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Average Member
 
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Last Login: 5/22/2009 5:00:29 PM
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| Just in case anyone needs plans for a large monitor cage here are some pics of the one we are currently building. We only have the frame built, but it is 8' x 4'. Cage frame is built with 1/2" PVC pipe, 8' x 4' sheet of shower board and 1/2" screws. Sides will be made of 2' x 3' sheets of plexi-glass and top will be made of powder-coated poultry wire. Unknowledgable people will say that Monitors don't need cages but this could be further from the truth! Savs are not dogs and need help with humidity and constant temperature ranges in order to thermoregulate efficiently. They also need deep substrate in order to dig. Check out "The Savannah Monitor Lizard: The Truth about Varanus exanthematicus" by Daniel Bennett & Ravi Thakoordyal. Daniel Bennett has spent years both in the library and the field doing research on monitors. His book is a must read for any monitor owner! 
My Husky is used as a size reference in this photo  
0.1 Gold Dust Corn Snake (Goldie Locks)
2.2 Savannah Monitors (Loki, Freya, Saga, Thor)
0.1 Albino California Kingsnake (Rin)
0.1 Ball Python 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda)
1.1 Three-Toed Box Turtles (Bowser, Genba)
1.0 Red-Ear Slider (Iggy)
0.1 Snow Corn Snake (Sakura)
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise (Casca) 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda) 2.2 Firebelly Newts
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 9/6/2011 2:25:59 PM
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Wow! Your monitors will sure be happy in there! I can't imaging that it would be to much, but how much has that cost (not including cage furniture or anything, just the enclosure)?
------------------------------------------------------------------ If you gotta start somewhere, why not here? If you gotta start sometime, why not now? Check out my nature photography blog at: http://wp-nature-photography.blogspot.com/ 
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Average Member
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The 1/2" PVC pipe cost roughly $1.30 each (we used 11, 10 foot pipes).
The 1/2" T connectors are about 56 cents each (we used 21). 
The 1/2" extended connectors are also around 50 cents to a dollar (we used 8 to fit onto the corner 3-way connectors).
The 1/2" 3-way connectors are more expensive, about $1.30 each (we used 8).
The Shower board base (8' x 4') cost approximately $12
The poultry wire (10' x 4') was $14 un-powder-coated (I don't know what powder coating will cost, we are having it done for free)
1/2" screws are used
We got 12 panels of 2' x 3' plexi-glass for free, but I believe they run for $30 + each at Home Depot
So far we have spent about $70 - $80 (but that includes accidentally buying some connectors we didn't end up using)
0.1 Gold Dust Corn Snake (Goldie Locks)
2.2 Savannah Monitors (Loki, Freya, Saga, Thor)
0.1 Albino California Kingsnake (Rin)
0.1 Ball Python 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda)
1.1 Three-Toed Box Turtles (Bowser, Genba)
1.0 Red-Ear Slider (Iggy)
0.1 Snow Corn Snake (Sakura)
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise (Casca) 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda) 2.2 Firebelly Newts
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 12/23/2009 7:33:32 PM
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That's going to be an awesome enclosure for the Savannahs! Keep us updated on pics and how it's going. I would love to know how it ends up working. Would be a great home for our Savannah too! Thanks for sharing pics and plans Marine
_______________________________________________________________________________________Non-herp family: me-Marine 33, husband-Travis 36, 2 sons-Keith 12, Seth 10, & 2 outdoor grey cats. Our Herp family: 1 Columbian Redtail Boa, 1 Albino Columbian Redtail Boa, 3 Dumeril’s Boas, 3 Kenyan Sand Boas, 1 Argentine Rainbow Boa, 1 Ball Python, 1 Jayapura Green Tree Python, 1 Granite Burmese Python het albino, 1 Albino Burmese Python, 2 Spotted Pythons, 2 Great Basin Gopher Snakes, 1 Aberrant California King Snake, 3 Sinaloan Milk Snakes, 1 Tangerine Honduran Milk Snake, 1 Black Mexican King snake, 1 Western Hognose Snake, 5 Crested Geckos, 5 Bearded Dragons, 1 Irian Jaya Blue-Tongued Skink, 2 Mali Uromastyx, 1 Argentine Black & White Tegu, 1 Leucistic Patternless Leopard Gecko, 1 Leopard Gecko, 1 Red-eared Slider, 2 Yellow-bellied Sliders, 1 Cherry head red-foot tortoise, 2 African Sulcata tortoises, 2 Australian White’s Tree Frogs, 2 Tiger Salamanders, 1 Japanese Fire-bellied Newt, 1 Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, & 2 Chilean Rose-hair Tarantulas http://myspace.com/coralmarine add me http://www.iherp.com/Marine
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Average Member
