Bringing the hot shower to them.

[chameleonowner32]

Over the years I've realized, instead of putting your cham in the shower for 1hr to hydrate, especially on new wild caught. A cheap brand new Vicks steam humidifier going into the cage works much better, and much more controlled situation.

 

[Andrew1283]

Hot steam can cause upper respiratory infections. Just FYI. And if it’s cool fog/steam, this should be done when the lights are off and the enclosure is at its coolest

 

[chameleonowner32]

Hot steam can cause upper respiratory infections. Just FYI. And if it’s cool fog/steam, this should be done when the lights are off and the enclosure is at its coolest

To quickly hydrate a chameleon. Putting them by a hot shower is one of the quickest ways. This isn't something you do everyday .

 

[Andrew1283]

I just give mine hornworms or silk worms. Hydrates them real quick. I can tell by the runny stools and it’s less stressful than handling them and putting them in a shower.

 

[MissSkittles]

To quickly hydrate a chameleon. Putting them by a hot shower is one of the quickest ways. This isn't something you do everyday .

The heat is what the problem is. What feels lukewarm to us can be scalding to a chameleon. When I got my beardie and he needed a bath, I started getting temps on my water and was shocked to learn that my cold water is in the 70’s! 90 degrees barely feels warm. So if what you are gauging as hot to you, it would be torture for a chameleon. Also, yes, as has been said heat plus humidity increases risks for respiratory infection. However, you are correct in that using humidity is a good way to help hydrate chameleons, but there is a better and safer way to do it. It’s called naturalistic hydration and if you head over to chameleon academy I’m sure you can find at least one podcast on it and lots of info. I did find a few videos on it and adding a couple below. This is the basic idea of it. You first need to ensure that you have a decent temp drop at night to below at least 68-70. Then you run a cool mist humidifier and boost the humidity all the way during the night. This simulates the hydration that is provided by fog in nature.
Hornworms and silkworms are wonderfully hydrating food items too.
https://www.youtube.com/live/HwdehHLcSzM?si=FzvCweoNh_Icx-hT

 

[chameleonowner32]

Hot steam can cause upper respiratory infections. Just FYI. And if it’s cool fog/steam, this should be done when the lights are off and the enclosure is at its coolest

And also, a shower can help a Uri.

The heat is what the problem is. What feels lukewarm to us can be scalding to a chameleon. When I got my beardie and he needed a bath, I started getting temps on my water and was shocked to learn that my cold water is in the 70’s! 90 degrees barely feels warm. So if what you are gauging as hot to you, it would be torture for a chameleon. Also, yes, as has been said heat plus humidity increases risks for respiratory infection. However, you are correct in that using humidity is a good way to help hydrate chameleons, but there is a better and safer way to do it. It’s called naturalistic hydration and if you head over to chameleon academy I’m sure you can find at least one podcast on it and lots of info. I did find a few videos on it and adding a couple below. This is the basic idea of it. You first need to ensure that you have a decent temp drop at night to below at least 68-70. Then you run a cool mist humidifier and boost the humidity all the way during the night. This simulates the hydration that is provided by fog in nature.
Hornworms and silkworms are wonderfully hydrating food items too.
https://www.youtube.com/live/HwdehHLcSzM?si=FzvCweoNh_Icx-hT

I have the temp probe right at where the humidity comes through the cage, it's at 85°f which oustalets can tolerate up to 90- even 92ish. I'm well aware on night drop Temps, it's at 63°f at night. You're missing the the point here though. Moisture rich feeders are on the way. This is a wild caught chameleon to start with, that I've had under my care for 2 days. So I need to ensure he has a swift less stressful recovery. This is not like keeping your normal veiled or panther. If you're not aware, theses guys are from forest as well as desert. They require a deep hydration quite frequently because of they're size. It's definitely not my first rodeo keeping these.

 

[chameleonowner32]

I just give mine hornworms or silk worms. Hydrates them real quick. I can tell by the runny stools and it’s less stressful than handling them and putting them in a shower.

This works is they're comfortable eating from you, or you can see them eat. It's alot different when neither is guaranteed.

