Juvenile Female Veiled Chameleon Acting Strange

[haizi_zh]

Hello, I've got a 6-month old female chameleon. It seems to be healthy and acted normal until recently, regarding eating and daily activities. I can't figure out the cause and don't know how to intervene. I'd like to have some idea from you.

Eating

1. The staple diet is composed of mainly crickets, and sometimes super worms and black soldier fly larvae
2. About three weeks ago, she suddenly refused to eat super worms, and only ate crickets (I don't have BSFL recently)
3. About one week ago, even her appetite for crickets decreased a lot. She had used to actively hunt down any crickets appearing in the enclosure, but now she just waited on basking perch and only shot the tongue when crickets crawled within range
4. Starting from two days ago, she refused to eat any food, no matter they are crickets or dubia roaches

Activity

The enclosure was located in my "plant room", where there are lots of indoor plants. I usually leave the enclosure door open during afternoon for a couple of hours, so that she can come out of the cage and enjoy a much larger space and better sunshine. She usually pick a few tall plants and wanders between them. This strategy goes quite well. However, three weeks ago, she started to behave very restless. She frequently went to the floor, actively reached every corner of the room no matter how far they are.

I thought may be she was going to lay eggs. Three weeks ago, I prepared a laying bin which is full of moist play sand (dimension: 20" x 12" x 10", see picture). However, during the recent three weeks, she has never shown any even tiny interest in it. Moreover, although she's restless, I never saw her scratching/digging the floor. I even tried to touch her belly, but can't feel any eggs in it. Now I'm not sure whether she's really going to lay eggs.

Recently I noticed she starts to show some yellow and robin-egg blue colors (see picture below). This brings another possibility: is she in mating mood (willing to mate)?

My Question

From the photo, do you think this unique color pattern indicates willing to mate? Does that also negatively affect appetite? Usually, how long does this mating mood last? What can I do to encourage her to eat?

Thanks a lot!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, female, 6-month. I've been keeping it for 2 months
• Handling - not much, a few times per week, and usually half a minute per handling
• Feeding - mainly crickets, 8~10 pieces daily (because she's still young). Sometimes super worms and black soldier fly larvae. Crickets and super worms are gut-loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, such as kyle green, tomato, potato, cucumber, banana, etc.
• Supplements - Zoo Med Repti calcium without D3, daily, and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week
• Watering - solely by hand misting. Twice or three times a day. During each misting session, I guarantee the plants are "fully soaked", in another word, every leaf is dripping water. Moreover, I live in a rather humid location. The humidity is usually between 50% to 75%. However, I've never seen the chameleon drinking. The urate looks good though (mainly white and looks wet, with some yellow part)
• Fecal Description - looks good. Brown. Used to be once a day before her appetite decreases. Now the frequency is about once every other day. Never tested for parasits.
• History - No

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Mesh screen, 22" x 22" x 40"
• Lighting - UVB T5 H2O. The solarmeter tells me the UV index is around 3 at the basking spot. On for 6~10 hours per day.
• Temperature - daytime: 75, night: 65
• Humidity - usually between 50% and 75%
• Plants - mainly devil's ivy
• Placement - on a table near a window. To of the cage: 6' 4"
• Location - Ohio

 

[Carloscruz]

@kinyonga

 

