My female vieled chameleon has been wandering the bottom of her cage for the past week and there is a sand laying bin that she just ignores. I feel like she is pregnant but she hasn't even tried digging hole in either my real plants soils or the sand laying pot. She is large and she has lost her apitiete as well. I keep the humidity at perfect gauges and I get the sand well as well as the plant soil. I could really use some advice. Here's a photo of her
Pregnant veiled?!?!?
- Thread starter Beanski23
- Start date
Krowbar N' Slide
New Member
Honestly just from what I've learned in the past few months, my female had eggs for over a month before she ever started digging. By the time she was ready to lay you could clearly see ths eggs protruding around the hind end. I worried and worried about her thinking she wouldn't lay and become compacted but she laid 56 eggs when she was good and ready.
To me, your female looks great, if you see little egg shaped bumps around her hind legs just make sure she has plenty of privacy and she'll do fine. Also, after mine laid eggs I brought her back to her cage and used a sprayer to hand water her for a good 20 minutes to get her feeling better. Laying eggs takes a lot out of them, when mine finally started laying I moved her to a large trash can filled a third of the way with some good play sand and left her there overnight
To me, your female looks great, if you see little egg shaped bumps around her hind legs just make sure she has plenty of privacy and she'll do fine. Also, after mine laid eggs I brought her back to her cage and used a sprayer to hand water her for a good 20 minutes to get her feeling better. Laying eggs takes a lot out of them, when mine finally started laying I moved her to a large trash can filled a third of the way with some good play sand and left her there overnight
Lennoncham
Chameleon Enthusiast
You moved her after she started laying? Or after she started digging? Cause if she was already laying I would of left her alone.
Krowbar N' Slide
New Member
She had climbed into the bucket and I think I may have interrupted her (don't hate me it was my first time ) and I left immediately, when I snuck a peek back in the room she had climbed back out of the bucket so I just prepped a trash can and put her in that, plus I could sneak up on her and snap a random pic or video from way up high because I'm curious
I have been feeding her like 20 crickets usually every day before she'd always eat them all now she just eats less but you can tell she's still eating.
Twenty appropriately sized crickets is a lot every day. With female veileds, constantly overfeeding g them like that leads to huge clutches and can lead to MBD and prolapsing and egg laying difficulties. Inhooe she can/will lay the eggs.
If she shows signs of going down hill...lethargy, constantly sitting low in the cage, eyes shut during the day, phantom laying then get her to a vet right away.
Good luck!
If she shows signs of going down hill...lethargy, constantly sitting low in the cage, eyes shut during the day, phantom laying then get her to a vet right away.
Good luck!
For sure I already started a strict food diet for both of my chameleons and the girl is still doing fine but hasn't laid any eggs yet
opheliaeatsbugs
Avid Member
I'm waiting for my girl to lay her first clutch, too. It is stressful and I worry for her a lot. She has been digging for the past 2 weeks (test holes) and other than being dirty, seems to be showing normal behavior (eating, drinking, active, etc.). @kinyonga is concerned that 2 weeks of digging seems to be too much (to long), so at her advice, I am seeing the vet tomorrow morning. We saw him last month and had xrays (which was pretty cool to see eggs inside) and then 2 weeks after the vet visit she started digging. I thought it would be over by now, but I'm nervous and so hopefully the vet will have a plan.
I have kept a log (how much food, pics of poop, behavior, how much time outside, her weigh each week, etc.) and that has helped keep my peace of mind and focus. Good luck! And send us good vibes for tomorrow!
I have kept a log (how much food, pics of poop, behavior, how much time outside, her weigh each week, etc.) and that has helped keep my peace of mind and focus. Good luck! And send us good vibes for tomorrow!
I don't advise starting the diet when the female is already producing eggs...she needs nutrients tomput into the eggs without leaving her own body short. The time IMHO to start the diet is a couple of days after she lays the eggs.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.ca/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
opheliaeatsbugs
Avid Member
When a female is mated, she starts developing her clutch, and her diet is increased.
Q: How much is the diet increased from the maintenance of 8-12 feeders?
The diet stays at the increase until the clutch is laid, she lays, is well fed/watered for a couple days, then dropped back to the maintenance of 8-12 feeders.
Q: In unmated females, at what point will a keeper will know that she is developing the next clutch? and the maintenance period will end and the diet will be increased?
Q: How much is the diet increased from the maintenance of 8-12 feeders?
The diet stays at the increase until the clutch is laid, she lays, is well fed/watered for a couple days, then dropped back to the maintenance of 8-12 feeders.
Q: In unmated females, at what point will a keeper will know that she is developing the next clutch? and the maintenance period will end and the diet will be increased?
opheliaeatsbugs
Avid Member
Also, what is the "equivalent amount" of feeders for 8-12 crickets? you said not necessarily the same amount of a mixed feeder variety, but are you talking equivalent weight or mass to 8-12 feeders?
sorry for the dumb questions
sorry for the dumb questions
