Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am using a dripper lately,something I was not doing until recently.I was misting heavily twice a day and my veiled hasn't shown any dehydration syptoms for almost 16 months but I bought zoo med's dripper just to be on the safe side.I haven't seen any responce from the cham yet,I'm starting to believe that drippers are going to be proven a myth in the future.This is just my own opinion as I am observing my own for a long time.I am not quite sure what triggers drinking responce,it might be the light reflecting on drops on leaves or the sudden increase in humidity or something else.On the other hand those of you who observed phelsumas know how a phelsuma reacts rapidly to anything that moves.They rush violently towards the dripping water thus making drippers very efficient method for providing water,but with chams???
I would like to listen to your opinions..
Thanks

They work great for me when I randomly move them around my cages, but if the chameleons not thirsty, then its not going to "run over and slurp it up".
-----
CANADIAN SILKWORMS

Its rare that I see mine using the dripper but I see him drinking from the bowl I have under the dripper almost every day. Go figure.
-----
Vichris

Vichris Variables

Luna used to do it and so does Cyrus. Cyrus will sit on his branch in the morning and look up and open his mouth or lick his "lips" then look at me. I adjust the dripper and there are times he will sit under it for several minutes at a time.

I work from home so can monitor. I have to say that if I worked out of the house I would not assume that my cham had been drinking from it unless I saw the behavior (like I do) on weekends or other times at home. Nether he nor Luna used it as much in the warmer more humid months but I would not be w/o it in our dry winter. My little dripper finally fell apart (plastic cracked from getting too much heat, I think) so i took out valve and now use it with just a gladware square plastic container. I sit mine on top of the strip light so the water is warm.

Of course I spray, use a humidifier and give him regular showers, but I would have to say that he get most of his water from his dripper. Luna never licked a leaf and Cyrus rarely does. So, like Will said, if the cham isn't thirsty its not going to run to it. I do make sure I have a container below it n the floor so it doesn't make a big mess.
-----
Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Both of my chams (panther and jacksons) have learned that water comes from the dripper tube. They will actually put their mouths on the tube and use it almost like a straw . They also drink off the leaves when I mist too though.

I have the luxury of keeping my chams outdoors 360 of 365 days a year here in S. Florida. That means I don't have to give water collection any consideration. I use a garden hose hooked up to a auto timer and a wand from home depot. The mist comes from outside the screen which means the entire cage is saturated and the cage is enveloped in both mist and drips from water collecting on the screen and dripping down. Both my male and female choose to just sit and let the mist collect on thier lips and crack open thier mouth now and then to drink. I believe it depends on the individual chams preference and the behavior it learned from the breeder. You can see the wand I have rigged up behind my female's cage here.

right now i do not use any form of mister or dripper. i spray the plants and cage everyday 2-3 days daily. i do this anyways for my bearded dragons, so i do it with my chameleon also. my cham just licks up water off leaves and off the screen of the cage.

but i am also getting out of dragons soon for the time being. with this i probably wont be going in to spray as freguent. whats the easiest and cheapest ways to make a dripper or mister??
-----
Beach Beardies

3.4.11 bearded dragons
1.0.0 Turquoise x Sunburst Veiled Chameleon
1.1.0 Sugar Gliders
0.1.0 Miss Queen Athena (Cat)