shes digging!!!

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Shes digging at last.....

After a few worried posts on here a while back concerning my veiled i came in her room this morning to find her on the floor trying to dig so i put her in her laying bin and shes diggin away...... im having a little peek now and then but ovbiously making sure she cant see me!

if anyone can help me id appreciate it.

how long is this likely to last? as she cant climb out as there is no climbing brances to get out the bin as its a very deep bin.....

i dont want to desturb her so im gonna leave her to it. i can hear her scratching away....

once she is finished do i have to give her liquid calcium? i have the reptisafe liquid which i add to the water that has calcium in it. will that do?

is there any thing else i need to watch out for?

thanks guys!!

 

[clairf]

Shes digging at last.....

After a few worried posts on here a while back concerning my veiled i came in her room this morning to find her on the floor trying to dig so i put her in her laying bin and shes diggin away...... im having a little peek now and then but ovbiously making sure she cant see me!

if anyone can help me id appreciate it.

how long is this likely to last? as she cant climb out as there is no climbing brances to get out the bin as its a very deep bin.....

i dont want to desturb her so im gonna leave her to it. i can hear her scratching away....

once she is finished do i have to give her liquid calcium? i have the reptisafe liquid which i add to the water that has calcium in it. will that do?

is there any thing else i need to watch out for?

thanks guys!!

Hiya...right don't panic for a start lol.

It will last until she is satisfied and completed her job. You already said that you are not letting her see you, and thats imperative.

She will dig maybe more than one tunnel, be prepared for that, then when she is happy will turn, lay and bury them by patting the earth behind her as she withdraws.
Timeline varies. Doris's last but one lay was text book, straight in, one tunnel, quick lay, out cover up to the heat. The last one was a nightmare and when she eventually settled on her tunnel it was a huge relief as she had been going for a total of 4 days.

Timing ? well took Doris a day to dig, night to lay ( believe she had a sleep in tunnel too ) and the full following day to cover over. As she was covering I gave her the opportunity to come out but despite her needing to she refused, wouldn't leave until she was happy eggs were covered completly. She will give you a clear indication she is finished by climbing out and away from the sand and up to the heat, where she will sit.
Ah you say she has no stick / tree to climb.....you'll just have to carefully and invisibly monitor towards the end. She should show satisfaction with her efforts and walk away from nest site, not scooping anymore.

 

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Thanks for your reply.... yea i have noticed that she has moved digging positions twice now and she has also tried to climb out the bin but then starts to digg again.... im and defo making sure she can see me!

she has her uv and basking light on her in the laying bin..... so do i turn off the light as normal even if she is still digging and leave her in there?

you said 4 days!! dam thats along time and alot of worrying!! lol you say dont panic but dam this cham gets me worried day in day out!

thanks for your reply Clairf. its was very helpful...

 

[clairf]

Thanks for your reply.... yea i have noticed that she has moved digging positions twice now and she has also tried to climb out the bin but then starts to digg again.... im and defo making sure she can see me!

she has her uv and basking light on her in the laying bin..... so do i turn off the light as normal even if she is still digging and leave her in there?

you said 4 days!! dam thats along time and alot of worrying!! lol you say dont panic but dam this cham gets me worried day in day out!

thanks for your reply Clairf. its was very helpful...

Hiya, just realised you are from London...< waves > I'm just down the M4/M5
If you are talking daytime, yes just leave everything on.
If she is digging, yes leave her in there.
Yep they sure make you worry but I'm sure she will be fine, like human childbirth, nature has a way of telling that what to do, you just need to be the pacing distantly observing midwife

 

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yep im up in london i didnt realise you were from devon!! *waves back*

Thanks for the quick replies Clairf

shes stopped now and just wants to get out the bin so im putting a branch in there to allow her to get in and out.... thanks again!

 

[clairf]

yep im up in london i didnt realise you were from devon!! *waves back*

Thanks for the quick replies Clairf

shes stopped now and just wants to get out the bin so im putting a branch in there to allow her to get in and out.... thanks again!

