Ideas on an 8ft x 8ft x 6ft outdoor enclosure

[VARNYARD]

I have a bunch of people asking about how to build an outdoor enclosure, tell me if this gives you guys a good idea?
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[LouDog760]

Sweet, bobby!

 

[crimsonrazac]

Very nice, what would you say that cost you to build? Just a rough estimate is fine.

 

[VARNYARD]

It costs about 170.00 to 200.00 to do the whole thing.

 

[BrunswickBoas]

Wow, you can't beat that price. Do you leave them in the enclosures in the winter as well? (as much of a winter that florida has)

 

[BrunswickBoas]

Never mind that must be what the hole underground is for. Should have paid more attention the first time I looked at the pics. Looks great!

 

[DaRealJoker]

I like the burrows or hide boxes. Could you hinge the covers, leave em un-barried, and use latches to secure the lids? Then it would be easy to maintenance the hide and check on the tegu. Just an idea. Awesome cage and thanks for the idea. WOuld that work in a climate where summers peak around 90 F on the hottest of days and drop to 60 F in the nights? Our average temp. is around 70 F in the day during the summers. Is it ok to house outdoors in those conditions? I have a Columbian Black and White I guess you'd call him.

 

[CAPTAIN LIZARD]

Bobby, do you put drain holes in the bottom of your underground rubbermaid hides?

 

[VenomVipe]

Hey, pictures are cool but I think it would rock if you made a several part video on how to build the enclosure next time you build another one.

 

[LareReptiles4Life]

Buy a gas bottle security cage and modify it to hold substrate. There you go you have a cage that looks nice and a grizzly bear would have trouble getting into. If you guys want a better idea i can craw a plan up or something for you

 

[MizM]

:app Thank you SO MUCH!!! I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how NOT to have to dig 3' down in our hard clay dirt to keep them from digging their way out. The chicken wire is going to save my teggies from a life of unnatural light and confinement!!!! Whooo hoooo, you rock!!

 

[ierowe]

Do they get enough sunlight with the plywood on the top? I like the set up but it seems that they would be shaded most of the time. Do tegus need 10hours of natural sunlight? just curious as I want to build outdoor enclosure for my tegu when he is big enough. thanks

 

[TehPenguin]

What I was really wondering was all of the bugs and stuff, and how they affect them. Mites, ticks, beetles, worms...Would they really have any effect on the Tegus? I know they have a real thick skin, but would infestation happen in an enclosure like this?

 

[ierowe]

I know tegus can get ticks and i do ahve them in my yard. would eucalyptus mulch keep them away?

 

[jntann]

Hi I have my tegu outside . you could use chicken wire on the top if you want more sun light. the bugs, spiders , etc.don't bother it. black ants will eat ticks. you just don't want a ant den to close to the cage and don't put the food it the cage, that will attrack the ants. I have had no problems. my hide is in the back part of the cage and then I have a rock fountian on the left side so it is shady and wet.

 

[Greenmanbacchus]

Hi I have my tegu outside . you could use chicken wire on the top if you want more sun light. the bugs, spiders , etc.don't bother it. black ants will eat ticks. you just don't want a ant den to close to the cage and don't put the food it the cage, that will attrack the ants. I have had no problems. my hide is in the back part of the cage and then I have a rock fountian on the left side so it is shady and wet.

Nice set-up jntann What are the dimensions? I've heard Monitor keepers suggest galvanized watering troughs measuring 10'X10' as a base...how big is yours...how high etc. I've never owned a Tegu (Yet) LOL but I have heard that they don't usually get ticks...this is thought to be in part because of their beaded skin...but again, I've no personal experience with the species.
GMB

 

[GOT_TEGUS]

nice cage setup.. Im going to build a few using bobby's design I think it would work better for me here in sunny PA .

 

[jntann]

my cage is 6' 10" across and 6' high. the square encloser would be better. a round one is a lot harder to do the top because it is round. and after seeing this one i think i might move my hide box on the outside to make more room in side. and the water troff is alot more exspensive. if I had to do it again I would go with the square one. wood does not rust. and it is alot cheaper.

 

[Greenmanbacchus]

my cage is 6' 10" across and 6' high. the square encloser would be better. a round one is a lot harder to do the top because it is round. and after seeing this one i think i might move my hide box on the outside to make more room in side. and the water troff is alot more exspensive. if I had to do it again I would go with the square one. wood does not rust. and it is alot cheaper.

I agree...square ( or rectangular) is IMO a better way to go.
Metal also has the possibility of getting hot in the sun and burning your pet.
I read a story once years ago about a big python that needed to be moved and it went and hid in its pond which was a large metal basin. They wound up having to drain the metal basin to get to it and it was hot weather and the python apparently sat on the hot metal long enough to get some pretty serious burns. I've seen enclosure bases made from hog panelling that seemed to do the job well enough....they don't actually look too bad and if they're well painted, they're not gonna rust.
GMB

 

[simon021]

is the chicken wire dangerous to the tegus feet at all if they try to dig through that? Thats my only concern...