Egg laying process?

[Pistachiochameleon]

Chams first time laying eggs, trying to read all the old forums but I’m still having trouble figuring out how long the egg laying should take. My Cham is Visibly showing eggs, but she has yet to go in her lay bin. At what point do you know a cham is eggbound?

Cham has been hiding in my top flower pot.... she has cut back on her eating (I didn’t cut her back she’s just not eating everything I give her) but is still drinking.

 

[MissSkittles]

Have you tried covering up the sides of her enclosure to give her privacy? Just the visible sides.

 

[JoXie411]

Is she still eating a drinking? Is she looking at the bottom of the cage? Imelda will start to dig at the screen of the cage when it’s almost time.

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Is she still eating a drinking? Is she looking at the bottom of the cage? Imelda will start to dig at the screen of the cage when it’s almost time.

I have caught her sleeping down there but no digging..

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Is she still eating a drinking? Is she looking at the bottom of the cage? Imelda will start to dig at the screen of the cage when it’s almost time.

She’s eating but it’s a lot lighter than normal. She is still drinking too

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Have you tried covering up the sides of her enclosure to give her privacy? Just the visible sides.

Ooo Okay I will try that, covering it with some black backing. Should I cover the door side as well?

 

[MissSkittles]

Ooo Okay I will try that, covering it with some black backing. Should I cover the door side as well?

Whatever is visible. They must have absolute privacy or they won’t lay. Just make sure to leave enough uncovered for good ventilation. You can poke a few small holes in whatever you use to cover so you can keep an eye on her progress.

 

[MissSkittles]

My girl initially started digging in a plant and within a day or two made it to her lay bin.

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Whatever is visible. They must have absolute privacy or they won’t lay. Just make sure to leave enough uncovered for good ventilation. You can poke a few small holes in whatever you use to cover so you can keep an eye on her progress.

Okay thanks I will do tht!

 

[MissSkittles]

Keep us posted

 

[JoXie411]

I have caught her sleeping down there but no digging..

That scares me a little. Have you thought about taking her to the vet to get an ultrasound or X-ray? The vet can see if the eggs are ready or not. From what I read is the eggs are oval-shaped and lined up that means they are ready to go

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

That scares me a little. Have you thought about taking her to the vet to get an ultrasound or X-ray? The vet can see if the eggs are ready or not. From what I read is the eggs are oval-shaped and lined up that means they are ready to go

Ya I’m only seeing the outlines when she stretches to go on a branch. The nearest vet is in Seattle which is 40min away. If she stops drinking or at what point does she need to be taken in?

 

[JoXie411]

Ya I’m only seeing the outlines when she stretches to go on a branch. The nearest vet is in Seattle which is 40min away. If she stops drinking or at what point does she need to be taken in?

Personally I would take her in now just because she’s been sleeping on the floor.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Sleeping on the floor of the cage at night is normal for this point in the process, if its during the day then Jox is correct, go now.

Also not unusual for them to go off food for 3-4 days and water for a day or two. Go to the vet at the end of the second or third day of no water.

She has not laid yet because she feels completely exposed both in her bin and the rest of the viv as well, its very sparse. As mentioned above, wrap the bottom 1/2 to 3/4 of the viv so the bin is hidden. Do not wrap the entire viv.

Once she has laid you need to completely overhaul the interior of her viv. Occasionally you should have to actually look for your cham when looking in her viv. To a cham, dense foliage = security. Do not do this now, do this AFTER she lays.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Don’t sweat her starting in the wrong plant. My female insists on digging up this one specific pitcher plant before going to her bin. She does it every time, like clockwork. I don’t know what she has against this one plant but they go to war every cycle. I’ve tried putting large white marble chips on top to discourage her, nothing. She just throws them out... point is every thing you’ve described is perfectly normal behavior, she’s got this!

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Thanks so much! I wrapped the bottom portion of her cage with a black towel to give privacy this morning. I’ll definitely move more pothos and foliage in after she lays!

Don’t sweat her starting in the wrong plant. My female insists on digging up this one specific pitcher plant before going to her bin. She does it every time, like clockwork. I don’t know what she has against this one plant but they go to war every cycle. I’ve tried putting large white marble chips on top to discourage her, nothing. She just throws them out... point is every thing you’ve described is perfectly normal behavior, she’s got this!
View attachment 250606

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Think of the plants as towns and the branches as roads your cham uses to access them all. In a viv, empty space is wasted space.

 

[Ruthless]

My Panthers will stop eating 2-3 days before laying so if she still eating she not quite ready to lay. It’s good that you have her cover she will definitely need it to feel safe.

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

Think of the plants as towns and the branches as roads your cham uses to access them all. In a viv, empty space is wasted space.

I have a lot of plants around the Viv.... but she eats anything in her enclosure. I have a hibiscus I took out to put in a bigger lay bin for this lay. Is there anything other than the spider plant, pothos, ficcus and hibiscus that are safe to eat?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

I have a lot of plants around the Viv.... but she eats anything in her enclosure. I have a hibiscus I took out to put in a bigger lay bin for this lay. Is there anything other than the spider plant, pothos, ficcus and hibiscus that are safe to eat?

I'm looking at the pics you posted, you have virtually no plants in your viv. Go to FLAchams.com and read their safe plant list.

Minimum density goal:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/bioactive-mentor.167174/