Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My veiled cham is a little dehydrated and I can tell this because his eyes are a little sunken in as well as his skin looking a little loose. Just curious about what would be the best way bring him up back to par. He doesn't seem to want to drink water often enough when it is offered (ie: off the leaves and such). So far, I think i'm just gonna try feeding the crix carrots since that plumps them up with water.

For most keepers, it is quite easy to rehydrate a cham by placing a bushy plant in the shower, using a warm (body temp) spray, and keep the cham in there for up to 30 minutes. This can be repeated daily. Some folks do this on a regular basis - once or twice per month.

Don't aim the shower spray directly on the chameleon - but aim it to the wall so that the spray bounces back on 1/2 of the plant. The cham can walk in and out of the misting part as he chooses. Place a heavy towel on the shower floor - around the base of the plant's pot - just in case the chameleon slips.

Chameleons can absorb the moisture in the air through their nasal passages too... so the shower atmosphere will be very good for him.

Hope this helps... keep us posted,
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Check your cage air humidity. If it is too low the cham may be getting dehydrated as your spraying session dry out quickly. He'll end up losing ground over time. Get a good quality humidity gauge (not the pet shop ones...they don't work reliably) and you may find the cage stays drier for longer than you realize. Air humidity lower than 50% is too low.

His humidity is good, never drops below 60%. Today he finally began shedding so maybe this stress possibly made him look even more distressed.