[kinyonga]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, female, 6-month. I've been keeping it for 2 months
Handling - not much, a few times per week, and usually half a minute per handling
Feeding - mainly crickets, 8~10 pieces daily (because she's still young). Sometimes super worms and black soldier fly larvae. Crickets and super worms are gut-loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, such as kyle green, tomato, potato, cucumber, banana, etc. I WOULD SKIP THE TOMATO, BANANA AND POTATO AND ADD IN SWEET POTATO, SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, COLLARDS, SWEET RED PEPPER, ETC. INSTEAD.
HOW BIG ARE THE CRICKETS? YOU CAN CUT HER BACK NOW TO BEING FED EVERY SECOND DAY AND LESS AT EACH FEEDING OF COURSE. OVERFEEDING FEMALE VEILEDS LEADS TO LARGE CLUTCHES AND CAN LEAD TO MBD, DYSTOCIA, FOLLICULAR STASIS AND EVEN PROLAPSING....AND PREMATURE DEATH.
Supplements - Zoo Med Repti calcium without D3, daily, and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week
PHOS FREE CALCIUM/D3 ONKY NEEDS TO BE DONE LIGHTLY TWICE A MONTH AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A VITAMIN OOWDER WITH A PREFORMED SOURCE IF VITAMIN A AND NO D3 TO USE TWICE A MONTH.
Watering - solely by hand misting. Twice or three times a day. During each misting session, I guarantee the plants are "fully soaked", in another word, every leaf is dripping water. Moreover, I live in a rather humid location. The humidity is usually between 50% to 75%. However, I've never seen the chameleon drinking. The urate looks good though (mainly white and looks wet, with some yellow part)
Fecal Description - looks good. Brown. Used to be once a day before her appetite decreases. Now the frequency is about once every other day. Never tested for parasits.
History - No

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh screen, 22" x 22" x 40"
Lighting - UVB T5 H2O. The solarmeter tells me the UV index is around 3 at the basking spot. On for 6~10 hours per day.
BASKING LIGHT?
Temperature - daytime: 75, night: 65
Humidity - usually between 50% and 75%
Plants - mainly devil's ivy
Placement - on a table near a window. To of the cage: 6' 4"
IF IT GETS COLD IN WINTER, I WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAGE NEAR THE WINDOW.
Location - Ohio

THE COLORS THE CHAMELEON HAS THAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT ARE THOSE THAT SHOW SHE IS SEXUALLY MATURE AND PRODUCING EGGS.

HAS SHE APPEARED FATTER THAN SHE IS RIGHT NOW RECENTLY?
HAS THE SOIL IN ANY OF THE PLANT POTS BEEN DISTURBED RECENTLY?

 

[haizi_zh]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, female, 6-month. I've been keeping it for 2 months
Handling - not much, a few times per week, and usually half a minute per handling
Feeding - mainly crickets, 8~10 pieces daily (because she's still young). Sometimes super worms and black soldier fly larvae. Crickets and super worms are gut-loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, such as kyle green, tomato, potato, cucumber, banana, etc. I WOULD SKIP THE TOMATO, BANANA AND POTATO AND ADD IN SWEET POTATO, SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, COLLARDS, SWEET RED PEPPER, ETC. INSTEAD.
HOW BIG ARE THE CRICKETS? YOU CAN CUT HER BACK NOW TO BEING FED EVERY SECOND DAY AND LESS AT EACH FEEDING OF COURSE. OVERFEEDING FEMALE VEILEDS LEADS TO LARGE CLUTCHES AND CAN LEAD TO MBD, DYSTOCIA, FOLLICULAR STASIS AND EVEN PROLAPSING....AND PREMATURE DEATH.
Supplements - Zoo Med Repti calcium without D3, daily, and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week
PHOS FREE CALCIUM/D3 ONKY NEEDS TO BE DONE LIGHTLY TWICE A MONTH AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A VITAMIN OOWDER WITH A PREFORMED SOURCE IF VITAMIN A AND NO D3 TO USE TWICE A MONTH.

The size of the crickets are about 3/4". I'll adjust the feeding and dusting schedule starting from tomorrow.

