I don't see these mentioned here much... but if anyone is looking for a lower cost, and more easily moved enclosure, this may be helpful to you. I got the idea from Kaijutegu on tumblr.
First: Get a grow tent! These are made for growing plants indoors, and are designed to retain heat and humidity.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WD58D23/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This is the one I got, but any similar one will do (just make sure it's an all-metal frame, not plastic). 4' x 8' x 8' is the ideal size but you can find bigger. (There are ones even taller than 4' but honestly that's wasted space for a tegu, and will just cost more to heat)
You'll also want to buy some heavy duty clear vinyl from a fabric store or wherever, and either heavy duty thread or heavy fishing line, and some heavy duty sewing needles. (Yes, expect a lot of 'heavy duty' stuff)
Second: Cut out a window! (Don't make the mistake I did and do this after you put it all together. Do it first.)
I don't have many good photos of this part but...
Basically on the flap part on front that will unzip to create the door, carefully cut out the middle, however big you need it, leaving a large border. Cut out the vinyl to be bigger than the hole, so there's a big overlap. Then, sew it in place with the heavy thread. Go over it a few times to make sure it's secure. You might need pliers to get the needle through both layers of material.
Third: Make a base!
I used some 2" x 12" boards, screwed into a rectangle that will fit inside the tent. Really simple. Some lumber stores will even cut them to length for you.
Fourth: Attach a pond liner!
Use a staple gun or similar to attach it to the outside of the frame. This is just extra security to make sure it all doesn't leak.
Fifth: Set up the tent and put the frame inside. Watch as tent becomes new cat bed.
Sixth: Fill with a literal ton of dirt and start decorating.
Yes, a *ton* of dirt. Actually closer to one and a half tons. It's sifted topsoil to be exact, from 3 tons brought into my driveway by dump truck. It then had to be carried up a flight of stairs, bag full by bag full.... @[email protected] I also mixed in some cypress mulch.
It's a foot deep, which is really the minimum for a large burrowing lizard. (They say you should have closer to 2-3 ft for a savannah, for example) So keep this in mind when setting up your enclosure!
Then just add your lights and hides and... ta-da! It's done. Just Add Tegu.
Here you can see how it looks with the door closed and the vinyl window in place. I prettied mine up with some green bias tape so it matched better.
If anyone is wondering how secure this is, it's been 6 months with her in it, and I haven't had an issue yet. The mylar sides are really tough. I even tested out some scraps with various claw-like objects to see how hard they would be to cut, and it would take something much sharper than tegu claws. Because they don't tend to climb anyway, they're going to be busier digging than trying to climb the sides, but still keep an eye out. (Keep the piece you removed on hand in case you need to make any patches)
First: Get a grow tent! These are made for growing plants indoors, and are designed to retain heat and humidity.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WD58D23/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This is the one I got, but any similar one will do (just make sure it's an all-metal frame, not plastic). 4' x 8' x 8' is the ideal size but you can find bigger. (There are ones even taller than 4' but honestly that's wasted space for a tegu, and will just cost more to heat)
You'll also want to buy some heavy duty clear vinyl from a fabric store or wherever, and either heavy duty thread or heavy fishing line, and some heavy duty sewing needles. (Yes, expect a lot of 'heavy duty' stuff)
Second: Cut out a window! (Don't make the mistake I did and do this after you put it all together. Do it first.)
I don't have many good photos of this part but...
Basically on the flap part on front that will unzip to create the door, carefully cut out the middle, however big you need it, leaving a large border. Cut out the vinyl to be bigger than the hole, so there's a big overlap. Then, sew it in place with the heavy thread. Go over it a few times to make sure it's secure. You might need pliers to get the needle through both layers of material.
Third: Make a base!
I used some 2" x 12" boards, screwed into a rectangle that will fit inside the tent. Really simple. Some lumber stores will even cut them to length for you.
Fourth: Attach a pond liner!
Use a staple gun or similar to attach it to the outside of the frame. This is just extra security to make sure it all doesn't leak.
Fifth: Set up the tent and put the frame inside. Watch as tent becomes new cat bed.
Sixth: Fill with a literal ton of dirt and start decorating.
Yes, a *ton* of dirt. Actually closer to one and a half tons. It's sifted topsoil to be exact, from 3 tons brought into my driveway by dump truck. It then had to be carried up a flight of stairs, bag full by bag full.... @[email protected] I also mixed in some cypress mulch.
It's a foot deep, which is really the minimum for a large burrowing lizard. (They say you should have closer to 2-3 ft for a savannah, for example) So keep this in mind when setting up your enclosure!
Then just add your lights and hides and... ta-da! It's done. Just Add Tegu.
Here you can see how it looks with the door closed and the vinyl window in place. I prettied mine up with some green bias tape so it matched better.
If anyone is wondering how secure this is, it's been 6 months with her in it, and I haven't had an issue yet. The mylar sides are really tough. I even tested out some scraps with various claw-like objects to see how hard they would be to cut, and it would take something much sharper than tegu claws. Because they don't tend to climb anyway, they're going to be busier digging than trying to climb the sides, but still keep an eye out. (Keep the piece you removed on hand in case you need to make any patches)
