Short-Tailed Opossum Cages
From The STO Yahoo Group
Photos & Descriptions
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"What kind of cage do you use for your short-tailed opossum?" That's one of the most frequently asked questions to the STO group. This is a compilation of quotes and photos about caging information from 20+ members of the Short-Tailed Opossum Yahoo! Group.
"I have a critter trail three. I use this corn cob stuff that looks a lot like little pebbles."
ana_is_dead, 06/08/2004
"I felt like Monster deserved something bigger than the 10-gal he had for his first week with me, but I cant afford much else... so I got all DIY and made a nice double-decker home for him. Also, if anyone is looking for a great hideaway, look at the pics... Monsters house is a cute little fake stump, found in most pet stores as a reptile accessory. It has a little hole for him to look out towards the top, a nice big entrance, and another hole in the top back that M likes to go in upside down from the big flat top! He also uses the flat top to get to the second story, where his wheel is (and bathroom!)."
andymike, 03/24/2004
"A glass tank holds in warmth and humidity better, is easy to sterilize, and makes a nice viewing module for your pet. Wire cages get more fresh air (=less smelly), allow your pet to indulge their climbing instinct, and are more secure (my Blossom can lift the lid off her 30 gallon tank, I have to put a weight on it!). I have Awesome, my male, in a Crittertrail One module, which has some of the benefits of both glass and wire, plus the "petting zone" works equally well as a litter box and keeps the litter far from food and bedding."
airatic, 06/24/2003
bttrflybabee623, 08/09/2004
"Right now we have her in a 20L tank (plenty of floor space) until I find her a more suitable cage. We are using that pellet type litter that's made of recycled newspaper...I have a small log cabin type house in there with cotton bedding & an exercise wheel that she loves! There is a ton of room left in the tank and I'm planning to get a nice piece of drift wood to put in there so she will have something to climb on."
buzzworm, 10/03/2003
chuga3, 11/01/2005
connie_crca, 08/18/2003
"They love terracotta flower pots to hide in. Exercise wheels that are safe for rats and such with long tails. I have bonding pouches for both of mine. They will crawl in them an play peek-a-boo. I also have some things for them to climb on like logs especially for small pocket pets and some chinchilla dust for them to roll in. I have them housed in 20 gallon long aquariums with heavy duty reptile screens on top them."
crittersc1, 09/23/2003
"I have two STO's and they both live in tanks. I have little trees in there for them to climb on, their run-around wheel, pouch, food/water bowls and I have a small flower pot and tub in their cages for chinchilla dust too. The tanks are 20 gallon longs (12" x 30" ). They do pretty good in them actually, and don't seem to have any problems. The lids are (ESU reptile supplies) Tough Tops and have locking clips. No escapes since I switched lids."
crittersc1, 12/05/2003
dezie36, 08/25/2006
"I make 10 gallon tank toppers, actually.. it's not that hard! You can buy vinyl coated 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch wire at Home Depot, and go crazy making them! I used black plastic zip ties to put it together, as well, for easy disassembling if need be. You can also order parts from http://www.martinscages.com like metal rings, door locks and ridges, pans, etc etc etc."
dragontmr1, 10/08/2003
earthlingtab, 01/31/2006
ferndalezoo, 01/16/2006
"One of the most important things I've learned is that the little guys are escape artists!! 1/2" x 1" spacing or hamster wire spacing is fine for full grown adults but NOT for babies or juveniles. I wouldn't put it past a just weaned baby to squeeze out of 1/2" x 1/2" wire. Also, make sure latches are latched and lids are secure!!"
gaildick, 06/25/2003
"My male, Opie, is kept in a 40 gallon reptile breeder tank with slide in screen top and Maya (female) has a 60 gallon reptile breeder tank. They both have 9 inch wheels (which they LOVE) and dark hide boxes (black plastic rectangular boxes sold as reptile hide boxes). In the corner furthest from the nest boxes they have a litter pan. They also have lots of wide climbing branches (also sold for reptiles). They climb all over these and use every inch of the enclosures. Like Anne's male, Opie likes to hang upside down on the screen. His babies (obviously not sharing HIS cage) do this as well though they've never seen their mother do it!"
herpgirl2003, 04/09/2003
"I only have the 10 gallon tank for my STO but I have added that topper that the tubes fit in & he has a few hiding places that way and some stimulation going through the tubes & towers. I also have a piece of driftwood from the pet store & his coconut shell. When I change the aspen in the tank I give him a fresh blanket or 2 cut out of an old worn out blue blanket. He drags it around with his tail to make his preferred bed."
janzeke, 02/02/2004
"My male & female are each in their individual 30 gal. tanks with a screen lid. There is a 9" solid plastic wheel, a large climbing branch (forgot the brand name, but sold for reptile habitats) either a wicker finch nest box (sort of egg-shaped) or a plastic igloo (mom with the babies for more room), a cloth covered reptile perch that suctions high on the tank wall, a water bottle, crock for dry kibble and a cute little plastic corner litter pan. I would even like to have a larger environment than this. I was contemplating the soft-sided chameleon cages with a lot of climbing branches. They really do love to jump and climb and seem really fearless when it comes to that. I haven't seen my female do it yet, but my male loves to play "Spiderman" and climb upside-down on the screen lid. He'll just "hang" there at times like a sloth."
hyjinxannie, 04/08/2003
"Once/if I acquire an STO, a 25 gallon tall terrarium seems to be a great option for housing."
