Water is the key to all living things. Unfortunately, dehydration is a common health risk faced by chameleons. Lack of water is not easily identified visually, but can have disastrous results. It is critical that you provide sufficient water in the "right" ways.
In nature, their water source is the dew drops that form and the rain that falls on leaves. To simulate this in captivity, we commonly use both a dripper and a spray mister.
If your Tap water is safe for you, its probably safe for the chameleon. If heavily chlorinated, leave standing over night in an open container or boil for a period of time to permit the chlorine to dissipate. You may need to filter hard water or treat water containing certain additives. chloramine can only be removed with more chemicals. Alternatively used distilled water or RO (though there are potentially issued with these as well).
Never add bleach to the water or use a container that once held chemicals/cleaners.
The temperature of the water sprayed and dripped should be no cooler than room temperature. Sprayed water may even be almost hot since the fine droplets cool very rapidly. Rain that comes top down is less annoying to chams than spraying them broadside. Dont use cold water or melting ice cubes to water babies, as it is unnatural and may be less enjoyable (reducing intake); many (including me) feel dripping ice cubes are a bad idea for adults too.
Drip water at least once, preferably twice a day, and mist/spray at least once up to three times a day. 5-10 minute duration is the minimum per session. Daily dripping and misting to a total of three or four sessions is recommended (for example: Light misting followed by 20 minutes Dripper in the morning, 5 -10 minutes of spraying mid-day, dripper going again in the early evening - make sure everything has a chance to dry up before bedtime).
If relying on misting/spraying alone and not using drippers, ensure you provide enough! Spray mist 2- 6 times per day, 2-8 minutes per misting for babies and 5-10 minutes each time for adults. Duration is usually as important as volume. Those living in places where the relative humidity is low will need to mist even more.
Spray leaves, branches and sides of enclosure, rather than directly on the chameleon. Spray so that water falls downwards, like typical rain, rather than sideways.
Branches should dry out between watering.
Misting is important not just for providing drinking water, but also for increasing overall humidity, and helping chameleons clean their eyeballs.
While I rely primarily on drippers with some use of a small manual hand mister, an automatic misting system or humidifier is useful if you have multiple chameleons or low house humidity (under 35%).
A small chameleon is in need of water 3-4 times per day. Because the ratio of surface area to body mass is generally higher in smaller animals, babies will lose water at a proportionally greater rate than will adult animals. Misting three times per day for several minutes each time is strongly recommended. Care should be taken to mist the sides of the cage, branches and leaves and to avoid direct spraying of the babies. This is because some people have reported that babies can actually suffocate if droplets form on their snouts and cover their tiny mouths and nostrils (i dont know how likely this is, but why risk it?). Direct spraying may also startle the babies and cause them to retreat from the moisture that they require.
Do not use a fountain, waterfall (recycled bacteria) or standing water dish (unnatural) of any kind. Most chameleons will not recognize it as a good / preferred place to drink, risking dehydration. If by chance or desperation /lack of choice they do drink from standing water or waterfall, they risk getting sick. Bacteria thrives in standing water and in the internal (uncleanable) hoses of waterfall/fountains, plus contamination from fecal waste and drowned insects is likely.
Note: By using fresh vegetables and fruits as a significant part of your feeder insect gut-load, you can ensure better hydration of the prey items and, thereby, better hydration of your chameleon. Info on gutloading: http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition.html
I use drippers on all my chameleon cages. The vast majority of the hydration needs of my chameleons are met by the drippers running for about an hour and a half to three hours (depends how much water I put in), twice daily.
How to make your own easy and inexpensive Dripper: http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippers-19143/#post177210
or http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/draetish/225-making-dripper-set-up.html
Signs of dehydration include urate that is not white, sunken eyes, low appetite, poor shedding.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/hydration-importance-22202/#post194260
Lots of interesting discussion and information regarding water, and drainage:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=73
http://www.animalarkshelter.org/cin/
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/watering.php
http://www.chameleonforums.com/picture-agnes-dripper-18947/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/favorite-drip-system-19508/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/hydration-8542/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/enclosure-fountain-debate-19998/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/diy-drippers-less-than-19436/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippper-systemm-19489/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/misting-system-19017/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/big-little-drip-systems-18896/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippers-19143/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/licking-floor-23153/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/how-important-misting-21379/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/watercatch-system-25537/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/does-setup-work-drainage-27430/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/homers-new-habitat-pic-23923/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/mr-worfs-chamcondo-complete-26408/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/anyone-used-tiles-bottom-25851/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/trying-create-simple-drainage-27805/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/my-cheap-affordable-drainage-25695/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/what-do-you-keep-27443/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=73
In nature, their water source is the dew drops that form and the rain that falls on leaves. To simulate this in captivity, we commonly use both a dripper and a spray mister.
