My project with Calumma Malthe, Emerald Eared Chameleon

[Jikkermanccini]

Ok, update time. Still no eggs, no matter how hard she works every day she just can't find a suitable burrow. Well, yesterday I mixed some organic potting soil in with the sand to raise the level to about 9". The mix was a total of about 50/50, nothing crazy. Since I put her back in, she has not touched the ground once! She does NOT like it, so I assume there must have been something in the dirt that she doesn't like. I'm working tomorrow so I can't get any sand, so hopefully she can tide over the time in her cage while I'm gone until I can get some. She's getting skinny now, so I really want her to let these eggs out.
EDIT: I may be able to get sand this evening, so I hope that works out. crossing my fingers.

 

[DocZ]

Ok, update time. Still no eggs, no matter how hard she works every day she just can't find a suitable burrow. Well, yesterday I mixed some organic potting soil in with the sand to raise the level to about 9". The mix was a total of about 50/50, nothing crazy. Since I put her back in, she has not touched the ground once! She does NOT like it, so I assume there must have been something in the dirt that she doesn't like. I'm working tomorrow so I can't get any sand, so hopefully she can tide over the time in her cage while I'm gone until I can get some. She's getting skinny now, so I really want her to let these eggs out.
EDIT: I may be able to get sand this evening, so I hope that works out. crossing my fingers.

Have you tried varying the options in the bin? @DeremensisBlue had a great podcast on this

https://chameleonacademy.com/ep-205-creating-a-chameleon-egg-laying-bin/

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Have you tried varying the options in the bin? @DeremensisBlue had a great podcast on this

https://chameleonacademy.com/ep-205-creating-a-chameleon-egg-laying-bin/

for now, the bin is just a 5 gallon bucket as I don't have anything else big enough or tall enough. I'm about to refill it with sand to 9-10" and hope for the best, but I may look around a bit for other options. There's likely that I have something else I can use.

 

[kinyonga]

Best sand I've ever found for lay bins is this....
https://www.kpmindustries.com/KingH...t/uploads/sites/12/2014/02/KING-Play-Sand.jpg

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Best sand I've ever found for lay bins is this....
https://www.kpmindustries.com/KingH...t/uploads/sites/12/2014/02/KING-Play-Sand.jpg

I'm using the same stuff actually! Not the same brand, but it's washed play sand. Just got back from work, she doesn't seem to have layed yet today either. In fact I don't think she dug much at all today. She really needs to get these eggs out soon, I can see her ribs now. On the plus side, I'm counting at least 4 eggs through her skin!

 

[kinyonga]

Betting more than 4.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I hope she lays them soon! Seems like a long time since she started.

 

[Jikkermanccini]

I hope she lays them soon! Seems like a long time since she started.

Well today she's dug her deepest tunnel yet, and appears to be resting at the bottom right now, so I'm really hoping that we've got gold this time! I put more sand in the bucket a couple nights back, so I think that did the trick. Super excited to see!

 

[Jikkermanccini]

After two days of digging and a whole afternoon of resting at the bottom, she has emerged from to tunnel and has totally leveled off the top. I took a tiny peek, but didn't see much. Even if this wasn't the one, it shows that she really wants to get these eggs out.
Fingers crossed,

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Well, over a month in my care, and many days in the laybin. We have success.

I left the cage door open with a vine going from it into the lay bucket ( I was late for something), of course she took a stroll around my bedroom instead of going home.

Back in the cage, her weight loss is obvious.

After a couple minutes of digging, the eggs were revealed!

And the total count is 15 healthy, pearly white eggs! 15! They are each about the size of a small jellybean, and the shells are really well calcified! I don't have any vermiculite handy, so until I can get out tomorrow, I've rowed them up in some lightly damp sand.
I can't believe that she was hiding 15 eggs inside that little petite body! I'm thrilled!
Now the wait begins.
(EDIT: @kinyonga you were totally right, there were more than 4! xD)

 

[javadi]

Awesome! Congratulations! It's amazing how many eggs chameleons can hide haha. Thanks for cataloging/detailing this interesting experience for everyone!

