Rodent water bottles?

[szpond]

I haven't been able to read through all of the comments on this thread yet, but I love the pictures!

When I worked at a pet store, I tried this method. Getting the chameleon to associate water with the nozzle of the rodent bottle could be somewhat challenging - but I found if I dripped water ONTO the nozzle (from an external source, spraybottle or otherwise), the chameleon would start to drink the water I was dripping onto the spout. Then they would continue to drink because the spout would give them water and I would stop dripping.

Does that make sense? Lol.

 

[broderp]

I haven't been able to read through all of the comments on this thread yet, but I love the pictures!

When I worked at a pet store, I tried this method. Getting the chameleon to associate water with the nozzle of the rodent bottle could be somewhat challenging - but I found if I dripped water ONTO the nozzle (from an external source, spraybottle or otherwise), the chameleon would start to drink the water I was dripping onto the spout. Then they would continue to drink because the spout would give them water and I would stop dripping.

Does that make sense? Lol.

Thats what worked for me! The trick now is to see if they can retain that knowledge and go to it without the spray bottle drawing them to it.

 

[Dr O]

i had tried it w/ several chams a few years back w/ no real success. i tried the ball tips and the open types. if i had a bottle that dripped slowly i did have chams lick at the leaves where they drops went, but never had success w/ any drinking from the bottles directly. however, obviously some chams will learn! i haven’t tried anymore since i’m using a large automated system, but still have all my old bottles to try again whenever i get some campani in indoor enclosures!

 

[pssh]

I did this when I was little with my first cham, a veiled. (I read that book as one of my first cham care guides before I was old enough to use the internet.) My bottle only dripped a little when I first put it in and that first attracted him to it. After he used it randomly for a couple weeks he started to drink from it fairly regularly until I bought him a dripper. After that it just sat in his cage as a just-in-case kind of thing.

 

[zsazsa85]

We tried the hamster bottle too and works! I haven't heard about it, but I noticed when she is thirsty and I open the cage she comes right away on my ring or on the hinge. So I taught I try the hamster bottle('cause of the shiny part) and we showed her and she uses it! But first she didn't like it in the cage- I don't know what did she see in it- but as soon as she noticed it she showed the typical dark green spots. Then we covered it with green masking tape and so far no problem.
Chameleons are amazing!
I loved the pictures! I'll try to take about her drinking too!

 

[broderp]

Here's a vid...

I hope this link works...I uploaded my very first youtube video....and it's of my little guy, Jackson, drinking on his own off his water bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JptISmf4V3k&feature=youtu.be

I was walkin by and looked in at him and caught him in the act.

(sorry for the mediorcre video quality and sound.)

 

[Bush baby]

I hope this link works...I uploaded my very first youtube video....and it's of my little guy, Jackson, drinking on his own off his water bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JptISmf4V3k&feature=youtu.be

I was walkin by and looked in at him and caught him in the act.

(sorry for the mediorcre video quality and sound.)

And there you have it folks!

 

[EmmaChams]

Heard of this too, my only issue is that rodent bottles do not actually drip water so would a chameleon not even reconize it as a water source?

 

[broderp]

Heard of this too, my only issue is that rodent bottles do not actually drip water so would a chameleon not even reconize it as a water source?

Mine doesn't leak. And you see how mine goes to it. ツ

 

[bgray]

It works very nicely. I've used this method for a Parsons and a Jacksons and both took to it very quickly. It was a nice way to ensure readily available drinking water at a time when my only option was hand spraying.

 

[amanda509]

Franklin loves his Charlie never quite got it...

 

[fleetwoodchams]

All my chams (except for Jethro ) have have these water bottles. They all use them.
They learned pretty quickly. I just misted on the bottle and as they equated the water droplets from the mister with the end of the bottle they got the idea.
Jethro has his own water fountain which he drinks from. ( Yes , I clean it everyday before someone says it collects bacteria )

I still mist on schedule for humidity so they can still drink from leaves, but I feel better knowing they always have a source of water and know how to drink from it.
Chameleons are pretty smart for a reptile. They all learned this neat trick in less than a week.

 

[JosieJobo]

This is brilliant I really want to train my 5m panther to drink like this as I have a living vivarium and worried the hole thing will be saturated if I use an automated rain styerm. I mist and been trying a syringe but only recently he somtimes drinks but more by chance I think than want. I dont know how to train him to drink from the bottle as I never see him drinking (though he is very helthy and no sings of dehydration) any suggestions?? Bought a small bottle today while getting crickets Xx

 

[fleetwoodchams]

This is brilliant I really want to train my 5m panther to drink like this as I have a living vivarium and worried the hole thing will be saturated if I use an automated rain styerm. I mist and been trying a syringe but only recently he somtimes drinks but more by chance I think than want. I dont know how to train him to drink from the bottle as I never see him drinking (though he is very helthy and no sings of dehydration) any suggestions?? Bought a small bottle today while getting crickets Xx

Make sure you continue to mist often. I mist many times a day for humidity. They still will drink off the leaves too.

1) Get a small rodent bottle not a huge one.
2) Place it on the cage attached from the outside by wire, but in a place where they can easily reach the tip. Also I put a potted plant below to catch dripping.
3) Either put your drip cup over the bottle or use your spray bottle to drip down over the bottle at first. This makes sure their attention is in the right area.
4) Change the water in the bottle often so they have fresh water all the time, even if you didn't spray or drip cup hydrate.

It may take a while but they catch on.

I just caught my one cham today that I thought would never figure it out, drinking from the bottle.
I guess the last thing is to make sure you bottle has the little ball in the end. The other kinds don't work

Thanks