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Read several articles on this over the years, and I'm wondering what's considered to be the best method these days?

Reason I ask is I use the method of placing my animals in a dispoable Glad container with 1/2" of warm water at the bottom, I then mist them to initiate the "wick effect" and leave them in the container until they stop licking their chops or start scratching to get out. I do this 1 to 3 times a week, and keep their indoor and outdoor cages completely dry and free of water.

This method has been working just fine for me for over 3 years, but last night I made the mistake of leaving them in the container and went to bed. Got up this morning and became really worried when I realized I had forgotten about them, only to find them looking fat (well hydrated?), alert and ready to feed. I'm now wondering if an occasional prolonged soak is a good thing.

Roger

I do the same thing with the tupperware, getting the drinking to start by pre-wetting them. But it's more like bi-weekly; with twice or three times a week direct and indirect misting in the cage. I started keeping shallow water dishes in there as well this summer, but I still haven't found them to be fond of them. The only time I see them frequent them is when they dry out and it makes for a good flat basking area.
I've also learned that certain ceramic dinner plates work too, and if slightly curved on the edge are impossible for the HL to get traction on and climb out of, whereas, I always have trouble with them climbing out of even the biggest tupperware containers unless I have a lid for it.
I've had to run off and accidentally left them in the tupperware or the bathtub for a couple hours. I see no harm in it if the water is not deep, other than it could chill them and reduce metabolic and immune fuction if for a long time. I've seen them inflate themselves in that situation. I think maybe they tend to puff up to retain the body heat in their core, by placing some space between the skin and the internal organs...maybe they were just pissed about it.
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"A man that should call everything by it's right name, would hardly pass the streets without being knocked down as a common enemy." The Complete Works of George Savile, First Marquess of Halifax 1912,246

Hey Roger,
That is an interesting story. I would think as long as there is no danger of drowning it would be similar to a rainy day in the wild.
Now I am curious as you seem to have made a point of keeping your cages completely dry. Is there a reason?

I think I've posted this pic before, but it shows a somewhat flat rock with a depression that holds a quarter inch of water in the deepest part. The cornutum and goodei take full advantage and will bask in the water till it evaporates. I do this about 3 times a week or so.

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Why a dry cage with external watering you ask. Past bad experiences with spilled water getting the cage too wet & stinky (causing me to toss out bags of calci-sand at $15 /bag!), assorted care sheets and articles I've read about repiratory diseases in desert animals, and a lot of trial and error experiments culminating in positive results associated with this particular technique. Nothing I could prove scientifically, it's just that this method seems to work best for me. The real problem with this particular technique is that it is very hands on....can you say "vacation impact".

I guess now that I've learned to use very well ventilated cages, I could switch to play sand and put in the shallow plate as seen in your post. Maybe then I could actually find someone I trust enough to adequately take care of them and take a real vacation?

BTW....the dwarf Solare isn't really a dwarf any more. It's still small, about 1/2 the size of its sibling, but clearly it's growing and thriving now. Only took a year and a half to "kick in". The sibling on the other hand is a brute, now bigger then the DHL's twice his age. Do you know what should I be expecting for adult Solares weights?

Roger

I'll weigh my big female, but I'd guess around 75 grams. Males are going to be a bit smaller than females.
Your cages are like the vision cages? All enclosed?
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No...I just use low profile (*" high) wide aquariums (~8" x 16"with screen tops. Outdoors I used the tall chameleon screened cages tipped on their sides and filled with play sand. Alway makes sure that about 25% is covered in shade.