Cages and Enclosures for Chondros
I often say that chondros have some specialized needs that must be satisfied in order for them to thrive in captivity. Perhaps the most important of these is having the proper cage, and a keeper with the ability to set it up with the correct environment. Once the physical and emotional needs of these pythons are understood, applying them to an enclosure is not difficult.
There is no magic (or perfect) cage; many designs and materials will work well. However, some cages are better than others, in terms of ease of use and maintenance, as well as durability. The designs included in this section are what I have found to be the easiest to make and use in my own facility. I have been building snake cages since I was a small boy, and owned one of the most successful reptile cage companies (CageMaster) in the 1990's. I've built and used cages of practically every type, and I also have hands-on experience with all the major commercial brands. I have used this pool of experience to narrow down what I feel is the best set of enclosures for green tree pythons. I hope that you will find this section helpful, whether you use it to duplicate my designs or simply use the information as a springboard for your own creativity. Either way, the principles of good cage design and use are the same, and they must be understood for the animals to thrive in your care.
Complete plans and construction techniques for building the cages and racks that I make and use are included. There is also a page describing a setup for housing individual babies. The focus of this section is on function and ease of use, not lowest cost. It is my opinion that we have an obligation as keepers to provide the best captive environment for our chondros as possible, and that cost considerations come last, not first. If you can't afford good cages then you can't afford chondros. Purchasing an animal that costs several hundred dollars and then trying to house it in a bargain basement cage setup is not the correct approach. Remember...Quality is contagious!
These pages focus on the technical aspects of cage design and construction; for an overview about proper cage setup and environment, as well as photos of the Fine GTPs cage setups, please see the Cage Environment section of the Care Sheets. For complete, in-depth information about GTP caging, please order my book, The Complete Chondro.
Housing Neonates and Yearlings
Tub Rack plans and Construction tips
Plans for Fine GTPs Adult Cages