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Last Login: 5/22/2009 5:00:29 PM
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| Sure thing! I have spent many hours searching far and wide for good monitor cage plans and have found very little help. It's sort of surprising since Daniel Bennet states in all his books on monitors that savs need a minimum of 8' x 4' fully grown. I think part of the reason some people keep their savs in tiny aquariums is that there is not enough info on cage designs. I found a lot on iguana cage designs and ended up tailoring the specs to a cage ideal for monitors. Here are some of the cages I found for iguanas: This cage looks extremely heavy and is not wide enough for monitors. (I believe the add said this cage is 8' long, 6' tall and 2' wide) 
The green plastic poultry mesh used here does NOT work for monitor lizards. We used this on our last cage and Freya and Loki bit/clawed right through it...and it's thick plastic! lol Not sure if it would work for iguanas though. Also humidity levels are impossible to control in a cage like this. However the PVC pipe was a good idea! (The following pictures are taken from http://www.lizardcages.fws1.com/the-plans.htm  
0.1 Gold Dust Corn Snake (Goldie Locks)
2.2 Savannah Monitors (Loki, Freya, Saga, Thor)
0.1 Albino California Kingsnake (Rin)
0.1 Ball Python 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda)
1.1 Three-Toed Box Turtles (Bowser, Genba)
1.0 Red-Ear Slider (Iggy)
0.1 Snow Corn Snake (Sakura)
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise (Casca) 1.0 Anerythristic Honduran Milksnake (Manda) 2.2 Firebelly Newts
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 2/6/2012 4:43:49 PM
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Wow, good luck with your project, I would like to make my own cage for a knight anole or a ball python.
Steve
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 7/6/2010 5:54:54 PM
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now just who needs a cage for a monitor just let them free roam thats what i'm going to do with mine if it eats my brother then thats just one less annoyance i have to deal with
 My herps
1.1.0 B.c imperator (Tarzan,Jane)
1.0.0 P. regius (Salazar)
1.0.0 G.c. Loveridgei (Houdini)
1.0.0 V. exanthematicus (lewis)
0.0.1 R. ciliatus (Shinkirou)
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 1/16/2012 3:18:00 PM
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Nice! I can't wait to see what the end result will be.
And Snake Charmer, they will still need a place where they can go at night, and actually bask at temps higher that 78.
________________________________
" Human kind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." - Chief Seattle, 1855
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Senior Member
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herpdude86 (9/22/2008)
And Snake Charmer, they will still need a place where they can go at night, and actually bask at temps higher that 78. theres room on my bed & theres two windows & i keep my floor of the house at 77f & here in tn the winters are mild & wet & i plan on taking him for walks for uvb so not much of a problem & i can always hang a basking light on the wall to get 100f basking spot incase we all of a sudden have a blizzard
My herps
1.1.0 B.c imperator (Tarzan,Jane)
1.0.0 P. regius (Salazar)
1.0.0 G.c. Loveridgei (Houdini)
1.0.0 V. exanthematicus (lewis)
0.0.1 R. ciliatus (Shinkirou)
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 1/16/2012 3:18:00 PM
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yeah but they still need a secure place where they can chill and stuff, without any hazards, your dog could turn on him, ours did on our bunnies (but they are not hurt). And they need high temps, above 100, I was looking at care sheets, and most said 110-130 basking spots. Or else they can't digest properly.
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" Human kind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." - Chief Seattle, 1855
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