Watering - solely by hand misting. Twice or three times a day. During each misting session, I guarantee the plants are "fully soaked", in another word, every leaf is dripping water. Moreover, I live in a rather humid location. The humidity is usually between 50% to 75%. However, I've never seen the chameleon drinking. The urate looks good though (mainly white and looks wet, with some yellow part)
Fecal Description - looks good. Brown. Used to be once a day before her appetite decreases. Now the frequency is about once every other day. Never tested for parasits.
History - No

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh screen, 22" x 22" x 40"
Lighting - UVB T5 H2O. The solarmeter tells me the UV index is around 3 at the basking spot. On for 6~10 hours per day.
BASKING LIGHT?
Temperature - daytime: 75, night: 65
Humidity - usually between 50% and 75%
Plants - mainly devil's ivy
Placement - on a table near a window. To of the cage: 6' 4"
IF IT GETS COLD IN WINTER, I WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAGE NEAR THE WINDOW.
Location - Ohio

THE COLORS THE CHAMELEON HAS THAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT ARE THOSE THAT SHOW SHE IS SEXUALLY MATURE AND PRODUCING EGGS.

HAS SHE APPEARED FATTER THAN SHE IS RIGHT NOW RECENTLY?
HAS THE SOIL IN ANY OF THE PLANT POTS BEEN DISTURBED RECENTLY?

For me she's not fatter. The soil/sand is not disturbed. I guess maybe it's not yet the egg-laying time.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, female, 6-month. I've been keeping it for 2 months
Handling - not much, a few times per week, and usually half a minute per handling
Feeding - mainly crickets, 8~10 pieces daily (because she's still young). Sometimes super worms and black soldier fly larvae. Crickets and super worms are gut-loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, such as kyle green, tomato, potato, cucumber, banana, etc. I WOULD SKIP THE TOMATO, BANANA AND POTATO AND ADD IN SWEET POTATO, SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, COLLARDS, SWEET RED PEPPER, ETC. INSTEAD.
HOW BIG ARE THE CRICKETS? YOU CAN CUT HER BACK NOW TO BEING FED EVERY SECOND DAY AND LESS AT EACH FEEDING OF COURSE. OVERFEEDING FEMALE VEILEDS LEADS TO LARGE CLUTCHES AND CAN LEAD TO MBD, DYSTOCIA, FOLLICULAR STASIS AND EVEN PROLAPSING....AND PREMATURE DEATH.
Supplements - Zoo Med Repti calcium without D3, daily, and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week
PHOS FREE CALCIUM/D3 ONKY NEEDS TO BE DONE LIGHTLY TWICE A MONTH AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A VITAMIN OOWDER WITH A PREFORMED SOURCE IF VITAMIN A AND NO D3 TO USE TWICE A MONTH.
Watering - solely by hand misting. Twice or three times a day. During each misting session, I guarantee the plants are "fully soaked", in another word, every leaf is dripping water. Moreover, I live in a rather humid location. The humidity is usually between 50% to 75%. However, I've never seen the chameleon drinking. The urate looks good though (mainly white and looks wet, with some yellow part)
Fecal Description - looks good. Brown. Used to be once a day before her appetite decreases. Now the frequency is about once every other day. Never tested for parasits.
History - No

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh screen, 22" x 22" x 40"
Lighting - UVB T5 H2O. The solarmeter tells me the UV index is around 3 at the basking spot. On for 6~10 hours per day.
BASKING LIGHT?
Temperature - daytime: 75, night: 65
Humidity - usually between 50% and 75%
Plants - mainly devil's ivy
Placement - on a table near a window. To of the cage: 6' 4"
IF IT GETS COLD IN WINTER, I WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAGE NEAR THE WINDOW.
Location - Ohio

THE COLORS THE CHAMELEON HAS THAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT ARE THOSE THAT SHOW SHE IS SEXUALLY MATURE AND PRODUCING EGGS.

HAS SHE APPEARED FATTER THAN SHE IS RIGHT NOW RECENTLY?
HAS THE SOIL IN ANY OF THE PLANT POTS BEEN DISTURBED RECENTLY?

I would put her laying bin in her enclosure, not out in the open like that. In order for a Cham to lay eggs they have to feel secure and comfortable. Now I don’t know if she has eggs or not but I would still put her lay bin in her cage and don’t watch her or disturb her at all. If she does begin to dig you can cover the bottom half of the cage with a light sheet so she isn’t disturbed. I’m glad you’re here asking questions. We’re happy to help.