A few questions

[Kyrusting]

So to get started i have no experience with reptiles aside from catching snakes as a kid. That said, ive been researching alot about owning a cham for a month now, ive wanted one since i was a kid. So im determined to buy one and raise him like a prince. Was lookin for a 3-4 month Panther when i go out and buy one.

But more to the point i have a few questions still after doing research.
One is the cage, for that age what size should it be...i was going to build it on my own so id like some measurements. *Would be my carrying cage in case of vet emergencies*
Also what age would i move him to a 2'2'4' cage, also building that one.

Another question i have is feeding crickets. I really havnt looked too much into that part, i figured id go to the local reptile store and ask questions there. So how fast do they grow and where should i keep them, is it ok to keep in my room or wil they make too much noise. Good tips?

Last question would be feeding the cham, how many times a day and in what quantity?

Thanks, i am new to the forums btw

 

[carol5208]

Well welcome to the forums! I kept (I say past tense cause mycham won't touch crickets anymore) in a 10 gallon tank with egg crate in there for them to hide. They take about 5 weeks to mature and at that point they start chirping! So when your cham is small you will not be feeding the large crickets so you won't have to worry about that right away. Ikept mine on my patio and I live in Florida so I never used a light to warm them, depending on how cold it is where you live you might want to shine a light on the tank. Feeding, the babies eat like little piggies and you pretty much feed them as much as they can eat. They can pound down 20 crickets easy a day. As they get older the crickets get larger, so you just cut back on the amount and adjust. You can start off with 1/4 inch if you get a cham about 3-4 months old and I would feed once or twice a day, morning or early afternoon. I never fed late in the afternoon or close to bed time so they had time to bask and digest their food.

 

[Kyrusting]

Thanks for the quick feedback, i live in Clearwater, FL so i feel ya on the heat i got a great patio so those suckers will be out there. I had a similar idea like just a really large container. I read to cut a square off the top and glue in a screen mesh to give them air and alil light. SO with the tiny little crickets whats the best way to catch em?

 

[carol5208]

Honestly the 10 gallon tank works great and you can buy the screen lid. No escapees! It works great. Buy it at walmart and it is not too expensive. You willhave the perfect set up then living in Florida. Just leave them to annoy the neighbors chirping on the patio! HA!! If it gets too cold though, like in the winter, you might have to being them in of course. I used to use a paper towel roll and let them climb into that and then cover one side of it with my hand and shake it down into the feeding cup. Then dust your feeders in the cup and I would let them loose in the cage for him to hunt down. Alot of people prefer to cup feed so they can count how much they eat. The crickets will hide out in the cage if they get the chance!

 

[Kyrusting]

Ive been debating on cup feeding or hunting, to be honest i would probably do both. I will probably end up documenting him weekly. Weight, length, food intake. Also i want him to have a natural feel of the whole cage, so i was thinking of hanging a few pothos plants from my ceiling so he could free roam when id let him go play. You think 16/16/30 be a good cage size? What month should i upgrade to the big size cage

 

[seanUTD]

When it comes to crickets growing I may be wrong but can't you control their growth slightly by keeping them in "cooler" temperatures (70-75) mine stayed pretty good size for a 4 month old panther when I did that... I keep mine in a 18"x36"x18" rubbermaid with a mesh cut lid... They seem to work good in there.. As for cage size my guy did fine going into a full size cage of 2'x2'x4' but every cham is different...