Refuses to drink for dripper!!

[Chaka]

So my Veiled will only drink water when I use the spray bottle to gently spray him in the mouth. It was cool at first but now he refuses to drink from the drippers anymore. He will stare at it, sometimes getting real close, but then he gives up and waits for me to spray him.

I have tried using a large one gallon dripper that drips the entire day, tried changing the location of the dripper, moving a smaller one inside his cage in his clear view, and changed the speed of the drips without any luck.

I know you hardly ever see them drink but he almost always drinks when I offer him the spray bottle, so I know he isn't drinking from the dripper when I'm not looking. Its becoming inconvenient and also worrisome.

Any ideas to get him drinking from the dripper again will be much appreciated, hopefully I didn't over spoil the little guy :/

 

[Deevo]

I wouldn't get to worried yet, they will change their behaviors as they get older. Maybe try positioning the dripper somewhere that he relaxes and allow the drops to roll right off his caque and into his mouth. It worked for me and my cham got used to it and always drinks like that now.

 

[sandrachameleon]

have you tried having multiple drippers? several containers with pin holes ontop the cage, will be more like rain water than a single dripper. have some drip such that the drops hit branches/leaves.

If that fails, get the dripper going, aim it towards him, gently spray to get him started, adjust the dripper to land on his nose, and then step away - help him transition, so to speak.

 

[ridgebax1]

Here is how I set up my dripper. https://www.chameleonforums.com/big-dripper-tubing-set-up-121916/. The only change I have made since making this thread is the tubing I use to make the circle, it is a porous dripper hose I got on amazon. It is 1/4 inch porous hose made by rainbird so there are several areas with water dripping and I don't have to poke holes in the tubing.

 

[carol5208]

how do you know he is not drinking from the dripper when you are not around?

 

[Olimpia]

Not a single one of my Meller's will walk up to a dripper, regardless of how many holes the gallon jug has. They just like mist, and a lot of my other chameleons have been this way. It's not a problem, you just have to make sure your misting is regular and sufficient.

 

[Psychobunny]

Here is how I set up my dripper. https://www.chameleonforums.com/big-dripper-tubing-set-up-121916/. The only change I have made since making this thread is the tubing I use to make the circle, it is a porous dripper hose I got on amazon. It is 1/4 inch porous hose made by rainbird so there are several areas with water dripping and I don't have to poke holes in the tubing.

I like the way you did this.
I have all the tubing and connections to make one, but will need to poke holes!
How big should the holes be? and how far apart?

 

[Psychobunny]

Not a single one of my Meller's will walk up to a dripper, regardless of how many holes the gallon jug has. They just like mist, and a lot of my other chameleons have been this way. It's not a problem, you just have to make sure your misting is regular and sufficient.

Each of my guyz do it different.
Noogie waits for me to squirt him with warm water, but if he gets tired of
waiting, will stick his head directly under the dripper instead.

Squee and Sméagol drink from their little orange dripper caps, lapping the water from the cap like a cat.
Smidget climbs down under the leaves and licks the water as it hits them.

 

[ridgebax1]

I like the way you did this.
I have all the tubing and connections to make one, but will need to poke holes!
How big should the holes be? and how far apart?

I used a 20 gauge needle and poked through and through spacing about an inch apart. But I tell you what that porous dripper hose from amazon is the bomb. It makes a nice circle of raindrops. It is $7.00 and is amazon prime eligible if you have a prime account. (it is so worth it; I shop amazon now like it is a local store)
here's a link if your interested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LNSX82/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Oh and I got all the connectors on amazon too. They are for rainbird, raid drip, and orbit irrigation systems.