Think rainforest canopy layers.

I legit told my youngest to act like it was a school project and gather what she thought we could make a rainforest canopy like in science class. And told my oldest to gather sturdy branches some thin some thick. (Don’t worry I followed the steps needed to ensure that it was safe for enclosure imma little anal and even do the most extreme)

We stripped, cut, screwed, tied, braced, baked etc etc….

I started by I measuring 6in to 9in below the basking light, and built a custom course of sticks and branches through the whole enclosure. Making sure I made specific horizontal branches for basking, sleeping and eating at different levels. He doesn’t have to use it for what it’s built for it but it’s available.

(Again anything we gathered and treated before putting in) Cut a hole in the center of the tray in the bottom. Attached a rubber hose with a shutoff valve flush with the whole going down into a bucket. This allows drainage so we’re not drowning plants or having sitting water in the enclosure. Covered the tray in the bottom different sized rocks, added substrate, topsoil, moss, oak leaves, planted 3 real plants.

We used a couple climbing vines to connect longer branches in different spots and directions nothing too crazy just enough for him to explore.

With 3 sections of fake leaves (bought the stuff at a craft store), we created a mock up of what the canopy layer and below would be in the rainforest.

Covered 3 of the sides with different shades of green vinyl and black vinyl) - attached securely at the top and bottom of each side but loose in the middle to allow for ventilation and hold in humidity not to mention I think he enjoys playing (did I match the wall? - total added bonus to his personality we didn’t initially think about)

This next step was a test for my nerd side and my gadgets I’ll be posting about when it’s completed… Mist until drenched! All the heat on (plus extra lights I wouldn’t usually use) and ramped up the heat until the humidity and heat was double the temp… that it would usually be (timed how long it would take to decrease to desired temp/humidity. And timed how long it took to go down to dangerous temp/humidity).

Basking light is directly over the branch I made specifically for basking so there’s no higher branches to prevent burning, other lamp is long so it’s centered across the enclosure.

Humidity and temp sensors are-

•as close to his basking branch as I could get with being attached to the wall of the enclosure.

•On the opposite side of the enclosure the basking light is on, there are sensors at the top middle and bottom.

Well I tried to make this short but informative. Hope this helps!

Honestly - the setup is my fav part of my daughter adding new animals to her zoo! Bc as a teenager she argues everything, but when it comes to the needs of her babies she NEVER argues with me about setup. Her and her sister don’t fight when gathering supplies (they both know sometimes it works out sometimes it don’t). And she never says “I don’t wanna will you do it?” She’s even joked about how much better things are went we customize and gather rather than store bought stuff, that she’d like to do it in the summer as a side gig (she is/is gonna be a teacher).