Chameleons can SWIM? YES!

[reptileguy112]

I understand that is was a mistake but people are saying like I did for fun or cruelty and that is not true. Some call me a$$ hole and this is a insult. People are very mean here, not like you that like you that write in a good way.
His name is L and there is a lot of other vídeos on my channel so you can go and see that he's very well cared and loved

Thank you.

We aren't mean, we are just very protective when it comes to chameleons and what you did was not very smart.

 

[Gumball Machine]

I think it would have boded better if you had you chameleon swimming in a tub with better water vs. a pool with chlorine. It still would have been a touchy subject but FAR less reckless... Chameleons are already sensitive animals, it's common sense that chlorine would be of great concern, let alone the depth. Perhaps the chameleon choosing to swim over being dumped in to prove he has a survival drive.

 

[JlaPinska]

yeah its the chemicals we are really worried about. i am from florida and i will tell you, if an iguana jumps in a chlorinated pool, it will die after a few days. That being said, some people have salt water pools, which are slowly gaining popularity. I'm glad he is ok.

 

[ulamachula]

they do, indeed, swim, if they have to. this is a nice documentary about veileds in Greece (unfortunately, it's in German) and at the 00:40 mark, it shows the cham jumping into the sea and swimming ashore
the documentary's on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QymQqAT-iM

 

[Bush baby]

Most 4 legged animals can swim naturally...

 

[nightanole]

yeah its the chemicals we are really worried about. i am from florida and i will tell you, if an iguana jumps in a chlorinated pool, it will die after a few days. That being said, some people have salt water pools, which are slowly gaining popularity. I'm glad he is ok.

Odd, back the 90's i had a water dragon that would swim in the neighbors' chlorine pool every weekend if the chemical levels were low, He lived to be 13 years old. The other neighbor had a flock of snapping turtles hatch in the pool somehow, that was fun fishing out a dozen of those.

 

[nightanole]

Most 4 legged animals can swim naturally...

Fat tailed gecko swam like a hot dog, so stopped bath tub soaks.

My oust cham just blows up like potato and touches the bottom on its tippy toes, so again no more soaks. The beardy and water dragon just love it.

 

[junglefries]

And BTW

Yes I put on description that he is FINE to people who think that this can hurt or something.
As you can see, he never turn in black colors and never stays more than 30sec in water.

It's not like if I was killing him.

That you know of...... wait to see what the future holds..... cancer, failed kidneys, damaged lungs, suicide from being afraid all the time....

 

[ridgebax1]

I understand that is was a mistake but people are saying like I did for fun or cruelty and that is not true. Some call me a$$ hole and this is a insult. People are very mean here, not like you that like you that write in a good way.
His name is L and there is a lot of other vídeos on my channel so you can go and see that he's very well cared and loved

Thank you.

Your welcome. Like the others have said everyone here is passionate about their chams. Some but not all the posts were a bit unkind but again mostly because everyone here cares so much about these animals. I hope you don't let this cause you to leave the forums. There are so many incredible and knowledgeable people here. So hopefully we can all put this behind and move on and continue to learn from our collective experiences. As I said before your guy L is very handsome and looks well cared for. No one on this forum has not made a mistake or two when caring for their chams. The best outcome is that they stay healthy and thrive.

 

[ridgebax1]

Odd, back the 90's i had a water dragon that would swim in the neighbors' chlorine pool every weekend if the chemical levels were low, He lived to be 13 years old. The other neighbor had a flock of snapping turtles hatch in the pool somehow, that was fun fishing out a dozen of those.

Private pools are a lot different than public pools. A public pool often has a much higher chlorine content because of the sheer volume of people that use it. My pool's chlorine level is only a little above the chlorine content of drinking water which many of us use to water our chams.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Private pools are a lot different than public pools. A public pool often has a much higher chlorine content because of the sheer volume of people that use it. My pool's chlorine level is only a little above the chlorine content of drinking water which many of us use to water our chams.

A friend of mine had a 6ft red tailed boa that loved swimming in there pool. He'd swim a bit then he'd coil up and float around like a water float. It was pretty cool.

 

[thiago1311]

Hey guys.

Just passing by to say that I checked with the owner of the pool and he says that the Chlorine level is very low.

BTW L is still fine and great, nothing has changes.

 

[carol5208]

Hey guys.

Just passing by to say that I checked with the owner of the pool and he says that the Chlorine level is very low.

BTW L is still fine and great, nothing has changes.

I am glad he is doing well and did not have any side effects from the pool chemicals!

 

[leedragon]

looks like a slow drowning

 

[unixmiah]

I didn't know that they can swim. When I first bought my glass/screen cage the bottom of the cage was all solid metal-- so I put 2 fountains in the cage and one of the fountain caused a 2 inch flood at the bottom of the cage. I was afraid my 3 months old Chameleon would drown-- however I was curious, if he could swim if he did fall to the bottom.

The video was informative-- don't dunk him in a pool esp. with chlorine. A proper way would have been if you took a large bin with shallow water below his nose-- it looks like as hes head in under the water, i dont think he liked it-- there's too much water, looks like he was afraid of drowning.

My Veiled for some reason would sink his four legs on the fountain water and he's always dipping himself in water-- he loves the water but I took away that fountain thinking he may drown. This was informative although dangerous.

 

[ridgebax1]

Hey guys.

Just passing by to say that I checked with the owner of the pool and he says that the Chlorine level is very low.

BTW L is still fine and great, nothing has changes.

That is great I am glad he is still doing well but do keep a close eye for signs of a respiratory infection such as sitting with his head extended upwards, gaping, or excessive mucus in his mouth. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months for an infection to become obvious. These animals are experts at hiding signs of illness especially because in their natural environment they are subject to predation from other larger animals and obvious signs of illness make them even more vulnerable. If you really think he likes being in water I would only put him in a plastic tub with a small amount of water such that his feet stay in contact with the bottom. Chameleons generally do not like a bath like this. My bearded dragon likes her bath but that is specific to that species. Also getting him wet may subject him to a chill. I am not sure about lizards but in humans getting chilled can temporarily weaken the immune system allowing a bacteria or virus to make one sick. There is an element of truth in that old wives tale about taking a chill. Surprisingly there have been several old wives tales that are supported by scientific evidence now! But that is a whole other subject.

Glad to hear L is doing well. Keep coming back there is much to learn and this is a good place to get solid information about chameleons and their care.

 

[Candybugs]

I'm not even gonna look.

 

[ridgebax1]

I'm not even gonna look.

This is long resolved and best left alone.