Question on appearance of receptive/gravid chameleons

[Sonny13]

You're doing great so far and everything is spot on. She just needs to do her thing and for yourself (assuming you gave her the privacy blanket) when entering the room, first observe from a distance if you can spot her. When spotted, you can do your thing. If you can't spot her, she probably is in search for options on bottom or even digging. Then I wouldn't approach the enclosure, especially don't wanna peak in her enclosure, this is where you could trigger her to abandon her hole. Then it's just a waiting game.

she'll be doing great, Nachito is real survivor/fighter and she'll figure this out as well.

 

[elizaann2]

What I do is just cover the enclosure every time my girl is found on the bottom of the enclosure

 

[Ghostbirb]

Another thing to add on, when they are getting close to laying do your girls show a little around their hips?

Also little interesting but after her blood draw Nachitos tail has this half and half coloring thing going one (it’s still functioning pretty good)

 

[MissSkittles]

That looks like what I would think is an egg bump.
Your little girl is all grown up now.

 

[Ghostbirb]

That looks like what I would think is an egg bump.
Your little girl is all grown up now.

Awwwwww this makes me so proud but sad! I’ve been looking out for any type of egg bump due to seeing other gravid female photos and today during plant watering I noticed it. No interest in exploring for a digging sight yet.

It’s also been just under a month since her gravid colors started to appear & some of her browns/yellows are showing full time. So I’m expecting some activity soon!
I put some water in her lay bin a few days ago to make sure the sand is just moist enough to hold a tunnel and I have a cloth ready as well.
It’s time to just wait and watch.

 

[Sonny13]

It’s for real now, she’s fully on it, exciting. Once she finishes it gives a proud feeling

Heard it a few times, even with a complete half body being black after blood was withdrawn.

 

[Ghostbirb]

Also I was wondering, what is the time from receptive to laying or gestation period for veiled chameleons or chameleons in general? I’ve read a lot of places saying within 30 days of going receptive chameleons will lay their eggs (give or take different species). And we are about to hit 30 days with Nachito, sooooo, how long left do you guys think we have before eggs will be laid or laying activity’s begin?

 

[Ghostbirb]

@MissSkittles and @Sonny13
I was wondering, when your girls started laying did they wake up just automatically start roaming their enclosure for a lay area or was it something that happened later in the day?

 

[Sonny13]

@MissSkittles and @Sonny13
I was wondering, when your girls started laying did they wake up just automatically start roaming their enclosure for a lay area or was it something that happened later in the day?

The first 3 times she almost directly started in morning after a short roam. Nowadays she starts around noon, but she always stays overnight in her hole. Always takes her 36 hours to finish the job completely.

 

[MissSkittles]

@MissSkittles and @Sonny13
I was wondering, when your girls started laying did they wake up just automatically start roaming their enclosure for a lay area or was it something that happened later in the day?

By the time I go in to see everyone, my girls have already gotten started digging. There’s usually an hour or two from the time lights go on til I go in to greet or feed. On her last time, Stella returned to the branches to sleep and got back to work again early in the AM. I’m not sure what my girls did before as I was very limited and cautious in my peeking.

 

[Ghostbirb]

I have another question .
So, how much did your girls weigh before they had their eggs? Or what was the weight difference from their normal weight and their gravid weight? Nachito hit 108 grams exactly today.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m going to go by Stella’s records. The lowest weight I have recorded for her is 80 Gm but her average non-gravid weight has been around 85 Gm. The most she’s ever weighed has been 117 Gm and that was when she was gravid and she laid 34 eggs. Her other gravid weight that I have on record is 107 Gm and she laid 26 eggs.

 

[Ghostbirb]

I’m going to go by Stella’s records. The lowest weight I have recorded for her is 80 Gm but her average non-gravid weight has been around 85 Gm. The most she’s ever weighed has been 117 Gm and that was when she was gravid and she laid 34 eggs. Her other gravid weight that I have on record is 107 Gm and she laid 26 eggs.

Thanks for the reply! I’m almost getting a little impatient with waiting lol.

 

[elizaann2]

I have another question .
So, how much did your girls weigh before they had their eggs? Or what was the weight difference from their normal weight and their gravid weight? Nachito hit 108 grams exactly today.

I just weighed my girl on Saturday and she is at 91g. OG weight was 65g if i remember correctly...or maybe 60g...I'd have to go back and check. I think my girl is still developing her eggs though so I'm assuming she will continue to gain weight for a minute.

 

[Sonny13]

She looks healthy gravid (even an egg is showing up). Unfortunately I’ve no answer on weight, except that Bella weighs 85 gram non-gravid.

 

[kinyonga]

It usually takes between 30 and 40 days from receptivity to egg.aging time…but there are exceptions. With chameleons, nothing is written in stone.

As for weight, I never weighed my chameleons for any reason except at the vet‘s so we knew how much medicine to give one. I’m so old school…sadly.

 

[Ghostbirb]

It usually takes between 30 and 40 days from receptivity to egg.aging time…but there are exceptions. With chameleons, nothing is written in stone.

As for weight, I never weighed my chameleons for any reason except at the vet‘s so we knew how much medicine to give one. I’m so old school…sadly.

Nachito is day 52 from the start of her receptive colors. Give or take a few days. But from what I’ve read, some other keepers girls took a little longer on their first time

 

[MissSkittles]

I remember that Stella and Grumpy were just about killing me when they were young. Both were about a month apart in their cycle and were receptive in Nov and Dec. I waited forever and a day! They finally laid in Feb and Mar.

 

[Sonny13]

Nachito is day 52 from the start of her receptive colors. Give or take a few days. But from what I’ve read, some other keepers girls took a little longer on their first time

The first time takes longer, because I think we first see their pre-markings (developing their receptive colors) but countdown starts when they’re truly receptive. This will accurate the second time and so. Bella’s first time was around 60 days and after that between 30-40 days.

 

[Ghostbirb]

I remember that Stella and Grumpy were just about killing me when they were young. Both were about a month apart in their cycle and were receptive in Nov and Dec. I waited forever and a day! They finally laid in Feb and Mar.

I think this comment is the only one keeping me sane at this point. Nachito also went receptive in November, so i'm trying not to freak that i'm still waiting and it's almost February. I'm pretty sure it's also forever and a day right now.