Hello, BP.net!

So, I got into keeping Ball Pythons a few years ago and dove in a little too deep. Ended up with 6 animals that I wasn't really equipped to care for so I cut down to one, my female Albino, Amy. I had her in a tub for a bit, but decided that was no way to live and snagged a 3' Exo-Terra terrarium during Black Friday a few years ago.

Time passed, and now I've got a 4 month old son. I'm not really comfortable with having a large snake in a house with a toddler, but there's no way in hell I'm getting rid of Amy. That leaves me with one option: A new enclosure that locks. I mean padlock locks. I don't have the money to buy one premade, so I'm going to have to build it. Fortunately my father is an able carpenter and recently retired, so all I need to do is work up a design and we can build it.

I've been doing a bunch of reading and I think I'm in information overload. I could really use some advice on design. I'm looking at wood, 4x2x2, matching stand, and at least the front should be see-through. Also, as I said, padlocked.

So here's where I'm having issues making up my mind:

Type of wood. (Melamine? I'd like to go a little more solid than that, build something that'll last.)

3 Solid wood sides, or just the back?

Type of door/access

Ventilation?

Tiled floor?

Finally, the one that's got me the most confused, heating. I live in Georgia so it doesn't get too cold, but the house can get into the mid 60s in winter. I have a Herpstat 1 Tstat, and I'd really love not having to buy a second thermostat to regulate air temp.

Sigh. It's looking like I'm in deep. Where should I start?