New Jackson's Chameleon

[gegeland]

Hey, just got my first chameleon which is a Jackson's chameleon, 4-5 months old. Its been about a week now and he eats regularly. I just haven't seen him actually drinking any water off of the leaves in his cage that are misted 3 times daily. He also doesnt seem to enjoy the misting, like other people's chamelons do from what i have read. I was wondering if anybody had any tips to encourage his drinking. Also i was just wondering if he will gain more green color as he gets older. Right now he is mostly light brown with a green spot towards his head. Attached is a picture of his colors. Also can someone tell me what the 1.1.2 number system thing is all about. Thanks.

 

[ponders]

Have you tried a dripper that drips for several hours? My Jackson loved sitting on a branch under the dripper letting the water drip on his head and drank that way. He didn't care for the sprayer either.
The 1.1.2 is: 1 male.1 female.2 unsexed babies

 

[lilblacky]

From the looks of it (I could be wrong)... it seems as though you have a fake vine in there made of silk (i have a vine that looks exactly like that). Now I'm no genious when it comes to chams but I know its hard for them to drink off of those. Like another member here told me " it would be like trying to suck water out of a t-shirt". Do you have any real plants or possibly some fake ones that are plastic that would allow the water to bead up on the leaves so it could drink?

 

[cham2cham]

Live plants will help them with the drinking. It holds the water better as well.

 

[Sang]

just to give you an idea of what my jackson set up looks like, big schefflera, 2 ficus plants, 1 large branch and a few vine. it took me a few days to see him drinking, its been let see...almost 10 days since i got him and i finally caught him drinking a little bit.

 

[gegeland]

Yeah i have a dripper that drips on a diferent set of fake plastic plants that can hold water. Maybe it will just take some time before i actually see him. Does anybody have an answer to the coloring question, i always see vibrant green colors in the pictures

 

[opihiman]

I think the real question is, How long are you misting for?

I think the bare minimum for misting is at least 5 min. Some chams need to be stimulated longer. some keepers recommend warm or hot water too. I have a herpmist system which which des two things for my chams...water for thirst, and also to help cool my cages which sit in the open sunl ight for about 3 to 4 hours. Cycles last 5 min.

Hope that helps
OPI

 

[Duke]

I rarely see my Jackson's drink, but he is 2 yrs old so he is getting it sometime. I wouldn't worry about not seeing it happen.

What is your temp? My veiled was brown often until I got another light for him. The increased temp brought him to green or at least that seemed to be the change that matched up.

 

[gegeland]

Any reccomendations for a good herp mister. Thanks for all of the tips.

 

[Duke]

This web page is sponsored by some mister.

 

[gegeland]

hah thanks

 

[skeeta]

You've only had him a week, give him time to OWN his territory, make sure his light, temps and humidity are optimum (real plants are a must – hanging pathos are cheap and our jacksons love 'em) and I'm sure he'll green up just fine! (unless he's a red-phase like our Pendergast)

As for drinking, I've rarely seen Skeeta drink (shy gal) in 2 years, but when I was concerned I gave her a good long mist and DRIPPED, NOT SQUIRTED drops onto her snout with a syringe (no needle). Soon she was happily lapping them up and even following it along her vines.

If you are at all worried, answer ALL the questions in detail and the experts will give you their 2 cents.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[Vince]

I agree with skeeta, as long as the lights and temps are well he will do fine. It took my little guy a while to show his bright colors when i moved him into his full size cage.

About the misting, both of my jacksons have hated being misted. It is similar to us going swimming you have to get use to the water. If you keep misting for several minutes he will get used to it, and chances are he will stand right up and start drinking.

I use Mist King i love it and would recommend it in a heart beat. Also, i know people who are happy with herp mist.

 

[gegeland]

Thanks a lot for all of the help.