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cool Interiors of cages
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by plainblain on September 5, 2005
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How do zoos create beautiful landscape interiors of cliffs, streams and real? plantlife. I want to be more creative within the walls of my cages but don't have a clue how.
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RE: cool Interiors of cages
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by Cro on September 5, 2005
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Blain: We used to create fake rockwork and cliffs in cages at Atlanta Zoo by glueing folded and shaped screen wire to the cage with silicone rubber RTV adhesive. Then we would mix a slurry of concrete to about pancake batter thickness and coat the screen wire with a paint brush or trowell, until the concrete built up to about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness. This could take a few days depending on the complexity of the design and the size of the cage. This would leave a large hollow behind the rock work and not add too much to the weight of the cage, as the actual layer of concrete was very thin. After the concrete cured a few days, we would paint it with naural colored paints, greys, browns, blacks, etc to try to make it look like real rock cliffs. Sometimes, after that it would be clear coated with polyurathane to seal it, other times the paint just acted as a sealer. Sometimes we would mold in pockets with something like a plastic cup, that could later be filled with dirt, to plant live plants into. I have also used the same RTV ``Silastic`` to glue small sheets of slate to the back of aquariums to create rock backgrounds and hide spots in these cages. Concrete mason mix is dirt cheap, easy to use, and makes very realistic rockwork. Some of the cliff work I make in cages at Atlanta Zoo 30 years ago are still in use, as are those made by others there at that time. The main thing is to just experiment and see what you can construct. The Lava Rocks available at some plant nursuries are very light weight and look quite good. Just try to not add a lot of weight to the cage, in case you ever have to take it out and clean it or moove it. Hope this helps some.
JohnZ
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RE: cool Interiors of cages
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by KINGRIUS on September 6, 2005
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John, thanks for the cool ideas on the interiors, thats good stuff. I've been wondering how I could spruce up the enclosures of my snakes for a while but didnt know what direction to go. Early this coming year I'll be building a new enclosure for my boa as she outgrows the tank she's in now. Its going to be genormous 'cause I'm going to devote an entire wall to her enclosure. I'm definately not going to make it plain jane. All the others will have a renovation in due time as well.
Thanks again for the tips.
Darius
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RE: cool Interiors of cages
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by tj on September 6, 2005
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Foam works well, too. All you need to do is carve your desired landscape out of a block of hard foam and spray paint it to give it that natural look. It's the same thing many companies use to make waterfalls and backgrounds.
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RE: cool Interiors of cages
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by Cro on September 6, 2005
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tj is right about foam, it does work well for cages also. You can get the `large area` foam in spray cans at Home Depot, and spray clumps of it directly to the back of the cage. After it expands and cures, you can carve it with a dremell tool, or a wood rasp, or just a knife. Then you can paint it. Just remember that some paints will melt the foam, so read the instructions on the spray paint can first to see if it will work on foam.
You can also get free catalogues from Taxidermy Supply Stores on the Net, and they have a lot of kool stuff that can be used in making cage rockwork and structures. They have fake realistic plants, and foam carving tools, and natural colored paints for rockwork, and natural cork bark, that in my opinion makes the best reptile hide box. Try a company like VanDykes in Woundsockett, SD, and request a catalogue.
In making any cage rockwork, make sure the foam, concrete mason mix, and paint, and sealer are all well cured and free of fumes before you put the reptiles back into the cage.
Best Regards JohnZ
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