Jasonii Parsonii questionii.

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Somehow I got it in my head that most of their water comes from dew drops in the humid mornings. I'm not sure if it's good or bad but I've been spraying the cages down pretty heavily about 15 minutes before their lights come on.

My mister runs 80 degree water 3 times a day for 2 minutes. Both cages have the mister nozzles mounted outside of the cage above the screen. This creates water droplets that last for 30 minutes to an hour. you can see them in the 2nd pic. I also heavily hand spray them in the afternoon. Last but not least I have a little dripper that I drip all day every other day.

My 2 boys have found different ways to drink. Frank will only drink the drops from the top of the cage, Allan likes the 2 minute mister drips and the all day drips.

I'm not 100% sure they are getting enough water as I’m still getting used to their species behaviors as well as their individual personalities.. The general signs I’m looking for are..

1. Stringy saliva
2. Decreased appetite/activity
3. Sunken eyes
4. Yellowing of the Urate.

Yeah?

Jason

I have found that to be not that accurate of a statement. Calumma parsonii are from Eastern Madagascar. That is a cool tropical rainforest. Most of the water that accumulates there comes from rain fall. The Parsonii I have kept have greatly preferred drinking water from rain drop form and not from water that has collected on leaves in dew form.

Kind Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Saldarya]

I will chime in here and say that I also drip for 8 hours a day from 2 nozzles in cage in addition to 2 heavy mistings. So, the misting starts to,get activity going, drip for 4 hours. 2 hours off to dry out. Same thing again, then a few hours to dry out before bed.

Although I have seen them drink from leaves, as Jeremy mentions, more times than not they sit under the dippers for quite a while drinking up.

Hth,

 

[biffle]

I have one "little dripper" that I split between the two. each male gets 1 drip per second all day long. Because I only have one right now, they get it every other day.

I have an automated dripping system for them and my pending t.johnstoni's in the works.. I plan to run that for 20 minutes every other hour.

Jason

Do you have a dripper? I run Cooper's dripper for 6 to 8 hours a day.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Beautiful animals, sorry you couldn't save that female. Hopefully you ambushed that shop keeper in the parking lot and egged them or something... j/k


From the time I kept my Parsons I always noticed they liked moving water, I'm talking drops here, and as such I made sure they access to dripping water four times a day for 10 mins a pop. Never had a hydration problem.

They liked a real fine mist, I had their free range misted four times a day. Temps were pretty much 72-85 year round with the exception of the winter months.

Food...anything and everything that was the right size. I gave Calcium every other day but your schedule should be ok if you don't overdo it.

make sure you do have some air circulation, say turn on a ceiling fan, for a few hours a day. Stagnant air with that much water can cause an RI. You probably got that covered.

Water is a big thing with them, more so than any other cham I have ever kept.

 

[biffle]

I have not seen them drink from leaves either. I guess my dew theory just causes stress?

I have not seen these guys sit under the dripper yet. Alan goes to it for a few minutes then right back to his chill spot or his basking spot. So far Frank wants nothing to do with it. Maybe that would change if I dripped for 8 hours every day? I guess we'll find out when I get this automated dripper hooked up and tuned in.

Jason

I will chime in here and say that I also drip for 8 hours a day from 2 nozzles in cage in addition to 2 heavy mistings. So, the misting starts to,get activity going, drip for 4 hours. 2 hours off to dry out. Same thing again, then a few hours to dry out before bed.

Although I have seen them drink from leaves, as Jeremy mentions, more times than not they sit under the dippers for quite a while drinking up.