iansmustang, 03/03/2004
ifuller05, 01/2005
jamiya, 06/14/2003
"I have a wire topper and my STO (Nomad) seems to love it. I haven't put any weight on top of it because she hasn't tried to escape and the topper is pretty heavy. I believe it is a good investment. The only thing is that if u have the STO in your room or some wear u have ceiling fan, I put a towel over the topper so Nomad doesn't get cold."
laxbbfanatic, 10/07/2003
lurazz1, 11/02/2003
"I like using wire cages, currently I have a Crittertrail 3 that you can find at most big pet stores. It is wire like a bird cage, with a nesting area for sleeping, 3 solid levels (solid is better for their feet) connected with tubes for the STO to climb around. I like it better than a tank, because you can interact more. Mine will climb over to where I am, sniff at me, take treats from my fingers and make whickering noises at me. I keep an extra 10 gallon tank around with a minimal amount of bedding in it, just to put him in when I feed him crickets."
mollyjoyful, 12/05/2003
nizzlefry, 03/04/2004
petsoluv, 06/19/2006
"So he's got a parakeet nest box (I like the "flip open top" feature) with a load of timothy hay, a litter box, "tail safe" wheel, driftwood to perch on, cat toys, hamster bed fluff, ferret and dry premium cat food and live mealworms and dried fruit and freeze-dried chicken (I thought it'd be a tasty treat), reptile calcium/vitamin supplement and some cream for his ears. He's on that pelleted paper bedding, in a 15 gallon tank with a screen lid . . . hopefully I haven't forgotten anything vital."
rfeiden, 03/03/2004
snakemom31, 08/2006
"Mine are 20gal tanks."
smileyscritters, 10/05/2003
"I have her in a CritterTrail Three which she adores. It's the same volume as a 10 gallon with a cage topper but has little tunnels, a loft, wheel, etc. It's a combination of plastic on the top, bottom, & sides with the longer sides being primarily wire that she can and does climb. These are sold on the internet and are easy to look up and view pictures of, if desired. It has a lot more height than floor space and she definitely utilizes it, climbing all over. I also have a small manzita branch in there, the same size I have for my society finches. Lots of little twigs, etc. and she grabs these and seems to enjoy it. I think a bird cage could work well except for the draft, same with the sugar glider cage. I love this one because it's a happy medium of both types."
skadiwolf, 02/24/2004
"As far as cages go, my female is a real escape artist and I wouldn't trust her in a CritterTrail. A tank with a tight-fitting lid is my first choice, although it's fairly simple to create a similar cage with a see-through plastic tub and some vinyl coated hardware cloth or aluminum mesh. The plastic tubs are much cheaper, lighter, and easier to clean. In fact, with a roll of hardware cloth and some j- clips you can make some very creative cages of your own!"
socksylady, 10/02/2003
"Crittertrail Revolution - Has anyone tried this new cage design? I bought two for a couple of my girls and I MUST get one more for the third. MY STO's were up extra long last night playing in these wheels/cages. The whole outer surface is a mesh wheel, while the inside is a stationary habitat, complete with water bottle, dining area and sleeping nook."
sugargliders_inc, 12/11/2004
"My STO is named Rusty and I spoil him rotten in a 60 gallon tank with lots of plastic sticks to climb on, a wheel which he loves, and a hide spot where I give him tissue to cover in."
swamprats1212, 02/03/2004
"I've had 3 different cages, two wire cages and this reptile cage. The reptile cage is a little pricy, I paid around $ 150 + I guess another $50 for the plants and other stuff. But then again, I don't mind spending that kind of money on my pets happiness. And He loves it! My setting were either bought from a pet store or a reptile store. from the pet store I bought the the piece of bark at goes over his "potty area" (he is shy!), the lump of wood ( I didn't dare to get one from the back yard) and the tube of bark (his sleeping area) The plants, the food and water dishes and the background I got from a reptile store. the plants are the ones with suction-cup but in order to be able to carry the weight of Taz I also used lots of scotch-tape. The background is the kind you use for aquarium and other reptile setups, this adds an extra feel to the setting. the dishes are called REPTI ROCK I saw them and thought they would fit perfectly."
weeziedk, 03/02/2004
"Supplies: 10 gal tank with screened lid (very tight fitting or securely locked. our current breeder male managed to lift his lid with about 4 lbs of weight and escape. so far we have caught all escapees) we use a 4" PVC cap with a 1.5" hole cut in the side for a hide hut, but i have heard that they like a fabric hanging basket. we are going to try this in the future. keep the temp above 72 deg f and below 82. bright lights can damage their eyes. we keep a heating pad under the tank in the winter just in case. shredded newspaper or cloth strips for bedding. they will drag it into the hut with their tail and make a nest. they love to climb. a sandwich size box and common clay litter for a bathroom. i have heard of a wheat chaff litter that is supposed to be better (gonna try that too someday) glass tube water bottle is a must, the young ones have trouble with a ball type bottle."
wgvan, 05/31/2004
"My STO's are very active: my females live in 100gallon reptariums (48"h x 30"w x 16"d) and my males are in 38 gallons (30"h x 16"w x 16"d). They are in such different sizes for a couple of reasons: one, so there is room for a bunch of babies with the girls, and two because I don't have enough room for 4 of the big ones in the room :P But, they use the whole cage, and are active throughout the day and night, taking cat naps from time to time. The reptariums are nice, too because the shade the room's light. Although I've had mine for longer than some of the forum members, I've never had the skittish problems with them... When I unzip the cage, they pop their heads out of their boxes/pouches and come over to me, and my boys even climb out onto my sleeve and run up and sit on my shoulder. I'm sure it's not me, but the canned cat food I give em every time I open the cage."
wifwef, 03/18/2004
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