New enclosure lid, yes or no?

[TwinkleToes19]

Got a new enclosure for my sub adult T. Albo. Of course it came with a mesh lid, and I was wondering if I need to replace it. To he fair though, she doesn't climb up her enclosure and the mesh isn't a fine one I believe. What do you guys suggest?

 

[m0lsx]

Personally, I don't. But I do not doubt that others have had T's caught in the mesh. But I never have. But I do not put climbers into tall enclosures & with enclosures like that, you cannot increase the amount of substrate, due to the front doors. Plus why waste all that substrate when a shallower plastic tank is going to do the job better?

My biggest concern with the mesh is that it often leaves very sharp pieces of wire poking out around the edges of it. That is something I always check for & which I hot glue over if I find.

Also, be aware that drilling perspex is not an easy task. Do not use a new drill, do not use a blunt drill, or the perspex will crack. What I do with perspex is use a new drill & then use emery paper to quickly take the edge off it.

 

[TwinkleToes19]

Personally, I don't. But I do not doubt that others have had T's caught in the mesh. But I never have. But I do not put climbers into tall enclosures & with enclosures like that, you cannot increase the amount of substrate, due to the front doors. Plus why waste all that substrate when a shallower plastic tank is going to do the job better?

My biggest concern with the mesh is that it often leaves very sharp pieces of wire poking out around the edges of it. That is something I always check for & which I hot glue over if I find.

Also, be aware that drilling perspex is not an easy task. Do not use a new drill, do not use a blunt drill, or the perspex will crack. What I do with perspex is use a new drill & then use emery paper to quickly take the edge off it.

I understand where you are coming from, but I can't find a shallower box that fits my wants, otherwise ai would've gotten as 12 x 12 x 8.

 

[TwinkleToes19]

I understand where you are coming from, but I can't find a shallower box that fits my wants, otherwise ai would've gotten as 12 x 12 x 8.

Thankfully she doesn't really climb walls, I can't for the life of me find a 12 x 12 x 8 enclosure.

 

[DaveO'B]

Thankfully she doesn't really climb walls, I can't for the life of me find a 12 x 12 x 8 enclosure.

Are Komodo products available in the USA? They do a 12 x 12 x 8 enclosure with a mesh lid. The lid looks like it's perforated steel rather than woven mesh, so there should be less danger of your T getting a claw stuck in it.

Nano Habitat

We are really sorry but this is not available to buy online. Komodo's Nano Habitats are ideal for creating environments for many types of invertebrates, hatchlings, snakes and amphibians.

www.komodoproducts.com

 

[MFVet]

Personally, I don't. But I do not doubt that others have had T's caught in the mesh. But I never have. But I do not put climbers into tall enclosures & with enclosures like that, you cannot increase the amount of substrate, due to the front doors. Plus why waste all that substrate when a shallower plastic tank is going to do the job better?

My biggest concern with the mesh is that it often leaves very sharp pieces of wire poking out around the edges of it. That is something I always check for & which I hot glue over if I find.

Also, be aware that drilling perspex is not an easy task. Do not use a new drill, do not use a blunt drill, or the perspex will crack. What I do with perspex is use a new drill & then use emery paper to quickly take the edge off it.

I have a 20g thrive reptile terrarium with the pull out drawer. It has mesh/aluminum lid. I read somewhere that Ts can bite through it easily. Should I replace it with something else.

 

[m0lsx]

I have a 20g thrive reptile terrarium with the pull out drawer. It has mesh/aluminum lid. I read somewhere that Ts can bite through it easily. Should I replace it with something else.

That does not sound like an enclosure we have here in the UK, so sorry, I cannot help. But in general, mesh lids are more normally said to catch your T's tarsal claws (feet.) Leaving them hanging, than to be eaten through & escaped from.

 

[Heretic]

There is a story of a monkey trapped by pushing his arm through a hole and grabbing food. He couldn't pull his arm out because he was holding the food. He stayed like that until the hunter shot him. Just like a dog with a big stick that cant figure out why he cant walk through a doorway with his prize... some animals lack the reasoning to figure this stuff out.

This is the case with mesh lids and Tarantulas. Tarantulas lack the understanding of why they are caught. They don't realize they can maneuver their claw out of the hole they stuck it through. They will eventually get tired of trying to pull it out, and just start walking away. Once they reach the point where they can no longer move away, they will attempt to pull their leg off, which is what they can do, except that is not what happens all the time. Sometimes they lose their grip on the mesh lid and fall. Their weight is rarely enough to pull the leg off, so they hang there lacking the strength to pull themselves up to the lid or detach their leg to free themselves.

Can a T walk across a mesh Lid? Yup 100%. They can and do this all the time. They can also snag a claw through the mesh and get trapped.

Can a T saw through a mesh lid? You bet they can. Can they do this on all types of mesh? No. Some mesh is way too strong of a steel, while other mesh is actually plastic / nylon.

I don't use a slide top (mesh or other wise) on my enclosures. While I wouldn't drop a hinged lid on a T attempting to escape, I would on a Rattler or other Viper. Rattlers and Vipers have no problem coming after you... and a pissed off 4-6 foot Viper coming after you isn't a good day.

I make / install hinged lids for all my enclosures. Its just easier and safer to use. Just dont drop the lid on an escaping T... or you gonna make spider goo...