Hth,

 

[biffle]

Frank eating a roach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7teCncTH6c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Todnedo]

It's important to find which method works best for the individual. Parsonii's heads are shaped to collect and channel water to their mouths.
This female is tilting her head back to collect water. She stopped drinking when I disturbed her with the camera But you can see how it builds up and runs to her mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb5ns99bDYI&feature=youtu.be

 

[kameleons jvo]

Frank eating a roach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7teCncTH6c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Hes looking very nice and healthy,you are doing a good job keeping these parsons

 

[maxttu]

Nice pick up, Jason. Sorry about the female, but she was in trouble well before you acquired her. I hope what's his name at the shop was able to offer a consolation. He admitted she wasn't doing well, so I hope he manned up.

I'll have to come and visit and check these dinosaurs out! Happii happii joyii joyii!

 

[Garrett]

I haven't had much luck using a dripper with these guys. They would rather die of thirst than walk to the other side of their cage where the dripper is dripping. You need to get a good whole cage rain or misting in there for 30 minutes at a time to really see them drink.. and they will, a LOT. I spend more time dealing with water runoff and drainage than I do taking care of the actual lizards

 

[biffle]

Thanks for the video. I really appericiate everyones help. One if my panther males loves to drink like that. I'll keep dripping and watching.

It's important to find which method works best for the individual. Parsonii's heads are shaped to collect and channel water to their mouths.
This female is tilting her head back to collect water. She stopped drinking when I disturbed her with the camera But you can see how it builds up and runs to her mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb5ns99bDYI&feature=youtu.be

 

[biffle]

Thank you sir! Our community enables it.

Hes looking very nice and healthy,you are doing a good job keeping these parsons

 

[biffle]

Frank my little guy, is up from 38 to 70 grams in the few weeks that I've had him. Go Frank go!

 

[biffle]

I just ran a test on the automated dripper. Frank approves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf7x_QpLwrE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[SaintJimmy]

I love your parsons!

I'm just wondering; why does this community treat parsons like they should be left in complete seclusion (in comparison to how we treat the others--these are apparently "non sociable AT ALL")?

I understand they are a precious species, and they are delicate, require very good detailed care, etc, but why can't they be handled or "disturbed" (seen) as often?

Not everyone wants to breed them

 

[Saldarya]

I just ran a test on the automated dripper. Frank approves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf7x_QpLwrE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Outstanding!! You can now see the difference and how they take to the dripping as opposed to the other methods.

I love your parsons!

I'm just wondering; why does this community treat parsons like they should be left in complete seclusion (in comparison to how we treat the others--these are apparently "non sociable AT ALL")?

I understand they are a precious species, and they are delicate, require very good detailed care, etc, but why can't they be handled or "disturbed" (seen) as often?

Not everyone wants to breed them

I think the best way I can answer this is to say you would have to observe them in person for a while to understand it. Everything about them just seems a bit more slower and patient. Maybe a better word is methodical and with intent.

This is especially the case in comparison to a panther or veiled. I would say that my parsons are by far the most calm and gentle of all my chameleons, but when you sit and watch them, something just tells me these are not animals that want to be coddled and handled, it just wouldn't seem right.

That and the big *** claws that dig into your skin........

 

[biffle]

Frank is looking good this morning.

 

[kameleons jvo]

Hes getting fat

 

[OldChamKeeper]

I love your parsons!

I'm just wondering; why does this community treat parsons like they should be left in complete seclusion (in comparison to how we treat the others--these are apparently "non sociable AT ALL")?

I understand they are a precious species, and they are delicate, require very good detailed care, etc, but why can't they be handled or "disturbed" (seen) as often?

Not everyone wants to breed them

I've owned a number a species over a few decades. As was mentioned earlier, they are very very different from other species in their mannerisms. Slow, methodical is a good description, and they take ALOT of patience. They don't go running for the water, they don't always look at a food item and grab as fast as a panther might, and I used to notice they got a bit nervous when you took them out of their established habitat and took them anywhere, more than the usual chameleon getting nervous. Enough to where I simply let them alone.

And as for holding them, they are the only species I've ever held that broke the skin on my arm once with that grip of theirs. Not worth it.

 

[biffle]

That's a good thing right?

Hes getting fat