Newbie Questions galore

[WayneL333]

Hey everyone, well I'm just starting out and I have a couple newbie questions. I plan on raising a pair of Ambilobe panthers from hatchlings and I'm slowly putting together their habitat now.

My first questions is I know adults require a large cage. I plan on getting a 2'x2'x4' cage, but is this cage too big for a hatchling? Would they have too hard of a time finding their food?

I happen to be a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I usually like to get the nicest equipment because even though that means spending more money up front, you'll most likely be saving money and time in the back end. I've already order a Mistking. My next questions is could someone recommend me an all-in-one lighting fixture that would hopefully have a basking light, UV-b lamp and maybe a nighttime heat lamp built into one fixture? I know I can buy it all seperately, but I would imagine an all-in-one unit would look a lot cleaner.

More questions to. Many thanks in advance.

 

[natureboy86]

From what I've read, it's ok to have a baby/juvenile in a large enclosure. however, I'm not so sure about a hatchling. That thing will have a though time finding food, and could have a fatal fall with a 4 feet tall enclosure. I'd maybe put a divider in the middle of cage in order to make it smaller for now, and as he/she grows, you can remove the divider, then WAHLAH, you have an adult enclosure.

If you don't want to go the divider route, just monitor him/her very closely, and hand feed and/or cupfeed to ensure it is fed sufficiently. I'm new to the Cham world myself, but that's just my two cents.

 

[creddjobs]

I got mine at 1 month old and he was in a 16x16x30. I cup fed, everything went well.

 

[jastate09]

A baby should go in a very small cage or rubber maid tub referred to as a baby bin or they may not be able to find their food. Most babies have not ate from a cup before so when he first arrives he's already adjusting to a new home, new keeper and all new surrounding so I would free range his feeders at first.