Joe...the cage itself is part of the building...and the whole thing built years ago. How long ago, I have no idea, but it's pretty old. And I'm quite sure it was built with the intent to display reptiles...by people who had little knowledge of what's actually involved in keeping reptiles.

Butterscotch came in as a rescue situation. The building was never meant to house a full-grown burm, but it's the best we have right now.

Rebuilding it is an option...IF I want to do it myself. Which, I do...eventually. She will need a much larger enclosure eventually and I want to make sure she has that before I leave. (We're probably moving again next summer) When I rebuild some of these old enclosures into one big one, I will definitely be incorporating some safety measures for handling a giant snake. BUT...that whole project is on my shoulders...and I'm no carpenter. It's going to take time.

In the meantime, I'm stuck with the step ladder and going in from above. Just have to make the best of what I have to work with right now.