I still can't figure out my female veiled! She won't lay yet!

[KingNefarious]

Hey guys. Ivy is my 6 month old veiled, and has been seriously scratching at her cage even MORE lately, and eating less. But she hasn't been digging at all in the laying bin that I put in her cage. So I tried to place her in a big bin filled with moist sand for several hours (I put it in an area where she couldn't see me) but when I peeked in at her, she just sat in the corner as if she was being punished. I'm following the directions that I found on the Blog link some other posts had given me a while ago, but maybe it’s just too early? Or is her cage too small? I read that females did not need an extremely large cage, but I want her to be happy. It’s about 18in w, 18 in L, 4 ft H. I don't want to be the over protective mamma here. Anyway,

Here are some updated pictures--- Thanks for anyone’s input if you have experience in this!



Your Chameleon - Chamaeleo calyptratus, Female, and have had her for 6 months.
Handling - Once or Twice a day for about 10 to 15 minutes
Feeding - Feeding large crickets and hornworms. Morning, five crickets and occasionally a hornworm. Rarely do we feed her at night. We gut load them with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and sweet potato, also lettuce.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your We use Sticky Tongue Farms MINER-ALL every other day.
Watering - Dripper system and, yes, we see her drink. Mister also, every couple hours for about 4 seconds.
Fecal Description - Poops everyday. One half dark, one half sludgy white and yellow depending on what she eats. \
History - She's been awesome!

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Combo of both screen and glass, half and half. 18 x 18 x 42. Custom made.
Lighting - Lighting all day. Zoo-med.
Temperature - Temperature range is approximately 85-90 in basking spot, no lower than 80 throughout except near bottom where it drops to 75. Night time it drops to about 65-70 or so near bottom.
Humidity - Humidity is about 40.
Plants - Not using live plants.
Placement - Cage is located in the living room. Near entrance to house, but not a lot of traffic. Only two people in and out.
Location - California. Central Coast.

 

[Elizadolots]

Maybe you should try wrapping the cage and leaving her alone? You can use newspaper to wrap the cage and poke a "peep hole" so you can spy on her. If she's going to lay, she needs some privacy. Put a bin in her cage and just don't watch for a bit...(okay, sneak a peek).

 

[KingNefarious]

I didn't think of that....! I thought of wrapping a sheet around the cage but I had been afraid it was going to get too hot.

 

[Ace]

she looks almost ready to pop...try to give her privacy , how long has she been like this, if its been too long(which i dont think it is) than a vet might be needed to give her a shot of oxytocin and force her to contract and lay the eggs

 

[KingNefarious]

Yeah... Its been about two months or so that she started to gain weight, and she's been bulging now for about 3 weeks. That is why I was getting so worried, she gets fatter and fatter without even eating that much. And two days ago she stopped eating altogether and is really restless. When I take her out and hold her though, she settles down and sits calmly. I'm going to try this newspaper thing. The laying bin in her cage is a little over 12 inches deep, and I will moisten in some more before I put the newspaper over her cage. Thanks guys!

 

[kinyonga]

First of all I would stop handling her every day so she can concentrate on laying the eggs. When/if she starts digging do not let her see you watching her.

You said she cut down on eating a couple of days ago...hopefully it means that she is near the time to lay the eggs. However, her size worries me because she is either going to lay a huge clutch or she is becoming eggbound and the eggs are getting too big for her to lay.

You said you use minerall...inside or outside type??
Can you be more specific about the light...is it a UVB and is it the long tube light (its hard to tell in the photos).

Regarding your gutloading...I would recommend dropping the lettuce and cabbage and adding dandelion greens, squash, mustard greens, escarole, endive, squash to the gutload.

 

[Riven]

I can't offer much first hand advice, but I'm curious because you said you put her in the bin for several hours, is it so deep she can't get out? Can she get in on her own? Or is she that fat she can't move? (not bad fat ya know )

From what I've been told and read she should have full time access and be able to get in and out on her own.