When you say ' in and out ' you mean still within the laying bin, as in she can climb away from the sand, yp to heat but back down again to dig if she wants ? thats the ideal.

Because this site is predominantly USA I think, while uz here over the pond are awake and raring to go with Q & A, the site is quiet as many are asleep

 

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Yes thats correct. she was diggin away but then she was trying to climb the side of the bin but theres nothing to grip on.... so i have put a branch in so she can climb off the sand but still within the laying bin im just gonna leave her in there and keep checking on her every hour.... thanks for you help

 

[clairf]

More than welcome...am on all day so yell if you need anything

 

[jannb]

I hope all goes well with your girl. I'm attaching my gee laying/laying bin blog for you below. While digging the hole they will be head first in the hole. Once they get the hole to their liking they will turn around and lay the eggs. Usually this doesn’t take nearly as long as digging the hole. Again, very important, DO NOT let your female see you looking. She needs complete privacy to lay these eggs. Once she’s finished laying the eggs she will start covering up the hole and then pat the sand down and return to the branch. Camille is always exhausted and once I see her covering the hole I get her out of the laying bin and return her to her tree. She is very weak and needs plenty of water and food. First I give her a really long misting to get all the sand off her and she takes several long drinks. Then I give her several feeders (silkworms are excellent at this time) heavily dusted in calcium with no D3. I would highly recommend buying some liquid calcium and keep it on hand for your female. Once I notice that Camille has eggs I give her a drop of liquid calcium once a week until she lays the eggs. After she lays the eggs I give her a drop or two every day for 3 to 4 days. If you don’t have liquid calcium, then heavily dust her feeders with plain calcium for 3 to 4 days after she’s laid eggs. After 3 or 4 days I put Camille back on her regular feeding and supplement schedule.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

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Thanks for the info jannb

Well after putting her in the laying bin yesterday morning, she was digging to start with then after a while she stopped and just wanted out of the bin.... i done my best to make sure she didnt see me... so i took her out the bin and washed her down and put her back in her cage. i didnt know what else to do?!

this monring when the lights came on i left her for 30 mins under her basking light gave her some water and offered food but she wont eat.... when shes basking i can see and defo feel the eggs especially just above her back legs you can see the egg shapes.....

So after 30 mins i moved her into the laying bin again and put her uv/basking light over the bin a good distance away so it doesnt get too warm in the bin and ive left her alone.... i had to go to work so im gonna go home at lunch and check on her..... i didnt know what else to do.....

im just praying when i come home she is digging again. shes still climbing and looks strong but she has gone a darker colour like when shes basking and the last couple of days when i have gone near her she puffs up and hisses and she rarely ever done this......

finger crossed she lays.....

 

[clairf]

Don't panic .....

As long as she is safe, can't escape or burned etc then mother nature should take care of her....

Doris's last lay was similiar, she went on and on while clearly needing to lay just wouldn't and I had to go against the grain and move her to a massive bin and leave her. She hated being moved, went dark sulked and was hissing and spitting. Although I find at laying times she does turn into the spawn from satan anyway. As soon as she is finished she turns back into cuddly cham ( well as cuddly as they can be )
Just warning predators off away from her venerability.....
Oooooo let us know at lunchtime x
( bugga thats pacing for 3 now )

 

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clairf,

thanks so much for staying in touch on my thread - really appreciate it

yeah she is safe in the laying bin theres no way for her to escape!!

i got home and she was scratching away at the bin trying to get out bless her.... i wouldnt wanna be stuck in that bin either.... she was covered in sand but doesnt look like she has been digging tho.... ive taken her out and sprayed her and put her back in the main cage...

she has got a pot of sand in her main cage but its only like 10 inches diameter by 12 inches deep... so what i might do is get a slightly bigger bin and put in her cage and leave her in her cage instead rather then take her in and out of the laying bin which is bascially a dustin... what do you think? my only concern with this is that the pot sits off the main floor (and thats where i see her scratching/digging yesterday - on the main floor)

im gonna take some pics when i get in from work tonight of my set up and see what people think on here.....

