HELP --- She won't dig!

StickyPad

StickyPad

New Member
Hi,
So I have a female veiled chameleon and she is in her laying bin. There is plenty of sand and there is a canopy on top making it about 25 degrees celcius. But she isn't digging! I check in on her through the door and she doesn't notice me, but she hasn't dug. Just sits by the heat and walks up and down a bit. I'm pretty sure she has eggs, she's 8 months and started digging at the bottom of her normal tank around 3 weeks ago. I keep putting her in there and I'm going to leave her in there for a few days now. I can sometimes see bumps on either side of her tummy and she is quite fat. She has stopped eating but drinks on any opportunity. Any suggestions? thanks.:eek::eek::eek::eek:
 

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When she's not digging it means she doesn't think the conditions would be favorable for the eggs. I'm a panther guy but try putting something in her normal cage so she can dig and lay eggs where she is more comfortable. Also cover the cage so she gets 100% privacy. Another thing you might wanna do is feed her. I've noticed that females will sometimes lay directly after a good meal and basking. She may think she doesn't have enough energy to dig right now which would explain why she's sticking by the basking light(trying to raise her metabolism). ANYWAYS, you need to act FAST before she gets egg bound. Now stop reading this and GO! :)

Good luck,
Alex
 
ecoreef said:
When she's not digging it means she doesn't think the conditions would be favorable for the eggs. I'm a panther guy but try putting something in her normal cage so she can dig and lay eggs where she is more comfortable. Also cover the cage so she gets 100% privacy. Another thing you might wanna do is feed her. I've noticed that females will sometimes lay directly after a good meal and basking. She may think she doesn't have enough energy to dig right now which would explain why she's sticking by the basking light(trying to raise her metabolism). ANYWAYS, you need to act FAST before she gets egg bound. Now stop reading this and GO! :)

Good luck,
Alex
Click to expand...

WHat should I do though? give her something to eat??? im new to this - I've only had her for 5 months! I will cover the tank now, then if that doesnt work I will try feeding her. Any particular food? at the moment all she has ever eaten is crickets.... PLEASE HELP! thanks!
 
Any easily digestible(not too hard) insect or even some fruit, flowers or veggies since she's a veild. The more calories and water the better. She does't need any special diet just CALORIES and WATER for energy to dig the hole and lay the eggs. Maybe a LITTLE vitamin powder to help her use those calories. Remember though, DON'T STRESS HER. She NEEDS privacy or she will not lay.
The process of egg laying is really taxing on females and they can use all the energy they can get. Personally, if she keeps staying by the basking light I would bump the ambient temps up a bit.

Crickets are fine. Gutload with sugary(sp?) fruit.

Good luck
-Alex
 
ecoreef said:
Any easily digestible(not too hard) insect or even some fruit, flowers or veggies since she's a veild. The more calories and water the better. She does't need any special diet just CALORIES and WATER for energy to dig the hole and lay the eggs. Maybe a LITTLE vitamin powder to help her use those calories. Remember though, DON'T STRESS HER. She NEEDS privacy or she will not lay.
The process of egg laying is really taxing on females and they can use all the energy they can get. Personally, if she keeps staying by the basking light I would bump the ambient temps up a bit.

Good luck
-Alex
Click to expand...


Oh and I forgot to say the best way to get water, extra calories, and vitamins into your animal is by gutloading your feeders with fresh fruits and veggies.
 
I offered her some grape and a cricket, but she just walked away! I sprayed and she opened her mouth to drink so i put some vitamin liquid in her mouth....should I just leave her now?
 
Females can take a few hours to several days to lay.

And if shes not digging, it could also be because she isnt ready to lay.
 
I managed to make her eat 1 calcium coated cricket and a grape cut up into small chunks....I will just leave her for 2-3 days in there and if she still doesn't lay then I will try again in a week or 2. Any more advice?
 
but she hasnt started digging yet, she just walks around. so there is no holes...also, she is in a seprate tank with loads of sand in, so she is always basking on this twig in there (see the picture on the 1st page). I just really want her to lay! is there any way I can encourage her?
 
If shes not digging, then shes not ready to lay.
You cant force her to lay without medication until shes ready to do it.
 
I was having issues as well with mine...
Wht i did to finally mak her lay was....
1) i put a bucket in her screen enclosure with moist play sand so she can dig in.
- I didnt put her in a diff location, because that was freaking her out.
2) I made a few holes myself to help her get started.
-1 big hole
- 1 small hole
-1 wide hole... and so forth.. just to help her realize there are holes and she can use them
3) i covered the entire enclosure so noone can see in and no one can see out.
-i left a tiny hole so i can see :)
- two days later i left for the day, i come back and i hear digging :)
-mission accomplished
4) at this time, let her be and dont try to loook in any more...
5) when the time comes that lights go off, turn them off. She will sleep in the hole that night or continue digging. Next morning, turn lights on at normal times as well. She will just keep digging. But do not try to peak at this time. I knowwww it will e tempting :)
6) once you dont hear anymore digging, take a peak, and if you see her out of the digging area and basking, take bucket out and hydrate her a lot... She will drink for a long period of time. She also needs to be fed very nutritional feeders at this time. She has lost a lot of energy. So maybe some silkworms, phoenix worms, etc..
 
thanks for the Advice! so I just need to make some holes and then cover her up and leave her? but what if she still doesn't dig after 3 days? x
 
This may be a little late but I have a fussy female panther that never wants to lay her eggs in her cage but I have a large tropical plant in my house I put her on it and usually she lays in the dirt the plant is potted in when shes done I move her back to her cage.
 
She still hasn't layed...I added substrate and moss to the sand. I attached a photo of her, I really need some advice (if she hasn't laid by next week I'm taking her to the vets). So if you think there is another option rather than an xray let me know. I just don't want her to get egg bound!
 
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