you too put something on top of it , in my case it’s 4x2x2 boas cage exact same design which actually has a small cage on top of it) and then its just a matter of picking up some glass and tracks for the front, I use this design for all my snakes, just buy changing the dimensions of the box, depending on the size of the snake, they are just screwed together so I can take them apart for moving, (its hard too fit a 4x4x8 burm cage through a door) ,
Good luck,
Devon

Samba · 04-19-04, 10:57 AM

Thanks, Devon... I'm not sure about a total box design though.... I want at least a few sides mesh... how would I go about making them easy to take apart? And, what is the best way to maintain humidity in an 'open' cage like one made of mesh? I was thinking of adding a box within that can be misted and heated for my baby... lemme know what you think... thanks again!

lostwithin · 04-19-04, 12:21 PM

Hmm, ok let see, for a mesh cage (this is off the top of my head) but I would purchase several 1"x2" lengths , and build each side separately, lets say your cage I 4'x4'x8' just so i can work with the numbers, lets take the side that would be 4'x4', cut 4 pieces of the 1"x2" , 4' long, and 4 of them 44" long , take 2 of each and make square that is 4'x4' , then I would put a piece of 4'x4' mesh your using onto that use the other 4 pieces too make a square on top of the mesh that is rotated 90 degrees from the other (meaning if you had the pieces cut too 4 feet on the top and bottom on the first square make them the front and back) use wood glue and screws too hold them together, what you would end up with is a 4'x4' square side that has mesh sandwiched between the wood and held in place, then you can make as any sides like this as you'd like, and simply screw them together (sorry if that doesn’t make since its hard too explain some times lol),
As for humidity I mist daily, and place a humid hide during the shed cycle, since my burm never uses a hide unless he’s in shed any way. If you wanted too leave one all the time too make sue he has it if he wants it that would be fine. As for easy moving I would just screw it together and un-screw it when it needs too be moved.
Devon

sapphire_moon · 04-19-04, 01:22 PM

also you want to be carefull with the mesh, the snake might rub it's nose raw and you would have to build a side or two over as solid sides which would take extra time and money.

dave68 · 04-19-04, 01:36 PM

What works well for my burm is a manufactured stand up shower on its side converted into a cage with front sliding glass. It works well because it is easy to cut to put in ventilation and it comes apart for easy moving. He is quite content and can fully stretch out if he wants, although he prefers his exercise in our living room, he is also approx. 14ft.

dave68 · 04-19-04, 01:39 PM

Oh yeah as saphire_moon stated, please be careful with mesh as I have a rescued commom boa whose face was torn from nose to behind eyeballs, which took almost 2 years to treat him all because of a mesh cage!!!!

lostwithin · 04-19-04, 06:36 PM

Rubbing should be watched out for, although i would think a plastic or pvc covered mesh would eliminate the problem, just make sure its of good quality. The shower stall sounds like a great idea I actually was thinking about picking one up just last week, but hadn’t decided if it would be stable enough.
Devon

dave68 · 04-19-04, 07:41 PM

lostwithin, you can easily reinforce the shower stall with 2x4's, without it is quite floppy. Try to find an extra bottom for the stall and use them as walls and the drains work as small vents. Good luck.

K1LOS · 04-19-04, 08:44 PM

why not just make each side 3 feet high of screen and 1 foot of solid wood? So from the ground up, you'd have 1 foot of wood followed by 3 feet of screen above it. You could build it the same way, but you wouldn't have to worry about nose rubbing.

Geoff

lostwithin · 04-19-04, 08:50 PM

Geoff, putting the screen 1 foot up wont stop any snake from rubbing especially not a 14' Burm, I’ve had problems with a boa rubbing and that screen was just a 1’x2’ hole on the top for ventilation, he'd stand up and run his nose across back and forth all night long,
Devon

Jeff Hathaway · 04-20-04, 06:59 AM

If you have much mesh, you'll have a hard time keeping the humidity up. Why not use solid sides (clear acrylic or glass if you want to see through) and a couple of plastic vents? What is the need for mesh?

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

lostwithin · 04-20-04, 07:29 AM

Hi, this just came too me in your original post you had said he could no longer have the full room too himself, and you had too build a cage, if its other reptiles in the room with him, why not just keep the rooms humidity up the same way you did before when he had it all too himself??
Devon

Samba · 04-22-04, 12:38 PM

Devon... I thought of that too... but the other reptiles have different humidity requirements. Bandula, my Burm, has a problem trying to bask in the window - I don't want the neighbors to see him and freak out. I'd prefer a 'somewhat' open-air cage for him but I really like the shower stall idea... where would I get one, and about how much will it cost? What kind of modifications had to be done? Thanks everyone for your imput and advice!

Lisa · 04-27-04, 08:27 PM

i would get the pieces all cut to size at home depot and build a 6X3X3 enclosure for him in the room you want him in.