New Sav Cage

[varanio]

Don't take the advice as a negative, but I
gonna jump with Eric & Coura on this one. The wattage is far too high on these animals 40-65 should be the max. Build a bank of lights and lower it so that you get better surface area coverage and you don't dry out the cage.

What is the substrate on this enclosure? Exanthamaticus are notorius diggers so if the substrate depth isn't deep enough try to provide a nest box in the back with a heat pad stuck to the side for them.

Good luck!

 

[kenC56]

The substrate is a sand soil mix about 2 ft deep. I think I am going to have to redo the mixture because I have not seen them try and dig yet.

I was going to build shelves instead of lowering the lights so I can max out the space in the enclosure. Do you guys think that would be just as good as lowering the light? Please keep the input comming and I do appreciate all of the advice. When I am done I will post more pics. I actually like the crticism because it is just going to make the monitors happier in the long run.

 

[varanio]

The substrate is a sand soil mix about 2 ft deep. I think I am going to have to redo the mixture because I have not seen them try and dig yet.

I was going to build shelves instead of lowering the lights so I can max out the space in the enclosure. Do you guys think that would be just as good as lowering the light? Please keep the input comming and I do appreciate all of the advice. When I adone I will post more pics. I actually like the crticism because it is just going to make the monitors happier in the long run.

I think it would be best to lower the lights rather than keeping them up high, for two reasons. 1) savs are clumbsy when trying to escalate upwards. Lol 2) with the lights being up so high the heat is not going to be able to rise and not give you a better heat ambient. If you lower the lights and build a bank for 3-4 40 watt bulbs or so you will be able to control the ambients a bit
better, and the humidity in the enclosure will take less time evaporate.

Alex

 

[kenC56]

I will lower the lights down for them. Makes sense for the humidity factor. The humidity in the cage is acually pretty high with all the dirt. My glases fog up when ever I go in there. But in the summer I will have more probmes keeping the humidty high.

I will head off to home depot tommorow to see what kind of lights to use. I do not want to use the dome lights with the wire hanging down.

 

[kenC56]

Do you guys think this will be better for humidity. I have not put any bulbs in yet. But I figured 60 watt bulbs will do for the basking spot.

 

[kenC56]

So here is how my first sav cage is comming along. The next think I am going to do is cut the ramp on the left side of the cage and screw it inn. Just put it in to show you what I am thinking. The basking spot is 130F, the substrate is 20'' soil sand mix, the bulbs are 60 watts and 1 75 watt on basking shelf.
Any suggestions on improvements? I am open to all.

 

[kenC56]

She is almost 2 ft now growing quick.

She is in a 6ft x 2 ft temp enclosure right now. She is not big enough to get intoduced to the male. This enclosure only has 6'' of dirst/sand, a 130F basking spot (40 watt bulb), and a 80F cool end, with multiple hiding spots. She is growing quick on a diet of rodents, fish, and roaches.

This is an older pic of the cage she will be going to. I need to wait till she gets bigger to go with the male. I had another male that I thought was female at first, so I traded that male for this female.
I need to update pics, there is some leaf litter and hollow logs now. The male has also made a nice tunnel from one end of the cage to the other.The bed liner is also holding up perfect after the first year.

 

[coura]

Don't take the advice as a negative, but I
gonna jump with Eric & Coura on this one. The wattage is far too high on these animals 40-65 should be the max. Build a bank of lights and lower it so that you get better surface area coverage and you don't dry out the cage.

What is the substrate on this enclosure? Exanthamaticus are notorius diggers so if the substrate depth isn't deep enough try to provide a nest box in the back with a heat pad stuck to the side for them.

Good luck!

Wow Varanio says Im cool (I allways wanted to say that)