Putting my panther outside.

[HUBSonDUBS]

I am moving and putting my panther outside. I live in central florida and it can get hot outside. I plan to put him in a 75% shaded area that doesn't really get too much direct sunlight and put on a mercury vapor bulb just for UVB and heat if needed. The cage is large, 4x2 and I have a mistking that goes on three times a day for 5 min each. Does anyone have any input on this, does this sound okay?

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I would make sure he only gets morning sun. And shade from mid day til dark. I dont think the mercury vapor bulb will be needed as long as he gets a cpl of early morning hrs of sun. I would not put him out until I could be there to check the temps in the cage thru out the day. I would make sure the mist king goes off every 2hrs to keep things cool in that afternoon heat. Personally I dont keep my panther outside during this time of year its just too hott here in Texas. I would be very careful and watch him closely. Good Luck.

 

[Cainschams]

You will not need the MVB light. Even if not in direct sun they can still soak up UV rays. The best scenario is if he can bask in the early morning hours and have shade the rest of the day under a tree. This way some sun can poke in through the leaves if he feels like he needs to bask but the enclosure will not be in full sun. Stuff the enclosure full of plants so he has even more opps to get into some shade. I would set the mistking up so it runs at least 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Since he is outside you will not need to worry about drainage. Three times a day should be fine with this amount of water.

When I kept my panthers outside I would bring them in when weather got over 95 degrees. They had plenty of shade and plenty of watering sessions whenever the temps were toward the highest I would let them out at. Long waterings will help keep them cool during really hot days. Some will be more cautious and not let them out at that temperature especially if they can not be monitored. Actually I would not suggest it unless he can be monitored through out the day. If I was at work the secretary would check on my chams and water them on the really hot days. Luckily I lived right beside work and the secretary loved my chams. She would take care of them when I was away and knew what to look for if they did get over heated.