I'm somewhat curious about whether or not something like this would work..Is anyone aware of a few species of medium to large sized snakes or lizards that would thrive in an outdoor aviary in Colorado year-round? I was thinking possibly a native species would work best but most still seem to avoid the parts of Colorado where it snows or gets much below freezing - staying mostly to the plains and rocky foothill areas.
So I guess what I'm looking for is suggestions of species that would live well in an outdoor aviary-type enclosure, with conditions regulated by the natural Colorado seasons. I'd generally prefer larger more impressive species than smaller counterparts, considering an aviary would provide so much space.
The main idea behind this would be to create a relatively self-maintaining enclosure for the animal - use natural sunlight, natural wind for ventilation, bury the floor of the aviary somewhat into the ground for a naturally regulating substrate that includes native micro-fauna and natural plant growth, etc. My biggest concern though is finding a reptile that would be able to survive the snow and below-freezing temperatures. Obviously I'd build a few hides into the enclosure for the animal to be able to escape the conditions if it wanted to, but even with that my main concern would be the temperature fluctuations.
So..Thoughts?
So I guess what I'm looking for is suggestions of species that would live well in an outdoor aviary-type enclosure, with conditions regulated by the natural Colorado seasons. I'd generally prefer larger more impressive species than smaller counterparts, considering an aviary would provide so much space.
The main idea behind this would be to create a relatively self-maintaining enclosure for the animal - use natural sunlight, natural wind for ventilation, bury the floor of the aviary somewhat into the ground for a naturally regulating substrate that includes native micro-fauna and natural plant growth, etc. My biggest concern though is finding a reptile that would be able to survive the snow and below-freezing temperatures. Obviously I'd build a few hides into the enclosure for the animal to be able to escape the conditions if it wanted to, but even with that my main concern would be the temperature fluctuations.
So..Thoughts?