what you said clairf about her turning into satan is so true she has never hiss and warned me off like this before... normally she will walk out of her cage onto my hand with no issues.....

haha pacing for 3 now ..... i suppose all i can do is keep an eye on her and hope for the best. i have a good reptile vet very local so i will give him a ring to let him know her situation as he has checked her over before....

thanks again

 

[clairf]

IF you can get a big enough bin in her viv that would be favourable...max size you can, how big is your viv ? I ended up using tomato bucket, in the garden centre, soft rubber, bendy but rigid with two handles....comes in four good sizes, has worked for me....if thats fits in her viv is ideal because then she can dig and go up top for heat at her leisure.

Doris walked about on the sand for 2 days in the end, one way or another....and her clawing to get out could just be her hating change not, not wanting to lay.
I am convinced they are OCD, their routine is paramount

 

[laurie]

I love it! I think OCD is a common trait of chams. Either that or they take lessons in "how to worry your keeper."

That girl is ready and she will lay but it will be on her schedule. We are all here watching so good luck. I also like the bin in the cage when it will fit. I just think it disrupts there routine less.

 

[clairf]

Personally I think you should invest in a fancy web cam, link it to here, give someone your works number. We will all watch over her and can call if you need to so you can bomb home and be a paranoid, nuerotic, twitchy mum like the rest of us

< resumes rocking back and forth, dribbling and mumbling incoherantly >

 

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Thanks Laurie and Clair

yea im gonna try my hardest to get the bigger laying bin in her cage! i have the biggest reptibreeze cage you can get.... its 24 inch x 24 inch x 48 inch high.....

thanks for that clair you have just made me think now haha.... i might just do that, that way i will be able to keep an eye on her and so will everyone else!!

im going to see if i can set that up tonight....... i will still put some pics up later on of her set up and see what yout all think.... i just hope it all works out as i love this chammy

 

[laurie]

it is so nice to find we are related. Yes this describes us.

< resumes rocking back and forth, dribbling and mumbling incoherently >

Personally I think you should invest in a fancy web cam, link it to here, give someone your works number. We will all watch over her and can call if you need to so you can bomb home and be a paranoid, nuerotic, twitchy mum like the rest of us

< resumes rocking back and forth, dribbling and mumbling incoherantly >

 

[clairf]

Thanks Laurie and Clair

yea im gonna try my hardest to get the bigger laying bin in her cage! i have the biggest reptibreeze cage you can get.... its 24 inch x 24 inch x 48 inch high.....

Thats perfect ads...you should get a good sized one in no prob - well aside a little jiggery pockery with her resident plant etc....

That really is the ideal situation....she's got all she needs around her and you can go to work and not act like your colleagues need to lock you up !

Laurie....LOL....all hail the mother/sisterhood !!

 

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hey again!

well i came home and she was up on her basking spot..... i managed to put a bigger laying bin in there hopefully big enough (14" by 10" inches and 12+" deep with playsand mixed with a little substrate that i got from the reptile shop which is ok for chams)..... and ive put a sheet round 2 sides of her cage so she cant been seen.....

ive attached some pics that i just took so please let me know what you think....

thanks again for all your help..... all i need to do now is get that webcam link in place......

old bin

new bin

This is her second chilling spot when shes not being satan. normally when i open the cage she runs onto my hand desperate to look out the window. The braided fig tree took me ages to find and cost a small fortune but shes worth it

and here she is...

its hard to get a pic where you can see the egg lumps properly. she has also gone alot darker over the last 2-3 days.....

 

[clairf]

Perfect.....well done. Now she can do everything her body tells her.....dig, lay, heat etc. Lovely home for her btw

She's a right cracker aswell. I found even with them completely covered you most often hear them digging. They often go down the side of the bin to the bottom and you can hear her nails....it's really sweet.