Every once in a while, a project comes along that feels bigger than the cages themselves. Our work with the Kentucky Reptile Zoo was one of those builds.
Kentucky Reptile Zoo (KRZ) is internationally known for its enormous collection of venomous reptiles and its critical work extracting venom for medical research and antivenom production. Their facility supports research into everything from snakebite treatment to blood clotting, stroke, lupus, pain control, and even cancer therapies.
So when KRZ asked us to design and build a large batch of custom enclosures, we knew we were contributing to something that literally helps save lives.
About KRZ
Located in Slade, Kentucky, the Kentucky Reptile Zoo is a non-profit facility that specializes in venomous reptiles and the extraction of venom for medical and biological research, as well as the production of antiserum used to treat snakebites. KRZ:
Maintains one of the largest collections of venomous reptiles in the world
Provides venom samples to researchers and pharmaceutical programs globally
Helps develop and support life-saving antivenom
Offers public education, tours, and live venom extraction demonstrations
Their work sits where conservation, public outreach, and cutting-edge medical research meet. Being asked to help upgrade their caging was both a professional milestone and a personal honour.
The project
KRZ needed a mix of enclosure sizes to suit different species and setups. The final order:
Quantity | Size |
|---|---|
6 | 4' x 2' x 18" |
12 | 3' x 2' x 18" |
2 | 5' x 3' x 2' |
1 | 2.5' x 2' x 4' |
The build
- Client
- Kentucky Reptile Zoo, Slade, Kentucky
- Material
- PVC
- Access
- Half of the 4' and 3' cages from the back, the rest from the front
- Heat
- ReptiRad heat panels, plus heat lamp cages on four units
- Lighting
- Arcadia T5 UVB fixtures and lamp brackets
- Shipping
- Flat-packed for on-site assembly
Half of the 4-foot cages and half of the 3-foot cages were designed with back access, so keepers can safely service animals from behind the cage, an especially important feature with venomous reptiles.
To keep shipping costs reasonable without compromising on quality, the whole order shipped flat-packed, with the cages designed for straightforward on-site assembly at KRZ.
Planning in 3D
Before cutting a single panel, we worked through the layout in 3D to make sure the enclosures would fit KRZ's workflow, access requirements, and room. Front and back renderings showed how the cages would look and work once installed.
The enclosure bank from the client's side
A walk-through clip from KRZ, showing the full bank of custom enclosures installed in their facility, for a true sense of scale, layout, and workflow.
Heating, lighting, and hardware
With venomous reptiles, reliable equipment isn't optional, it's critical. For this build we leaned on some of our favourite high-end components.
Radiant heating
All heated enclosures run on ReptiRad heat panels, for safe, even overhead radiant heat. Panels were positioned to create controlled basking areas without hot spots. More on how they work in ReptiRad heat panels explained.
UVB and visible lighting
Arcadia T5 UVB fixtures for strong, reliable UVB output
Arcadia lamp brackets for secure, repeatable fixture mounting
Heat lamp cages on the four units that needed overhead heat lamps
The result balances visibility, UVB exposure, and thermal gradients while staying robust enough for daily use in a high-traffic facility.
Front and back access
The back-access units let keepers work from behind the bank of cages. The rest are traditional front-access designs with wide-opening doors, for the species and situations where that layout made the most sense.
Assembly and finished cages
Although the full order shipped flat-packed, we assembled a number of units in our shop first to test fit, access, and hardware placement, and to show what the finished cages would look like once KRZ had them built and installed.
Back-access cage
Front-access cages
Why this project was a milestone
Working with the Kentucky Reptile Zoo wasn't just another order. It was a chance to support one of the most respected venomous reptile facilities in the world, whose work plays a direct role in developing antivenom and advancing treatments for serious medical conditions. The project showed that we can:
Deliver high-volume, institutional-grade caging
Engineer enclosures specifically for venomous reptile workflows
Integrate professional heating and lighting into clean, serviceable designs
Ship large, complex orders flat-packed while keeping assembly easy and consistent
Final thoughts
Knowing our enclosures are used daily at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, by a team that extracts venom for life-saving research and antivenom production, is something we're incredibly proud of.
Projects like this are what we love doing: combining quality materials, thoughtful design, and real-world function to create enclosures that don't just look good, they work hard. Huge thanks to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo for trusting us with this build.
Plan a custom build
If you're a zoo, museum, or educational facility looking for enclosures designed around your workflow, we'd love to talk about how we can help.
