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Outdoor enclosure in CA

Jake lerch

Member
Messages
40
Hello everyone! I have a black and white around 5 years old. I have her in a 6x2 1/2 enclosure. She will need to upgrade in a year or so im sure. I want to build her an outdoor enclosure. Something i can easily access her in and clean. Because i am in so cal, humidity control is a big thing. Right now i am thinking using a combo of pressure trated wood and sheet metal. Maybe measurement of around 8x8. Im thinking she could grow full size in there. I was told its a female. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!
 

Jake lerch

Member
Messages
40
Hi there, no i meant 5 years. Its more like 4 years(i cant remember exactly when i got her) Ill post a pic. I currently have a misting system in her current enclosure. Its okay for the size of the current one but with the more extensions you add to it the less powerful the mist is. So i have read and seen some big outdoor ones with a hookup to the water line and some overhead pipes for misting. The clear container with the black top is the misting system.
 

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dpjm

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5 Year Member
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378
She's looks really small for 5 years old.

There are great benefits to outdoor enclosures. Sunlight is the biggest, and fresh air is another one. Humidity might be an issue. If I were doing this, I would concentrate on having a good humid hide area, this is easy to maintain and you need to worry less about the rest of the enclosure. Without a humid hide, the rest of the enclosure needs to be fairly humid and that will be a bit difficult if you want to give good access to unfiltered sunlight. Even a misting system will have to work hard to keep the humidity up in an open top.
 

Walter1

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That's a tough one. Without lokking at longterm weather data for RH, not sure if a humid hide would suffice. Continuously breathing dry air would harm them.
 

Jake lerch

Member
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40
I was thinking about the hide box. how deep and long? Like 5x2? Smaller? It would probably be something with deep substrate and misters going directly to it?
 

Jake lerch

Member
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That's a tough one. Without lokking at longterm weather data for RH, not sure if a humid hide would suffice. Continuously breathing dry air would harm them.
Thats my biggest concern. Maybe something just long and deep and not so tall? vents on all sides?
 

Walter1

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Imagine something about the dimensions of a dresser drawer. Provide lots of moistened sphagnum moss or eco earth. Keep in the shade.
 

Walter1

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Imagine something about the dimensions of a dresser drawer. Provide lots of moistened sphagnum moss or eco earth. Keep in the shade.
Maybe sink par-way in the ground so it can get respite from piercing heat.
 

Jake lerch

Member
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40
They'll chase a temperature. Important that it's not either scalding hot or cool.
Right, i understand that. I think the temp will be simpler to maintain than the humidity. Ive been doing a lot of reasearch on the outdoor enclosures and most people with these are in humid areas like florida. So they do very simple set ups. Ive also read certain types of grass can help with the humidity.
 

Walter1

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Right, i understand that. I think the temp will be simpler to maintain than the humidity. Ive been doing a lot of reasearch on the outdoor enclosures and most people with these are in humid areas like florida. So they do very simple set ups. Ive also read certain types of grass can help with the humidity.
Oh, wow, that'd be great. I live in SC Pennsylvania, and my three live in a wood and wire walk-in with primarily cement base for 8.5 mo. Inside and sleep for the rest.
 

Walter1

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It is sufficiently humid naturally. The two hides are 1/2 filled with moistened eco earth. To clean, I 2X-3X/wk hose down. No shedding problems reinforces my conclusion that they are fine in this milieu.
 

Jake lerch

Member
Messages
40
It is sufficiently humid naturally. The two hides are 1/2 filled with moistened eco earth. To clean, I 2X-3X/wk hose down. No shedding problems reinforces my conclusion that they are fine in this milieu.
Wow, very nice. I will definitely look into that eco earth.
 

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