Homelab Borneo Update

It's been awhile since I posted anything... and there is good reason for this... as many of you might have known... I've moved back to Borneo and despite having to leave most of my collection in Kuala Lumpur (with trusted herp friends), I'm in the process of setting up a full-on Herpto/Arachno facility to breed exotics under the flag-ship of conservation and research... an inspiration I owe to many of you in this forum, for your support and encouragement over the years. Thanks to you, I've come home to realize my childhood ambitions... so without further a due...

Homelab Borneo - Update

The upstairs hall which I made into a makeshift workstation while awaiting completion of the actual shed. Stacked with all sorts of items, this mess is thankfully temporary.


The Cabinet Shelf on the opposing wall to the left....

The Workstation Updated - This is what is looks like now, after some decisive transfers.


A closer look at the mezzanine level....





... yes, with my last surviving pair of L. mucronatus I decided to scale down the enclosure LOL

H. spinifer GEN1 (downstairs)

5 H. spinifers I managed to salvage from my KL collection... the 3 ladies are offspring of Queen Angie (my first H. spinifer that started it all)

Outdoor-Snake Cages


Having the female Wagler's Pit in that cramped up kritter place just didn't do it,,, this is upgrade was installed just prior to this post.


... and behind her is Bert, my Red-Tailed Rat Snake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) picked up off the road in a rural area where many beautiful exotic snakes usually end up as roadkill


Construction of the Herp Shed - Still in the process but.. I must say this was fast for 3 months work.







view from the back.


... and the yard where I hope to stretch out the Retics and Kings when I get them... hehehe.... those already painted are storage sheds.


Cheers!!! More updates to come... stay-tuned

Awesome pics, and plans, and that viper is just amazing looking!! I'm definitely envious!!

iitomodachi1 wrote:

Awesome pics, and plans, and that viper is just amazing looking!! I'm definitely envious!!

+1 viper is awesome! Keep us posted

Hey, I'm glad you've adapted well to your new location!
I was afraid it might have disrupted your work, but this is fantastic and I'm very happy for you

That will be one rocking facility, so can't wait to see what that vacant area will transform into!

And where did you get the viper!? That is one ridiculous beast! It has such an intimidating and primal look to it-- I want

I've put the word out to villagers... so instead of killing the animal, which they customarily do... I take it off them for a fair fee... and so the people here will adhere some perceivable value to their wildlife... it borders on some ethical concerns... but when you see 4 or 5 of those vipers ending up as roadkill... the reality presents more pressing concerns...

excellent job...
i cant wait for more updates

LXDNG79 wrote:

I've put the word out to villagers... so instead of killing the animal, which they customarily do... I take it off them for a fair fee... and so the people here will adhere some perceivable value to their wildlife... it borders on some ethical concerns... but when you see 4 or 5 of those vipers ending up as roadkill... the reality presents more pressing concerns...

Man I have a buddy who would kill to get one of those! Once my son gets a little older we are going back out west and we will try to catch a few Western Diamond Backs And look for some scorps and T's while we are at it! My buddy loves Rhyno Vipers and Gaboons, I'll have to give him a link to this thread so he can see your pics too. I recently gave him some scorplings for him and his boy so maybe it'd be a good push to get another member on this site!

Also wanted to say, if you ever needed a hand with some volunteer work in a couple years, I'd gladly take a vacation out there and do some work with you. I'm a mere hobbyist with a love for travel and culture. Just thought I'd offer

Dude, would love to have any of you guys over... I said it before and I'll say it again...

"Mike, Eddy... when is SF planning its first tour down to Borneo?"

Cheers guys...

my new long term goal is to visit borneo...
maybe in the next 3 years sometime...

Awesome!! I'm still hoping Thailand is on for next year and my buddy was trying to get me to stop down in Indonesia first. I'm thinking he wants to hit up Bali but maybe I could head up to Borneo instead and head to Thailand with him after that, or else the next trip It would be awesome to make a trip like that and even more fun helping do some work while experiencing the country and culture!

alex - are the centipedes you have venomous or dangerous at all?
also, are they all wild caught, or just a stroke of luck from a friend?

the lycan mikey wrote:

alex - are the centipedes you have venomous or dangerous at all?
also, are they all wild caught, or just a stroke of luck from a friend?

...ok last time I heard, centipede bites are excruciatingly painful at the very least. The venom itself is not particularly lethal for doses that they are capable of inflicting... but I've heard of at least one person in Malaysia, who endured so much pain from the bite of a Scolopendra that they went into shock and cardiac arrest, and this is not known to be a direct symptomatic effect of centipede venom. Most likely an individual with compromised cardio-respiratory health.