 

[crosscutts]

The same thing could be accomplished with night fogging in cool temperatures. Imagine going into a bathroom With the hot steaming shower on. It’s very hard to breathe. Going to the beach where the fog is so thick at night that you can barely see that fog is not hard to breathe.. I don’t agree with a hot steaming shower when it’s easily done with night fogging unless chance for respiratory infections. But you do you.

 

[chameleonowner32]

This is exactly why I got off this forum for so long. Joined in 2012. I'm going off documented studies. Not your opinions.

 

[Andrew1283]

You said a hot steam humidifier near an enclosure is a good idea.

I said a cool (sonic wave) humidifier would be a better option to avoid upper respiratory infection.

In the alternative, I recommended giving the cham a horn worm or silkworms.

Someone posted an article with a video showing fog banks rolling in at night when it’s cool. They suggested fogging at night to simulate this natural occurrence.

Somehow you’re taking offense to this.

 

[kinyonga]

You may find this interesting…(of course human body temperature is 37C for comparison)…
”The six species studied here have preferred temperatures of 30-33°C, and other species of Chamaeleo studied similarly fall into this rather narrow range (C. namaquensis, 33°C, C. dilepis, 31°C [6]; C. africanus, 31°C, C. chamaeleon, 32°C [3]”…
https://compphys.bio.uci.edu/bennett/pubs/155.pdf

 

[chameleonowner32]

You may find this interesting…(of course human body temperature is 37C for comparison)…
”The six species studied here have preferred temperatures of 30-33°C, and other species of Chamaeleo studied similarly fall into this rather narrow range (C. namaquensis, 33°C, C. dilepis, 31°C [6]; C. africanus, 31°C, C. chamaeleon, 32°C [3]”…
https://compphys.bio.uci.edu/bennett/pubs/155.pdf

Thankyou.

 

[javadi]

This is exactly why I got off this forum for so long. Joined in 2012. I'm going off documented studies. Not your opinions.

Would you be willing to share some of these documented studies? I'd love to take a look.

 

[kinyonga]

Would you be willing to share some of these documented studies? I'd love to take a look.

Me too…always interested in more studies I haven’t read.

 

[crosscutts]

This is exactly why I got off this forum for so long. Joined in 2012. I'm going off documented studies. Not your opinions.

Well, I don’t think they’re just opinions . Since some of us have been been doing this for a long time and there’s plenty of studies to show what we’re saying is true . Along with top keepers, hobbies and breeders. This is a discussion, not an attack. Sorry you feel that way was never my intention.

https://www.youtube.com/live/HwdehHLcSzM?si=cv6ampb-ow3vv0pE

 

[chameleonowner32]

Well, I don’t think they’re just opinions . Since some of us have been been doing this for a long time and there’s plenty of studies to show what we’re saying is true . Along with top keepers, hobbies and breeders. This is a discussion, not an attack. Sorry you feel that way was never my intention.

https://www.youtube.com/live/HwdehHLcSzM?si=cv6ampb-ow3vv0pE

Exactly. I'm not anywhere new to keeping them.

 

[chameleonowner32]

Here is a direct reading from most your alls favorite website. Again, I'm well aware of how to hydrate a normal chameleon. This is not a normal circumstance. This is a fresh wild caught chameleon, who I got Tuesday. The whole point behind this post to begin with was an emergency hydration for unusual circumstances.

https://chameleonacademy.com/basics...owers are often used for,have to use a shower.

 

[chameleonowner32]

I'm not arguing about night fogging whatsoever. It's a proven way.

Chameleon Hydration – Utilising Fog - Monkfield Reptile https://www.monkfieldreptile.com/SS...ty/Chameleon-Hydration-Utilising-Fog-2020.pdf

 

[crosscutts]

Maybe I’m not clear, but where does it say in that article that he’s using heat ? It is my understanding of the paragraph you provided. Showering. In other words putting the animal in into a constant state of drip. Not using steam. Where would steam naturally occur in a Chamaeleons environment ?

 

[chameleonowner32]

The point you are missing, the so called steam is 85°f vs the cooler fog at night, this was done during the daytime.