Not sure if she's gravid

[kulbida]

Hi,

So I purchased my female veiled from a local pet store at the beginning of May. I don't know her exact age, but didn't think she'd be sexually mature for a few more months. She is still fairly slim (you can really see this when she moves around, like in the second photo) but is roughly about 10" from nose to tail. She showed some deep coloration when I reached into the enclosure too (third photo).

The past few days I have seen her near the bottom of her enclosure. I do not have a laying bin set up because as I said I didn't think she would need one yet.

She has been eating her normal amount of about 10-12 crickets a day.

I have attached a few photos I took this afternoon. Does she look like she could possibly be carrying?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[julie dixson]

Hi,

So I purchased my female veiled from a local pet store at the beginning of May. I don't know her exact age, but didn't think she'd be sexually mature for a few more months. She is still fairly slim (you can really see this when she moves around, like in the second photo) but is roughly about 10" from nose to tail. She showed some deep coloration when I reached into the enclosure too (third photo).

The past few days I have seen her near the bottom of her enclosure. I do not have a laying bin set up because as I said I didn't think she would need one yet.

She has been eating her normal amount of about 10-12 crickets a day.

I have attached a few photos I took this afternoon. Does she look like she could possibly be carrying?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[julie dixson]

she is showing gravid colors put any contaner in with 12 in of soil fast or she might get egg bound good luck

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

Yes, looks gravid to me also. Listen to @juliedixson that's perfect

 

[kulbida]

I've got a big bag of ZooMed Eco Earth coconut substrate that I've never used. Can I use that if I moisten it a bit? I don't have any potting soil at the moment.

 

[Andrew b]

Hi,

So I purchased my female veiled from a local pet store at the beginning of May. I don't know her exact age, but didn't think she'd be sexually mature for a few more months. She is still fairly slim (you can really see this when she moves around, like in the second photo) but is roughly about 10" from nose to tail. She showed some deep coloration when I reached into the enclosure too (third photo).

The past few days I have seen her near the bottom of her enclosure. I do not have a laying bin set up because as I said I didn't think she would need one yet.

She has been eating her normal amount of about 10-12 crickets a day.

I have attached a few photos I took this afternoon. Does she look like she could possibly be carrying?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

She doesn't look to me to be gravid if she is over 9 months she may be becoming receptive (ready and willing to mate) and trying to wonder around looking for a male. That being said you should always have a laying been in their enclosure once they reach seven months old just in case. I also noticed that she looks a little thin which is not good for egg producing you should try and Enhance her diet to include a variety of worms and foliage ( lettuce ) along with calcium dusted crickets.

 

[Andrew b]

I've got a big bag of ZooMed Eco Earth coconut substrate that I've never used. Can I use that if I moisten it a bit? I don't have any potting soil at the moment.

Yes but you got a mix and a fair bit of play sand to give us some stability that she can dig a tunnel into

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

The reason I don't think shes receptive is because I don't see the blue spots, which indicates being receptive

 

[kulbida]

She doesn't look to me to be gravid if she is over 9 months she may be becoming receptive (ready and willing to mate) and trying to wonder around looking for a male. That being said you should always have a laying been in their enclosure once they reach seven months old just in case. I also noticed that she looks a little thin which is not good for egg producing you should try and Enhance her diet to include a variety of worms and foliage ( lettuce ) along with calcium dusted crickets.

I have been giving her raw kale every few days lately. I did try a few hornworms and she liked them, but the local pet store has poor worm selection. Mealworms I hear are useless, and they don't always have hornworms.

 

[Andrew b]

I have been giving her raw kale every few days lately. I did try a few hornworms and she liked them, but the local pet store has poor worm selection. Mealworms I hear are useless, and they don't always have hornworms.

Try looking for superworms, mealworms, waxworms, hornworms, butterworms, and flies. But they will retain the nutrients and water from the hornworm and crickets more easily then other types of bugs

 

[kulbida]

Try looking for superworms, mealworms, waxworms, hornworms, butterworms, and flies. But they will retain the nutrients and water from the hornworm and crickets more easily then other types of bugs

Are superworms the same as Phoenix worms? They do have Phoenix worms that are quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the worms.

 

[Andrew b]

Are superworms the same as Phoenix worms? They do have Phoenix worms that are quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the worms.

They are 2 different types of worm and yeah they all range in price from $0.25 - $1.99 each

 

[julie dixson]

how many other chameleons were in the same cage with her at the pet store it only take one mating for a female to lay 2 to 3 fertile clutches of eggs my first cham was a veild also purchased from pet store started showing same colors minus the dots was told not to worry only showing breeding colors started crawling around bottom of cage laied 10 eggs on floor of cage thought that was it never put in laying box she never got realy fat 7 days later found her dead took to vet egg bound was heart brookin felt like i let her down not knowing much about them that was 10 years ago now i read up on the chams i wish to get befor i buy she was only 5 months old i was told just to be safe please put in laying container good luck and thanks to all who are giving info here us cham owners only have each other

 

[kulbida]

how many other chameleons were in the same cage with her at the pet store it only take one mating for a female to lay 2 to 3 fertile clutches of eggs my first cham was a veild also purchased from pet store started showing same colors minus the dots was told not to worry only showing breeding colors started crawling around bottom of cage laied 10 eggs on floor of cage thought that was it never put in laying box she never got realy fat 7 days later found her dead took to vet egg bound was heart brookin felt like i let her down not knowing much about them that was 10 years ago now i read up on the chams i wish to get befor i buy she was only 5 months old i was told just to be safe please put in laying container good luck and thanks to all who are giving info here us cham owners only have each other

That's super sad.

My first chameleon also died. I found him dead the very next morning after I brought him home. I was devastated.

I set up a laying bin and it is in there now. Thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

[kulbida]

Here is what I made. Just black earth topsoil in a 12" tall pot.