Centipede venom is still being studied... and it is a hard species to work with... but Dr Fry AKA Venomdoc has an undergraduate who is undertaking this research... and I hope to be in the privileged position to be of any assistance in this regard in the not too distant future.

... and yes all my pedes are currently call-outs from people who found them and caught them... and getting that pair was better than striking the lottery, considering now the female is brooding her eggs... I'm expecting some babies in about 2 months or less...

Cheers and best regards

LXDNG79 wrote:

the lycan mikey wrote:

alex - are the centipedes you have venomous or dangerous at all?
also, are they all wild caught, or just a stroke of luck from a friend?

...ok last time I heard, centipede bites are excruciatingly painful at the very least. The venom itself is not particularly lethal for doses that they are capable of inflicting... but I've heard of at least one person in Malaysia, who endured so much pain from the bite of a Scolopendra that they went into shock and cardiac arrest, and this is not known to be a direct symptomatic effect of centipede venom. Most likely an individual with compromised cardio-respiratory health.

Centipede venom is still being studied... and it is a hard species to work with... but Dr Fry AKA Venomdoc has an undergraduate who is undertaking this research... and I hope to be in the privileged position to be of any assistance in this regard in the not too distant future.

... and yes all my pedes are currently call-outs from people who found them and caught them... and getting that pair was better than striking the lottery, considering now the female is brooding her eggs... I'm expecting some babies in about 2 months or less...

Cheers and best regards

so i take it that it would be a horrible pain in the backside to find WC ones?
provided i was in an area with them?

Alex, can I ask you a few questions regarding Waglers Vipers? I've read a few things about them that make me very curious and if can come across one I'd be interested in keeping one pending a little more insight. I've never seen anything so remarkably beautiful - reptile wise anyway

An inspiration as always

wow, truely amazing. hope everything goes well for you

Man, i'm a carpenter and it never ceases to amaze me the kind of buildings that go up in countries like malaysia. Very interesting indeed, so you just framed out under a porch with brick up to a suspended ceiling or did you go all the way to the rafters and rehang it?

no its a stand alone structure.... on what used to be my lawn with the ceiling connected to the house...

Update - Borneo Homelab Construction Phase 2 & 3

I've never seen construction this fast... these guys are good...

Phase 2 - Tiles and First Layer








Phase 3 - Paint Job and Wiring





the sink by the back door for cleaning etc.



Last but not least some things I have yet to showcase...



Green Crested Lizard Project
This is a lizard I've been seeing on a regular basis since I was a kid... but this time I've got the captive keeping down... I hope.. these guys stress easily... this one is the survivor of 3 that were caught by villagers.


current setup


Pending Enclosure Upgrade - Totally DIY lol, still in the works....

Borneo Homelab Update - Phase - 4 & 5: Installation & Moving Day
Well up to now the sliding doors have yet to be installed but the shelving and some workstation facilities are currently in place. So today was moving day, and I'm certain my mom is pleased that all my critters are out of the main house and in my office... the story so far...

Phase 4 - Installation

The workstation desk and book shelf have arrived....



The masonry of the wash basin is done... Mr Soon Kia taking great pride in his work...



Partial shelving unit installed which compelled me to move most the reptiles to their designated areas to check the capacity


Looking out to the main entrancefrom the inside


My office desk...


...the administrative workstation and the new book shelf

Phase 5 - Moving Day
With the arrival of the shelving units, I felt compelled to relocate my entire collection from the upstairs landing... much to the approval of my family ... hehe. Mind you both doors have yet to be installed but I thought a sneak peak at what it would start out looking like was due...


The Reptile shelf



the basin is finally installed to working order... a sliding aluminum door is proposed to conceal the plumbing... I felt it convenient to stock most of my substrate here.

The Long-Awaited Invert Rack

Only now is the true volume of my re-started collection is made obvious to me.


My office desk with the upstairs rack filled with small inverts... that's my daughter Ashley overseeing my moving in progress


The bookshelf is stacked with stationary an some books... this is my Dad... whom without his support, none of this would have materialized... at times he seems more excited about this than me.... Thanks Dad!

Bear in mind this is still a a couple more steps away from true completion... but I never imagined this to have come about this quickly the way it did

Still more to come before the Opening Ceremony... Cheers and Best regards!

some great pics. love the look of them green creasted lizards. bet you cant wait for it to be finished.

Manser wrote:

some great pics. love the look of them green creasted lizards. bet you cant wait for it to be finished.

Hell, I can't wait for it to be finished lol
It looks great so far--very clean and finished. I also like the amount of natural lights that's allowed to enter.

I wonder what else the villagers will bring in!

can we come and visit lol

Manser wrote:

can we come and visit lol

sure... drop me a line if your in Borneo lol

All looks good! Some projekt you got going there