 

[camimom]

I can't offer much first hand advice, but I'm curious because you said you put her in the bin for several hours, is it so deep she can't get out? Can she get in on her own? Or is she that fat she can't move? (not bad fat ya know )

From what I've been told and read she should have full time access and be able to get in and out on her own.

Some females are stubborn, and wont lay unless they are placed in a bin and made to stay there until they lay.
I know one members female on here is like that, if she can get out, she will, but when placed in a large trash can and left alone, she does her thing.

 

[Riven]

So with that type of female they would need to be left in there more than several hours right? We haven't gotten to this bridge so I'm just trying to find out if I've got it right in my head or not.

 

[camimom]

So with that type of female they would need to be left in there more than several hours right? We haven't gotten to this bridge so I'm just trying to find out if I've got it right in my head or not.

Pretty much. LIke time out. You stay there till mom says you can come out.or youre ready to say sorry, or in the chams case... till youre done laying eggs.

 

[blondekiss]

Have u tried soil in stead? My cham layed last nite after 4 days of diggin. She didn't like the sand. Just a thought x

 

[lindawaz]

wow she is like a balloon!
If she does not lay soon might want to think seriously about taking her to her vet.

Hope she lays for you- good luck

 

[sandrachameleon]

can she get lower than the top of the laying bin?
If so, pack towels or something around the laying bin, so that it seems the bin sand is indeed the ground.

 

[KingNefarious]

Thanks for the replies guys, to answer a few questioned asked---no she isn't too fat to move, she is quite active. She just didn't like being in the big bin I think. (No she couldn't get out because the sides are too high). I use indoor miner-all (phosphorous free with vitamin d-3) and the lights I have are zoo-med 10.0 uvb long light, and a basking bulb 100 watt....which is a normal house bulb.

Update: She still hasn't paid any attention to her bucket. I'm going to go to the store tonight and buy a square deep one, to replace the round one she has in there right now, so maybe if it covers the bottom of the cage she'll be happier with it.

I've been reading all your replies and so far I have done several things: I covered up her cage so she has privacy, and haven't been opening it up unless I need to toss a few crickets in there. I also am going to try to towel thing til I get the square bucket tonight. If none of this works, I will be switching to soil. I making an appointment with the vet soon, just to be sure and perhaps have some x-rays done. She hasn't been lethargic or anything and I can hear her climbing around the cage all over the sides right now.

I dunno, maybe the eggs just aren't fully developed and she isn’t ready? Here are photos below of how I covered her cage and filled her bucket---

 

[lindawaz]

Make a starter hole maybe she will use it and get the hint. Lily did use the hole I started for her. shoved my fingers in on an angle so the tunnel had an entry. Put that vine into the soil/sand stuff it so it stays and she can get in and out.

fingers crossed for you two!

 

[lindawaz]

Did she lay her eggs???

 

[KingNefarious]

No not yet. I switched to soil today, a MUCH larger square bucket that covers the entire bottom of the cage, and added more foliage towards the bottom also (but with a clearing around the digging area) to see if she would feel more comfortable that way. I also implemented the starter hole. The only questions I have are---how wet should the soil really be? And how much should I pack it down? I packed it lightly, and it seemed moist enough when I poked the starter hole.

She's going to the vet next week; I’m hoping they will have an answer to why she won’t lay.

I'll post new pics soon of the new cage set up, and then an update after the vet.

Thanks all!

Melanie

 

[lindawaz]

Silly Cham- Wet enough to hold the tunnel so it does not collapse on her. If the starter hole stayed in tact you are good!

 

[KingNefarious]

The vet said she may be constipated.... So we have to soak her in warm water for the next week or so, ten minutes every day and watch to see how she is pooping. She's still very active though, and just began to show blue coloring on her skin. Just wanted to update everyone---

Melanie

 

[kinyonga]

Does she aver turn very dark in the background color?

Did the vet do an x-ray?

If she's near egglaying time (and hopefully not past the time of laying) all this moving her around might not be a good thing.

You said the vet says she may be constipated....when did she poop last? How much has she been eating lately?