What to put in a 8' x 3' x 2' Cage

[The Serpent Merchant]

Hey all, my GF's birthday is coming up in a few months and I'm looking for something to get for her. I will be getting an AP T70 (8 foot x 3 foot x 2 foot: L x W x H) PVC cage. This can either be a single massive cage or 2, 4 foot x 3 foot x 2 foot cages using a divider.

I've been looking into Frilled Dragons but have a few questions.

1. How tall does an adult cage really need to be? Can you use a shorter cage if the cage is long/wide enough?

2. Would 5.0 or 10.0 UV bulbs (zoo-Med) be better for them?


If an adult Frilled can't live in a 2 foot tall cage despite the extra length/width what you recommend? I'm mainly looking for lizards/monitors but anything is possible (unless it is illegeal in my state (like retics )

Thanks as always

[dereklondon24]

Hmmm Burmese, or a Burmese, or maybe even a granite or albino Burmese can u tell What I want lol.


1.0 normal bp- Blitz
1.0 Nicaraguan boa- Gavin
0.1 Red Tail Boa- Tara

[The Serpent Merchant]

Unfortunately those are illegal as well

I'm trying to get a permit/license from Florida fish and wildlife for a retic, but it is slow going and may or may not even work out.

[SeeTheCityLights]

A frilled would be awesome. Mostly because I will force you to post lots of pictures....

[dereklondon24]

What about a tegu? They are really cool plus when ur home they can kind of roam the house and are a very cool lizard. I am a big fan of the tegu.


1.0 normal bp- Blitz
1.0 Nicaraguan boa- Gavin
0.1 Red Tail Boa- Tara

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Have you considered Blue Tongue Skink?

[el8ch]

I don't see why an adult frilled couldn't thrive in a cage that size. You would be able to have multiple perches and running room. Lots of space IMO. As far as UVB I'm not sure what the optimal bulb would be.

If you don't go with a frilled, what about something like a Chinese water dragon and you could have a water feature in the enclosure.

[Vypyrz]

I vote for tegu. They are impressive lizards, and from what I understand, quite intelligent...

Sent from my Motorola ATRIX using Tapatalk 2.

[RobNJ]

If you're up to task, a caiman lizard could be really awesome...really fascinating animal.

[el8ch]

If you're up to task, a caiman lizard could be really awesome...really fascinating animal.

^

Caimans are pretty awesome... and rare! The one things with the Caimans is you need to be able to provide them with their proper diet and some people find it hard to be able to provide them with fresh snails on a regular basis. We have a farm and and have a healthy colony of ground snails in a group of mulberry bushes. They are very interesting animals to keep, a friend of mine has a pair at his store and they are a riot during feeding time!

Here's a pic


A quick Caiman blurb ...

This is not a lizard for beginners! This rare and specialized denizen of forested riverbanks is imported in low numbers and is still a rarity in the pet trade. The caiman lizards’ large size and potentially painful bite are two more reasons that few tackle its husbandry. Worst of all, most fresh imports prefer a diet of snails – a food item difficult to provide for most keepers.

A wood mulch substrate works well in a cage that is at least 2 feet by 4 feet in floor dimensions. A soaking pan in which the caiman lizard can submerge completely should be at one end of the enclosure. A wooden ‘cave’ at the other end must large enough to allow the caiman lizard to curl up inside. Aim a basking lamp at the shelter’s top so the caiman lizard can utilize the ‘roof’ as a daytime place to warm up.

Caiman lizards have been persecuted in their natural habitat for their crocodilian-like skins. We are still learning the subtleties of the caiman lizards’ behavior and natural history. Little is known of its reproductive habits.