My Veiled Chameleon is Gravid (Unfertilized)

Kntonoff

Member
Ok, so today I realized my female Veiled Chameleon was doing something strange in her substrate. I quickly realized she was digging, she was covered in her substrate so I took her out so I could could get her substrate off. I told my Mom of what had happened and she said that she might be laying eggs. So we researched a little bit about it, to make sure she is going to lay eggs. I am pretty sure she is going to lay eggs. So I just has a couple of questions, so I can be prepared.

1. What do I do with the eggs when she lays them?
2. How many times will she do this?
 
well if you didn't mate her with a male they will be infertile and can be thrown away after she lays them. Just make sure to give her a big tub type container so she can dig deep enough to lay eggs. If she feels she cant lay the eggs she may become egg bound and die.

As for how often she will do this.....

She will probably do it her whole life. Every 4-6 months I believe....a senior member can interject with more accurate info on how often they lay..


hope everything goes well and be sure to give her a place to dig deep and give her plenty of privacy.

good luck :D
 
hmm, I not 100% sure. Best bet is to give her a few days peace and just check on her now and then to make sure she's done or not. Cause once she is done and she gets back up to her braches or tree she will need watered and feed because it takes a lot of out chameleons.


A few times I've heard the senior members on this forum say to put a sheet over her cage to make sure he is not disturbed while she is laying eggs, check on her a couple times a day to see if she done or not.


good luck again
 
Kntonoff! What was your girl's behavior like before? I think I am in the same boat like you. I have a veiled too, approx.6 months old. Can you post pics-if you happened to take any-how big her belly was like?
Good luck to your big girl!
 
Haha, thank you! I will try an post a picture. Honestly, she is small, but I guess, not too small to lay eggs.
 
As for her attitude before, she was just really calm, but now all she does is dig (Very quickly) and she's exhausted.
 
I would cover her cage as suggested and give her privacy! If she is digging don't bother her at all and don't let her see you looking at her. If she is interrupted while digging and laying she might decide to hold on to the eggs which will 9 times out of 10 end up taking her life.

If she is digging now I wouldn't change things around but for next time be sure you have the correct setup. I would read through Jann's blog about laying and watch Dez's video on a proper laying bin setup.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/

Good luck with everything! Let us know how she does.
 
I always put an opaque container at least 10" deep by 10" x 8" of washed playsand in with every sexually mature egglaying female so she has a place there all the time to dig.

Once a female starts to dig do not let her see you watching her while she is digging. She may abandon the hole if she sees you and if it happens too often she can become eggbound.

This is how it should go....she will become restless and roam the cage looking for a Site to lay he eggs. She male have a decreased appetite when she is ready to lay them and an increased thirst. She may dig several test holes but should settle on one and dig it until she is happy with it. Usually in the evening she will turn around bum down in the hole to lay the eggs. After laying them she should fill the hole in and tamp it down and return the branches hungry and thirsty.


If she stays low in the branches and looks unwell at any time near the egglaying time please post again. It can be that she is in trouble.

Husbandry plays a big part in the reproductive process and if done right seems to help with clutch size too IMHO.
 
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