Critical Thinking: Should We Give Chameleons Water Cups?

[absolutbill]

Although I can see how that technically might happen I wouldn't be concerned about my chameleon slipping and falling if I wanted to use this hydration method. I would chalk that up to freak accident and make sure the size glass I used wouldn't increase the chances of this happening.

Once again, I do not yet see a reason why using a glass of water would be preferable to other more natural hydration methods. So me talking about making it work should not be confused with me actually doing it!

Oh don't worry, I wasn't implying that either you or I would actually use water cups for our chameleons, perhaps I didn't phrase my comment properly. When I said I have changed my husbandry habits from your podcasts I was more thinking of nighttime humidity and misting cycles, not this particular topic. Keep on with the excellent content and continue questioning all of the keeping habits, you've got a follower for life!

 

[MzLaurie11]

I personally witnessed one of my chameleons drinking water from a puddle on the bottom of his cage. Actually saw him do it several times during that one week. However, he was very sick at the time and on medication. Since he had never drank like that before or after, i assumed it was due to thrist from the meds or his body telling him he needed more than what he got from misting to heal. One point, none of the other reptiles mentioned have splayed hands and feet. Chams are tree dwellers they are safest there. The oldest documented fossils chams found are 99 million years. Thats a very long time for behavior to be set in stone. But they are not stupid. If perhaps there was a drought and the only water available was a creek, i imagine circumstanes would force them out of the civer of trees/bushes to the creek to survive. I imagine survival once on athe ground drops drastically. They have no defese system other than nonmovement and blending.

 

[Brad]

I finally got a chance to review this podcast episode over the weekend. Given the subject I wasn't sure what to expect but Bill did a great job. His fair and objective approach to the subject is a good model for evaluating new husbandry techniques and it should be emulated. Thank you Bill.

It's interesting to look back at how watering techniques have evolved over the years. I do remember using an air stone and bowl when I first started many many years ago.