Exotic Pets Enclosure

When purchasing an exotic pet such as a reptile, whether it be a small snake, lizard, turtle or even a giant python  , what is going to cost more than the pet is the enclosure.

I am picking up my blue tongue lizard tomorrow and I was told that they would make a me a deal with the lizard for it’s “artificial environment” by selling me the enclosure and all the components with that for $698. As a student, that is just NOT happening, I can not afford that.

My father is a builder whom runs his own business and leftover supplies from work and are dumped around the house. As I have stated before, Scream (my southern rock scorpion) has found a home in an old fish tank which I recycled into an artificial environment for him.
http://vegeway.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/scorpion.html
http://vegeway.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/basic-care-of-southern-black-rock.html

I first found old shelving which I then cut down too make a frame for the enclosure.
Bottom & Top 2 foot by 2 foot
Sides 2 foot w X 1.5 foot
I then drilled this all shut together. This is only a temporary move as he will grow bigger in the future and I will need to get or make a 3 foot wide enclosure.
The top however got cut down too 2 foot w to 1.4 foot long which is then replaced by mesh. I hav’t found a proper way to attach itself together and removable yet but for now, my blue tongue lizard barley the size of my hand is incapable of escaping.

I then attached fiberglass to the front of it by hammering it and reinforcing that with some timber pieces over the top to make sure it holds sturdy for years to come.

I then have put some padding I found inside the enclosure and will put some tarp down over that to keep it from sliding. Substrate will then go in and when I am cleaning that , I can just grab the tarp , lift it up and put it in the bin and replacing it more more tarp.

Of course when the blue tongue lizard goes in there I will put enrichments around and the monitor and heat lamp shall go in through the role in the roof  .

Hope this all helped,  it saves considerable amount of money if you just research the type of enclosures used for these animals and then do your best with what you already have if its suitable. I can now save up for a much bigger proper enclosure but for now I saved over $400 .