 

[Action Jackson]

Finally! Congrats on the eggs. What is your incubation plan?

 

[kinyonga]

Haha....I was going to say I thought more like 14... But I thought that might be too high a guess.
Congratulations on getting her to lay!

Don't leave them on the sand for long. It won't be good IMHO.

 

[DocZ]

Congratulations! That’s awesome!!

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Awesome! Congratulations! It's amazing how many eggs chameleons can hide haha. Thanks for cataloging/detailing this interesting experience for everyone!

Congratulations! That’s awesome!!

Thank you both! I'm amazed by it all too. I absolutely love this hobby! I will totally keep this thread updated as the eggs progress.

Finally! Congrats on the eggs. What is your incubation plan?

Thanks! I plan to incubate them at 72-68 degrees over the year, and I may try and do a further drop over the Madagascar dry season to see if they are affected by diapause. I want to be really careful with it though! This is my first time, and there's not much info on this species, so I'm going to try and do things as basic as possible.

Haha....I was going to say I thought more like 14... But I thought that might be too high a guess.
Congratulations on getting her to lay!

Don't leave them on the sand for long. It won't be good IMHO.

You're a psychic! xD
I don't plan to leave them for any longer than I have to, Pikes was closed by the time I could go to get Vermiculite so I'm going to go tomorrow morning to pick some up. I am curious though, what's bad about the sand? Are there big issues it can cause?

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I don't plan to leave them for any longer than I have to, Pikes was closed by the time I could go to get Vermiculite so I'm going to go tomorrow morning to pick some up. I am curious though, what's bad about the sand? Are there big issues it can cause?"...sand is hard to keep evenly moist so it can cause the eggs to dry out or take on water for one thing.

 

[Jikkermanccini]

You said..."I don't plan to leave them for any longer than I have to, Pikes was closed by the time I could go to get Vermiculite so I'm going to go tomorrow morning to pick some up. I am curious though, what's bad about the sand? Are there big issues it can cause?"...sand is hard to keep evenly moist so it can cause the eggs to dry out or take on water for one thing.

good to know, thanks! Hopefully it'll tide the eggs over until I can get some vermiculite tomorrow.
As a side tangent, I had to move them to a new container a few minutes ago. I was using a styrofoam box for the eggs (with viewing windows), but I cracked it open to stick in a hygrometer and I was hit with a horrible plastic, fumy scent. I moved them to a food safe container now, so hopefully they weren't damaged by the short exposure.

 

[Mendez]

Well, over a month in my care, and many days in the laybin. We have success.
View attachment 325430
I left the cage door open with a vine going from it into the lay bucket ( I was late for something), of course she took a stroll around my bedroom instead of going home.
View attachment 325431
Back in the cage, her weight loss is obvious.
View attachment 325432
After a couple minutes of digging, the eggs were revealed!
View attachment 325433
And the total count is 15 healthy, pearly white eggs! 15! They are each about the size of a small jellybean, and the shells are really well calcified! I don't have any vermiculite handy, so until I can get out tomorrow, I've rowed them up in some lightly damp sand.
I can't believe that she was hiding 15 eggs inside that little petite body! I'm thrilled!
Now the wait begins.
(EDIT: @kinyonga you were totally right, there were more than 4! xD)

Awesome!!!! Congrats on the eggs! I'm glad she finally laid--that's a huge relief!

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Awesome!!!! Congrats on the eggs! I'm glad she finally laid--that's a huge relief!

Thanks my friend! They look great today. It's a weight off my chest now that she's gotten them all out! I just can't wait until I can get the properly accommodated. I'm getting vermiculite today, so I will lay them out properly and be done messing with them.

 

[Sonny13]

Congrats on the eggs, great to read she finally did it. Always nerve breaking, but love to read about her detour .
My chams constantly make excursions from their free range and always go back to their “safe tree”