If your Tap water is safe for you, its probably safe for the chameleon. If heavily chlorinated, leave standing over night in an open container or boil for a period of time to permit the chlorine to dissipate. You may need to filter hard water or treat water containing certain additives. chloramine can only be removed with more chemicals. Alternatively used distilled water or RO (though there are potentially issued with these as well).
Never add bleach to the water or use a container that once held chemicals/cleaners.
The temperature of the water sprayed and dripped should be no cooler than room temperature. Sprayed water may even be almost hot since the fine droplets cool very rapidly. Rain that comes top down is less annoying to chams than spraying them broadside. Dont use cold water or melting ice cubes to water babies, as it is unnatural and may be less enjoyable (reducing intake); many (including me) feel dripping ice cubes are a bad idea for adults too.
Drip water at least once, preferably twice a day, and mist/spray at least once up to three times a day. 5-10 minute duration is the minimum per session. Daily dripping and misting to a total of three or four sessions is recommended (for example: Light misting followed by 20 minutes Dripper in the morning, 5 -10 minutes of spraying mid-day, dripper going again in the early evening - make sure everything has a chance to dry up before bedtime).
If relying on misting/spraying alone and not using drippers, ensure you provide enough! Spray mist 2- 6 times per day, 2-8 minutes per misting for babies and 5-10 minutes each time for adults. Duration is usually as important as volume. Those living in places where the relative humidity is low will need to mist even more.
Spray leaves, branches and sides of enclosure, rather than directly on the chameleon. Spray so that water falls downwards, like typical rain, rather than sideways.
Branches should dry out between watering.
Misting is important not just for providing drinking water, but also for increasing overall humidity, and helping chameleons clean their eyeballs.
While I rely primarily on drippers with some use of a small manual hand mister, an automatic misting system or humidifier is useful if you have multiple chameleons or low house humidity (under 35%).
A small chameleon is in need of water 3-4 times per day. Because the ratio of surface area to body mass is generally higher in smaller animals, babies will lose water at a proportionally greater rate than will adult animals. Misting three times per day for several minutes each time is strongly recommended. Care should be taken to mist the sides of the cage, branches and leaves and to avoid direct spraying of the babies. This is because some people have reported that babies can actually suffocate if droplets form on their snouts and cover their tiny mouths and nostrils (i dont know how likely this is, but why risk it?). Direct spraying may also startle the babies and cause them to retreat from the moisture that they require.
Do not use a fountain, waterfall (recycled bacteria) or standing water dish (unnatural) of any kind. Most chameleons will not recognize it as a good / preferred place to drink, risking dehydration. If by chance or desperation /lack of choice they do drink from standing water or waterfall, they risk getting sick. Bacteria thrives in standing water and in the internal (uncleanable) hoses of waterfall/fountains, plus contamination from fecal waste and drowned insects is likely.
Note: By using fresh vegetables and fruits as a significant part of your feeder insect gut-load, you can ensure better hydration of the prey items and, thereby, better hydration of your chameleon. Info on gutloading: http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition.html
I use drippers on all my chameleon cages. The vast majority of the hydration needs of my chameleons are met by the drippers running for about an hour and a half to three hours (depends how much water I put in), twice daily.
How to make your own easy and inexpensive Dripper: http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippers-19143/#post177210
or http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/draetish/225-making-dripper-set-up.html
Signs of dehydration include urate that is not white, sunken eyes, low appetite, poor shedding.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/hydration-importance-22202/#post194260
Lots of interesting discussion and information regarding water, and drainage:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=73
http://www.animalarkshelter.org/cin/
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/watering.php
http://www.chameleonforums.com/picture-agnes-dripper-18947/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/favorite-drip-system-19508/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/hydration-8542/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/enclosure-fountain-debate-19998/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/diy-drippers-less-than-19436/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippper-systemm-19489/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/misting-system-19017/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/big-little-drip-systems-18896/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/drippers-19143/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/licking-floor-23153/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/how-important-misting-21379/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/watercatch-system-25537/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/does-setup-work-drainage-27430/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/homers-new-habitat-pic-23923/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/mr-worfs-chamcondo-complete-26408/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/anyone-used-tiles-bottom-25851/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/trying-create-simple-drainage-27805/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/my-cheap-affordable-drainage-25695/
http://www.chameleonforums.com/what-do-you-keep-27443/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=73
