caging question

[Degrooter]

I'm going to be getting a pair of reds in a couple months and i have a question about cage style. Would it be alright if all 4 sides were wooden and the screened roof was how i accessed the enclosure? The only problem ive heard of as of yet is the tegus rubbing their nose on the lid trying to get out but i figure i can get around this by making the enclosure tall enough that they cant reach it. Is there anyone that has tried this and had problems with skitish tegus etc.? I've been wondering if the tegus would be stressed if they were always being accessed through the roof(animal instinct, watch the sky). Any input is appreciated :-D . Also, is there anybody here that breeds red tegus or knows of someone that breeds them in Canada?
Caleb

 

[Beasty]

Actually, in my experience, it is preferable to access if possible from the front or side area and not the top. Most reptiles, iguanas especially, are prey animals as young and are frequently eaten by birds and such which approach them from above. This gives a fight of flight response in which they will run or stand their ground and try to eat you! :shock: Either way it is definitely stressful for the animals I don't care who says different.
That said, with tegus bred for temperament and such over a few generations it may be different possibly. I noticed most folks get their tegus as young and put them in an aquarium, with -you got it- a lid on top. I have noticed once acclimated to you they will actually come to the side of the glass and want out, climbing aboard your hand to hitch a ride! Assuming this learned action were to translate to a larger enclosure, a top loader may not be a problem. HOWEVER, there will be times when they will revert to a certain wildness, like breeding season or "the teenage growth spurt" where they will be more apt to be more immediately aggressive when approached from above opposed to opening a door and letting them come out to you on their own terms vs. looming overhead to reach in after them. Does that make sense?
This is why I personally prefer side or front doors vs. top.

 

[Degrooter]

That makes sense, it was the main problem I was worried about. Another idea was to have a door on one of the sides that would swing open. This way if I did end up with an insecure tegu or if it's going through one of those stages, I could access it from the side. I'm hoping for an easygoing tegu but if not this door would help.
Caleb

 

[Beasty]

Right on.
I was just trying to help out with personal experience so you could benefit from my mistakes. That's the best way to go IF you choose to use it. I know many of us will hear something and be like "bah! Not me!" only to find out later, "yes you". This is not always the case but sometimes it is unfortunately. So, take it with a grain of salt, I like front loaders over top loaders and that is the reasoning behind it. Besides if you build it right and decide to get another tegu you can make it into a stackable.(put your more chilled out male on top) AND you also don't fall into the whole using the cage as a table deal, piling stuff on it you have to move to get at your critter. I can't tell you how many times I have seen or personally dealt with that. (I have a 6x3x3 top loader now...not used currently but makes a nice table at present.)
I'm looking to build a 8Lx4Wx3H stack unit soon for my extremes.(1.1)

 

[Degrooter]

The experienced input is definately appreciated. The last thing I wanted was to build a cage just to find out that i'd have to build another one because i didn't do my research. I'm starting to lean towards the front opening system now as I am planning on getting a pair and stacking them would make things easier(not to mention it'll save me 8x3 feet of floor space!).thanks for all the help.
Caleb