Hughs First Shower! = )

[pssh]

Mine would explode if they got rained on.

Or at least they would be jumping left and right out of trees.

Any soft worm is good for hydration.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

All 4 of my current crew love their showers. They will sit under the water and just drink & clean out their eyes. They also like it when I put them in their sunning cages and turn on the misting hose (black soaker hose I place on top of their outside cages.) It kind of artificially rains on them. Hydration is a key to a healthy cham.

Silks or Hornworms are the best feeders for aiding in hydration. But your gonna have to ask for small horns cause they grow really fast. Silks are prob best for your guy til he gets older.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Im still waiting to see that literature on showering chams causing stress. This is a time honored technique we've been using to help keep chams hydrated and eyes and skin cleaned for yrs & yrs. Is this something that was published or is this just one forum members' opinion?

 

[Manik6]

personal experience speaks for itself

Im still waiting to see that literature on showering chams causing stress. This is a time honored technique we've been using to help keep chams hydrated and eyes and skin cleaned for yrs & yrs. Is this something that was published or is this just one forum members' opinion?

i thinks its more of every chams own personality. as said before, some ppls chams will do anything to get away from any type of misting and some welcome it.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Dude thats totally not what you stated earlier in this thread. You said showering causes stress that releases chemicals in the chams body. Where are you coming up with that info?

 

[Manik6]

that was towards the chams that dont like showers which was the original topic of the op. my bad if it was misguided in any way. i was told this by my vet. we all already know when chams are stressed alot they are more likely to get sick right!

 

[rcutchens]

Uhhh, ok.

I just thought maybe he'd enjoy it more than he did. I guess i'll wait it out until he's older and maybe he'll like it. Again, i'm new to this and i'm just trying to do my best for my little dude. I lost my first Cham and I don't want it to happen again. I love him SO much and want the best for him. There are lots of views and opinions and sometimes it's hard to pick and choose which are the best. I'll just keep trying and see what HE likes and dislikes and go from there. Doesn't hurt to try everything once (if safe of course).

Based on what I've seen and read I think you're doing a fine job, PrettyInInk87. I am by no means an expert and have only recently started keeping chameleons myself. (Well, I should say a chameleon since we only have one!)

But, to your point, there is a lot of information out there and there are also a lot of views and opinions so it can be difficult to really know what the best or the correct advice is to follow. Plus, just as with any other breed of animal, while there are certainly a lot of commonalities and shared traits in chameleons they are each uniquely different in that they have their own personalities which will include likes and dislikes so I'd argue that what is true for some isn't necessarily true for others. For example -

- Some like to be misted while others hate it
- Some like to eat crickets while others won't touch them
- Some like to be handled more while others absolutely do not
- Some like showers while others will stress out

Personally, I really think that learning these things about your chameleon is part of the experience of owning one and part of the process of becoming a better owner for your chameleon. Since we can't really know for sure what they are thinking and/or feeling I use the term "like" to illustrate what we perceive they enjoy or don't enjoy only based on our observations of how they react when exposed to something in their environment that stimulates them...or doesn't for that matter! None of us really know what they are thinking and/or feeling and it's not like they are able to speak up and say, "hey, I really LOVE it when you feed the crickets kale, they taste delicious!" So, I don't think anyone can claim to have all the answers when it comes to chameleons and while they may find that something they do seems to work well with their own chameleon it doesn't mean that it will always be the case for others and vice versa.

That said, there is certainly a lot of important knowledge that can be gleaned from sharing information with other owners and finding similar patterns of success. With enough data producing similar results it's safe to say that we can come to conclusions about best practices that are not only based on consistent results but good common sense and even science. I think the CF is ABSOLUTELY the best single resource for information on chameleon husbandry, hands down, and I am so grateful to have found this site.

I've also come to realize, as I suspect you have, that there are a lot of members out here on CF with a lot of different backgrounds and experiences and just as many opinions and sometimes I'm just going to have to weigh all the information and formulate my own decision based on what I feel is best for my chameleon. In sharing my decisions I know I'm opening myself up to criticism from others who disagree or have had different experiences with their own chameleons and I have seen that out here on CF like any other forum where information is shared. However, I accept this is part of the process and don't let it discourage me from sharing because I think there's more to be gained from sharing than from not; the end justifies the means or, in some cases, "the meanies!"

As a previous post had stated, chameleons get rained on in the wild and aren't treated to mistings as they are in captivity. I often think about the fact that we are keeping animals that are not domesticated and would typically have to survive in much harsher if, albeit, more natural environments in the wild. I'm not always going to get it right and I know this but I will always try to do my very best and I think that's all anyone can hope for when it comes caring for any animal.

 

[pssh]

I would like to make a very important note. You can try safe things to see how your animal reacts, but if it reacts negatively I highly suggest you stop. If it is needed for health, then it might be best to continue, but certainly not if it's just an experiment. No need to continue to push stress on them when they clearly are stressing out.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I understand thats not what you were "meaning to say". But being as this is an online forum we cant read into what you "mean". And when your throwing around blanket statements like showers cause stress and that causes chemicals to be released etc.... It can make a new owner that hasnt got the exp level of others not want to use this technique. As an older more exp keeper I knew you hadnt read that. As most of the books Ive read inc. detailed instructions on how to shower your cham for additional hydration and some books inc. instructions on making rain chambers.

 

[PrettyInInk87]

Thank you all for commenting and putting in your input on the whole idea of showering Cham's. Sometimes it makes me not want to post anything because of some peoples nagativity but I know that is not the responsible thing to do. There are ways to give advice and to put your opinions out there without being disrespectful. Not all of us are "experts" and some forget that they were once beginers as well. With that said, I didn't mean to cause any harm or negativity. Thank you!

 

[alexbrock]

Thank you, he is a Sambava from Amazing Blue Reptiles. I was actually looking at your Avatar picture a while ago and thought "Wow, that is one awesome looking Cham." Can you post a picture of him here? I'd really like to get a closer look at him. I even went to your profile thinking I could see a larger version. Maybe I didn't find it...

He is going to be freaking amazing! Around 4-5 months is when the excitement starts, for me personally. My avatar is an Ambilobe Panther, Bonzo, I got from a breeder on the forum.

 

[PrettyInInk87]

Woah, he looks pretty pissed. Lol! He is awesome.

 

[alexbrock]

Woah, he looks pretty pissed. Lol! He is awesome.

He was an angry one! I had to pick him up with a sock on my hand lol.

 

[pssh]

Don't expect your Sambava to color up around 5-6 months. Sambavas can take a long long time to start showing man colors, and up to 2 years before they show any red and orange or black.

 

[PrettyInInk87]

Hahah! I can imagine your hand with a sock on it trying to grab your Cham, I think it would be hard since it doesn't have the digits parts like gloves do.

 

[rcutchens]

I would like to make a very important note. You can try safe things to see how your animal reacts, but if it reacts negatively I highly suggest you stop. If it is needed for health, then it might be best to continue, but certainly not if it's just an experiment. No need to continue to push stress on them when they clearly are stressing out.

Sound advice that makes a lot of sense, pssh. I agree.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Thats basic common sense.

 

[pssh]

Not everyone has that sir!