# Which vivs for venomous?



## andy2086 (Dec 26, 2008)

A question for the license holders - what sort of vivs do you keep your hots in? :hmm:

Talking to a vet who does the house checks for DWA licensing recently, he said he didn't really like the normal wooden vivs with sliding glass doors as he said they're not secure enough, even with a viv lock. 

So what sort of vivs were your licensing people & vets happy with? : victory:


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

andy2086 said:


> A question for the license holders - what sort of vivs do you keep your hots in? :hmm:
> 
> Talking to a vet who does the house checks for DWA licensing recently, he said he didn't really like the normal wooden vivs with sliding glass doors as he said they're not secure enough, even with a viv lock.
> 
> So what sort of vivs were your licensing people & vets happy with? : victory:


What the F***s wrong with wooden vivs?

The critters aint going to chomp through the wood, tell him he is a dick!

I've got RUBs, Wooden vivs , fibre glass etc. they are all secure so no problems.

The main criteria is whether or not the room is secure and I dont mean double doors which many seem to think are obligatory, but arnt.


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## Azemiops (May 1, 2008)

andy2086 said:


> Talking to a vet who does the house checks for DWA licensing recently, he said he didn't really like the normal wooden vivs with sliding glass doors as he said they're not secure enough, even with a viv lock.


Oh dear! After all this time, ive been keeping my snakes in unsecure cages!

I cant think of a single venomous keeper i know that doesnt use wooden vivariums for at least some of their species. Many of them use wooden vivs for ALL of the snakes they own, myself included.



slippery42 said:


> The critters aint going to chomp through the wood, tell him he is a dick!


Typical Yorkshireman, no beating around the bush


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## wildlifewarrior (Jun 26, 2008)

Azemiops said:


> Oh dear! After all this time, ive been keeping my snakes in unsecure cages!
> 
> *I cant think of a single venomous keeper i know that doesnt use wooden vivariums for at least some of their species. Many of them use wooden vivs for ALL of the snakes they own, myself included.*


Plus wasnt there some negative feed back about higher priced/ apprently more professional enclosures such as herptek vivs where some smaller speices of hots managed to escape through a design fault in them.

generally with wooden vivs if the glass is shut and locked then nothing is getting out of it provided it has correctly fitted vents


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

andy2086 said:


> *he said he didn't really like* the normal wooden vivs with sliding glass doors as he said they're not secure enough, even with a viv lock.


 
for the ones who missed it.. 
'he said. That's called the vets opinion.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

Azemiops said:


> Oh dear! After all this time, ive been keeping my snakes in unsecure cages!
> 
> I cant think of a single venomous keeper i know that doesnt use wooden vivariums for at least some of their species. Many of them use wooden vivs for ALL of the snakes they own, myself included.
> 
> ...


Ahhhhh you sussed me out!!!


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

S:censor:t anyone got herpteck or visions number?????? ive been keeping my stuff in wooden vivs for years.....i must have a go at the very well respected zoo vet for passing me on my inspection.............:lol2:

And before anybody starts having a go i am being sarcastic and having a joke...if people hadnt noticed people who keep venomous generally have a warped sence of humour:gasp:


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## andy2086 (Dec 26, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> *What the F***s wrong with wooden vivs?*
> 
> The critters aint going to chomp through the wood, tell him he is a dick!
> 
> ...


That was my thought exactly Graeme! :devil: The way he was talking he made out that the snakes main aim was to get out of the viv to bite someone. 
All my vivs are home made with these doors & nothing has ever got out, from milk snakes to pythons & boas.

I wont go so far as to tell him he's a dick though, I'm wanting my license soon! :lol2:


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## paulrimmer69 (Oct 26, 2008)

i wonder how he comes to that conclusion? the only way i can think is if the vivs have been poorly built but made properly they are as if not more secure than plastic vivs imo


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

wildlifewarrior said:


> Plus wasnt there some negative feed back about higher priced/ apprently more professional enclosures such as herptek vivs where some smaller speices of hots managed to escape through a design fault in them.
> 
> generally with wooden vivs if the glass is shut and locked then nothing is getting out of it provided it has correctly fitted vents


Some have said that they can get through a gap in the runners, they will have to be small though. 

Also I have found they can hide in the overhang above & below the glass doors. However a quick look around and swipe with a hook solves that problem.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

I remember when I had my first inspection the vet stated that he didn like exo-terra vivs and preferred wooden ones.

I asked him why and he stated that at least if there was a fire the wooden vivs would incinerate the snakes!

When pushed further his view was as long as it was secure what did it matter as its a personal view point!


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

I use Herptek for most of mine. However, probably a bit naughty of me, I still keep a few sakes in rack system tubs. Never had a dilema but hey ho no DWA licence required here :2thumb:


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## trueviper (Jan 13, 2008)

Shouldn't be anything wrong using wooden vivs for venomous snakes so long as the joins are regulary checked.

Personally I use Herptek vivs but thats because I find them ideal. Theyr'e escape proof, easy to clean and last a lifetime.


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

To be totally honest, the only problem I have encountered lately in regards to using Herptek vivs for my v.ammodytes, and evn my boas even though they are not venomous, is sometimes (too often for my liking) the snakes squeeze themselves into a ledge found at the top end of the slidding doors. It can sometimes catch you of guard and is a complete pain in the ass when trying to clean or change water bowls. Again this is only a problem with snakes and not with my gila monsters. Another problem that you may find with these vivs is that if you go beyond the recommended Watt (even slighty above) and you have them stacked ontop of each other then the heat source from the viv below may end up bowing the base of the viv above. Luckily I caught this problem in time and have inserted wood bases between each viv. Another problem that you could have with these vivs is hatchlings escaping from the glass sliding doors. On one or two of my vivs. particularly the 60 x 60 x 50 I think they are, there is a gap in the corners of the runners where the glass panels end. I personally haven't lost any snakes via this route, however, I had one 6 month hognose "peak a boo" me from the gap.


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## kerry and chris (Nov 9, 2009)

leecb0 said:


> S:censor:t anyone got herpteck or visions number?????? ive been keeping my stuff in wooden vivs for years.....i must have a go at the very well respected zoo vet for passing me on my inspection.............:lol2:
> 
> And before anybody starts having a go i am being sarcastic and having a joke...if people hadnt noticed people who keep venomous generally have a warped sence of humour:gasp:


lol should have just said . . . "if people hadnt noticed people who keep venomous are generally warped" :whistling2:


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

*warped?*

warped? such a word to use im not warped. i just do what the toaster tells me. argh save the trees eat a beaver. lol.


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## maffy (Dec 24, 2008)

*serious point*

sorry only just noticed this post.

It all depends... do your snakes have ter-mites?

If so don't buy wooden. If they are ter-mite free then the best viv to buy is a safe one. 

However, whatever you do don't spray your viv with G4 pond paint unless its a Water Cobra or the proverbial Leviathan.

Basically, it stinks :lol2: and attracts Storks.
Please excuse me, its silly hour.

And I'm just off to bed. Yay to me.


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