Hydration

[Apreptile]

I can't find the best way to hydrate my chameleon. She is in a screen cage and I tried a dripped but that don't work, I tried spraying and that work but I cant spray her all the time. Any ideas?

 

[sandrachameleon]

In what way did you use a dripper? Did the dripper have a hose that went directly into the cage, with the end where the drops fall from very near a favourite branch in easy reach to lick from? Did the drops fall on plant leaves? Were you watching the whole time (could the animal see you watching)?

You dont want to spray her all the time anyhow. Just around 3 or 4 times a day, for about 5-10 minutes each time.

 

[Apreptile]

No. I used a small cup with a little hole that dripped into a bowl. No, I really didn't watch.

 

[carol5208]

Is your chameleons urate white? Sometimes chams just don't like to drink in front of you, so you may think they are not drinking but they really are.

 

[Apreptile]

It's yellow that's why I am concerned.

 

[summoner12]

I think misting and drip systems are the best way to hydrate. I use misting with all of my chameleons.

 

[Jimturner]

The concept of a dripper is to simulate rain drops falling on leaves and/or branches. You need to place the dripper so it drips into a plant creating a slow & steady, accessible drip. The motion of the water dripping through the leaves, along with the way the light plays and sparkles on the drips will catch your chameleons eye and stimulate it to drink. Simply having it drip from the top of the cage directly into a bowl will not work.

 

[Jimturner]

Well, I just read sandrachameleons dripper post. Her set up is a lot like a rodent water bottle in that her chams drink directly from the hose. It looks like it works well.

 

[sandrachameleon]

No. I used a small cup with a little hole that dripped into a bowl. No, I really didn't watch.

Change it so it drips onto leaves and branches.

The concept of a dripper is to simulate rain drops falling on leaves and/or branches. You need to place the dripper so it drips into a plant creating a slow & steady, accessible drip. The motion of the water dripping through the leaves, along with the way the light plays and sparkles on the drips will catch your chameleons eye and stimulate it to drink. Simply having it drip from the top of the cage directly into a bowl will not work.

exactly

 

[sandrachameleon]

Well, I just read sandrachameleons dripper post. Her set up is a lot like a rodent water bottle in that her chams drink directly from the hose. It looks like it works well.

Not really like a rodent bottle - those dont really drip at all - with those the ball needs to be licked by the rodent.

My drippers drip quite quickly (several drops a second) in the morning at first, then second fill-up I reduce the flow rate to a few drips per minute. So the chameleon sees the dripping / movement.

 

[Silkyslim]

I read recently that Chams are able to absorb some water through their skin as well. So when you spray make sure you get him with one or two pumps.

The biggest change I made when I started misting was using some warmer water. The warm water really made my Cham actually enjoy being misted. Rather than run away from the spray he would chill and raise his head slightly to make sure he was getting a good shower.

 

[summoner12]

I read recently that Chams are able to absorb some water through their skin as well. So when you spray make sure you get him with one or two pumps.

The biggest change I made when I started misting was using some warmer water. The warm water really made my Cham actually enjoy being misted. Rather than run away from the spray he would chill and raise his head slightly to make sure he was getting a good shower.

Warm water is a good idea. Sometimes chams will raise their nose in order to keep the water from their nose or they did get some water in their nose. In younger chams and even adults, a raised head is a sign they got water somewhere they don't want it.

Edit: I forgot to add that the part about chams absorbing water through the skin is not true. This has been discussed before on the forums.