Drinking water

[joneill]

What are the best ways to get a chameleon to drink water? I know about spraying the leaves in their cage and having a dripper but how do you get them to lick the water from leaves or drink the water that drips?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

You can lead a chameleon to water but you can't make it drink

 

[DavidBuchan]

Exactly the answer I was going to give, but just to make it clear: if you spray twice daily and the cham seems healthy, then it is drinking a bit. A drop or two a day is the most you'll see them drink, but apart from offering the water it's a bit difficult to force it down their throats. They will drink if they are thirsty, if they look ill with sunken eyes then see a vet.

 

[suzi]

I find that when I spray them directly for at least 5 minutes, then walk away for a few minutes and come back and do it again, it usually stimulates them to drink. Mine really like it ( with a very fine mist of hot water) it is warm bybthe time it gets out of the sprayer. They don't like cold water

 

[bigcappa]

Yes, what Suzi said, I do the exact same thing with rehabs and WC's. I guess I'm lucky most of my chams drink great. Warm water seems to help a lot as well.

 

[jou81]

The best solution for my cham Set 2 drops per minute

 

[Monzon]

Chameleons seem to have personal preferences about how they like to drink their water. I have had well hydrated animals that I never saw drink, I have had a male jax that would come to the red nozzle of my sprayer, I have a female hoehnelii that likes to drink from a glass medicine dropper. My animals have a mist set up, and a dripper, and they get an overnight shower now and then. The important thing is to figure out your animals' preferences and make sure that they are staying well hydrated whether you see them drink or not. I give them choices so I don't have to worry as much...

 

[Elizadolots]

Monzon's answer is really good.

If you are concerned, you might try giving water with a needleless syringe. You can drip it right on their "nose" and that often stimulates them to lick it off (that counts!). My first chameleon was a reluctant drinker. I would keep a cup of water and syringe handy and whenever he got on the side of the cage I'd walk up and start pushing water through just above his head. He almost always drank for awhile.