Caging
for venomous snakes must allow for the safety of the keeper, be easily
maintained, and provide a secure and lockable system (1). Inadequate
cages can pose a security and liability risk for the individual and/or
institution that maintain venomous snakes. Inexpensive cages can be
manufactured from wood. However, wood cannot be properly disinfected
and can increase the risk of transferring infections between animals.
Glass aquaria are economical and can be adequately disinfected but are
heavy, easily broken, and are insufficient for security reasons. Bedocs et al.
(2) described an inexpensive and easily manufactured cage system for
housing large reptiles. However, these cages are not designed for the
security needed for venomous snakes. There are commercially available
cages that are secure and lockable but they are not cost effective if
maintaining a large colony of animals.
I
developed an inexpensive and secure cage system that can be constructed
from commercially available square plastic containers. These cages can
be manufactured in a relatively short period of time (45 minutes to 1
hour) and follow the guidelines for housing reptiles by the National
Research Council (3). They allow for easy access of the reptile, can be
easily disinfected, are lightweight, but are sturdy and each cage can
be independently locked.
Answers to all your Biology Questions
