Do female Veileds really lay eggs no matter what?

[omgitsaliv55]

Hi, I'm Patrick and I'm new to the forum. After about a week of long, hard research, I'm almost positive that I would like to get a veiled chameleon. I want a female because they have a better temperament, but there's just one problem...Do they really lay eggs up to 3 times a year w/o any mating at all? I've had problems with egg binding with leopard geckos in the past and do not want to have to revisit that! I know there are a lot of true facts about chameleons as well as some urban legends, so I just wanted to confirm that this is true.

If they really do lay eggs w/o fertilization and someone has good advice on how to deal with this, I'm all ears. I do know that you need an egg box, but I hear they're quite picky.

Anyway, thanks in advance!

-Patrick

 

[hawaiianice99]

if you dont want to deal with eggs just get a male, they are more colorful anyways. And temperments vary from cham to cham just cuz you get a female doesnt mean she will be all nicey nice.

 

[Julirs]

I am laughing! My female Veiled would literally rip me apart and stand on my dieing body, but my male is a gentle giant and has never even hissed at us! Honestly, every single chameleon is different! Please don't get one with the intention of handling it alot as none of them really should be. If you get a nice one you are just very lucky.
Yes, the females will lay infertile clutches. With diet and temp controls some people have been able to slow or stop the process, but it takes some work in order to do that.

 

[BocaJan]

My female is a baaaaaaatch with a capital B! She allows me to dump in some crickets and will eat a worm from my hand if I show it to her whie my hand is at the door. When she is done eating the worm she hisses at me - wants me outta her house!! Pronto.

My male is a happy camper. He has a big cage now and there is plenty of room for him to tolerate my hand.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Read the article on keeping female veileds here:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

 

[AndrewH]

thats funny, i kept hearing that females were more docile. Even my female beardie only tolerates me while the male likes to play.

 

[stapleton33]

Get a boy!

Hey Patrick!

We just bought 2 chameleons last week (a boy and a girl) and she is a nasty piece of work! The comments others have made here about the girls are hilarious but true! The girl's just seem way more volatile!

But good luck either way coz they are totally cool!

 

[stapleton33]

Ditto what my wife just said!

yeah, if you're gonna get a cham just for the temperament, go with the guy. the girl will be crabby anyway, but three times a year she'll be much more than just a hassle, she'll need your utmost attention. they need extra care, extra food, extra supplies, extra supervision, and they simply don't have the showy colors and displays of the male. plus, she'll always be asking if you think other female chams look better than her. honestly, if you're only picking female for temperament, the male will offer more, with less stress, for just as much occasional attitude. that's just my opinion.

 

[AndrewH]

LOL! doesnt sound much different from the girls out here!

yeah, if you're gonna get a cham just for the temperament, go with the guy. the girl will be crabby anyway, but three times a year she'll be much more than just a hassle, she'll need your utmost attention. they need extra care, extra food, extra supplies, extra supervision, and they simply don't have the showy colors and displays of the male. plus, she'll always be asking if you think other female chams look better than her. honestly, if you're only picking female for temperament, the male will offer more, with less stress, for just as much occasional attitude. that's just my opinion.

 

[omgitsaliv55]

Read the article on keeping female veileds here:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

That gave me some reassurance! I live in a colder climate so it would be easy for me to simulate those conditions. I do know how to tell when they're gravid and that site explained how to make an egg box.

I guess I just have one last question for all of you...

Is egg binding fairly common or do the conditions have to be right for it to occur (like no egg box present, not enough calcium, obesity, etc.)

Thanks for everyone's help so far and I'll keep you posted on my finale decision.

 

[Nicodemayo]

I want a female because they have a better temperament, but there's just one problem.

So not true. Each cham has its own personality and ive seen many males be as friendly as could be! Go with a male! If i gave my female veiled a chance, she would murder me in my sleep.

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

i second that my female is a @#$%$^&$%^@%^.....

 

[wendysjungle]

I actually do have a nice female veiled, so they DO exist, but I agree completely with everyone else, there is absolutely no predicting a cham's temperment. I just got lucky! And I honestly think Joyce only likes me because she knows I control her food!

 

[Loribeth]

im getting a male as well. a pretty little boy

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."Is egg binding fairly common or do the conditions have to be right for it to occur (like no egg box present, not enough calcium, obesity, etc.)"...husbandry things such as those you mentioned can lead to eggbinding but there are some physical causes for it too....such as, fused eggs, deformed eggs, reproductive system malformations, follicular stasis (failure of mature follicles to ovulate), etc.

This site gives some information about reproductive problems....
http://www.seavs.com/case_studies/lizards/

 

[hawaiianice99]

you see the cham in my avatar, that was my female on a good day.

 

[FooL111394]

How is it possible for veiled chams to think their eggs are fertilized or is it a forced thing or something??

 

[BocaJan]

To put this in perspective - every month a mature female releases one egg. After so many days it is expelled because it is not fertilized. This is all due to hormones, not anything that the female has done.

A chameleon just has more then one egg. Does that make it sound easier to understand?