Green Tree Python Caging Information

Caging

Generally speaking we would recommend caging be approximately an 18” cube, with proper perches and heat gradients that are well monitored. There are many ways to build a cage but generally speaking you'll get a better product for less money if you just buy a commercial unit.

There are lots of options to say the least - fish tanks, reptile glass tanks, acrylic cages, homemade cages, "rubbermaid" type tubs, plastic cages, and weird custom cages of every shape and variety you can imagine.

People have successfully raised and bred GTP's in every one of these types of cages and none of them can be said to be perfect - they all have their pros and cons.

Here at Spruce Nubble Farm we only care about one thing - animal health. This means our cages aren't designed with display or any other factors in mind.

For our adults we use Boaphile townhouses which include a center mounted radiant heat panel and we utilize Ranco Controllers.

Our yearlings live in Rubbermaid tubs (each about 12" x 18" x 10") with flexwatt (an under tank type heater) at the back of each rack "drawer" as the heat source. They are on 3/4" PVC perches and have a simple setup - plastic water bowl and a paper cage liner and occasionally a piece of Pothos.

Our Neonates are in small hard plastic drawers with a plastic water bowl, plastic coat hanger perches, and a paper cage liner.

Easy to clean and the creatures do really well - but we do also have a few personal display cages as well so we do appreciate what fun it can be to get fancy.

So how do you choose a cage ?

The first thing everyone wants to know about a cage - how much will it cost? You can get a bare minimum basic setup that is everything you need for less than $100. Some commercial cages of "museum" quality can cost more than $7,500 (no, that's not a typo). On average most of our customers spend about $350-$500 on a setup.

You'll probably be happiest to decide how much you want to spend before deciding on a cage and remember that there is always something "better" which may or may not be what you need.

Next decide what is important to you - a beautiful display, easy to clean, breeding, lots of playtime, or whatever your personal priority might be. Once you know what you want you'll be better equipped to judge the features of any potential cage.

Location is the next decision, this impacts what you might need in a cage based on the typical temperatures of the selected location, the foot traffic, and other aesthetic factors.

Cage Types

Back in the long long ago before reptiles were the huge hobby they are today there weren't really commercial reptile cages to be had - so we used fish tanks with screen tops. Lots of folks still use fish tanks and they can work well - but they really are best at what they were designed to do which is be full of water. Unless you already have a tank we wouldn't recommend buying a fish tank for a GTP ... or almost any reptile in fact.

Some companies now make glass reptile type tanks - critter cages are commonly seen in pet stores as are the Exo-Terra units by Hagen. Either of these units can work well and we've been happy with the Exo-Terra unit we have here. The downside of these units is usually humidity control, the screen will need to be covered to create an acceptable environment. Over time the glass will need to be scraped for minerals depending on how heavy your water is. Years of pet shop work makes me want to say glass is also expensive but that Exo-Terra unit is a bargain so I'll just say glass can be costly.

To see our Exo-Terra page that shows how we set ours up in detial click here.

There are some interesting acrylic cages all of which are basically a variant of a box design with perches. There are usually a few people producing these and you can sometimes find them at reptile shows As they are basically a plastic box they aren't especially difficult for the do-it-yourselfer. Some companies make commercial cages from Acrylic which can work OK. The problem with acrylic is that it scratches, doesn't have the best thermal properties, and can "fog" over time and become not really clear. On the upside it is cheap and durable.

If you love to make things and are good at and you have lots of time and you are willing to alter your design to make the animal happy even if it is ugly and you don't care that it'll cost more - homemade cages can be a good idea - nuff said.

If you want the custom look, but lack the time or skills to build it yourself, CagesByDesign.com is a great resource. We've ordered several display cages from them over the years and have always been happy with the quality and custom options.

Assorted "racks" of rubbermaid type tubs are the choice of most commercial folks - the reason for this is because they are very easy to clean and you can fit lots of creatures in a small amount of space. The problem with racks is that they need to be altered to include perches. You can see one method of doing that on our bare minimum basic setup page. Generally speaking racks are ugly and good for folks with lots of animals. Our racks were made by Boaphile and they work well. I'd guess Jeff would install perches in tubs for you since he did it for us.

Finally we get to what most of our customers use - commercial units.

The big bucks chondro cage is made by a company called Habitat Systems - the stuff is really nice and really not cheap and your best bet if you are interested is to call them. Every item made by hand - artistry in fiberglass.

We have a few of the display units from Freedom Breeder - these cages work ok but they need to have a bead of silicone added around the metal frame to have any chance of controlling humidity. Our opinion is that this is an OK cage but it doesn't live up to the reputation built by what they specialize in, commercial rack systems and rodent caging.

Vision is a plastic cage you often see at reptile shows and they are available all over the place online – the problem with this unit is that the top vent needs to be blocked for humidity control and GTP's like to perch on the interior lip that is part of the cage design, which means that you can't really see them when you open the cage. We own a few of these and we generally keep Carpet Pythons in them.

Another popular commercial unit is the "Barrs" cage - this unit is an excellent value but it is not really much better than what a decent do it yourselfer could make in the garage....but, it is priced right and what you get is very fair for the money. This cage can be used for a GTP with no significant alteration which is also nice.

Our opinion is that the best overall commercial GTP cage is made by Boaphile. When placing your order you do need to ask for certain alterations/upgrades but if you do these cages work well right out of the box. In addition to perches make sure to get a pair of vented ends installed. A typical customer of ours buys a 233A with a pair of adjustable vents, a radiant heat panel, under tank heat (unless kept in an already warm reptile room), black hinges, a florescent light installed, and a ranco thermostat. This is around $375 delivered. The problem with Boaphile - and the bitch that everyone has - is the wait. Even though their site is clear about it waiting 6 weeks or more after paying in full can be upset some folks and there really isn't a way to rush Jeff.

Conclusions

The cage is the beginning of any GTP environment and while just about anything can work the choice you make in a basic unit does dictate all others. There is no such thing as a "perfect" or foolproof cage for Green Tree Pythons and the needs of individual animals will vary. Decide what you want to spend, figure out where you want to put it, decide what really matters to you - and the choice from there should be pretty simple to make.