Study for Chameleon Owners

Jajeanpierre...you quoted my post above and then said "its worth going to all the trouble to look up all the medical terms so you have a better understanding of what the author is talking about"...you didn't put the link for the article and I don't know what you mean I would have a better understanding of what the author ks talking about. Please explain what you mean.

(I haven't seen the questionnaire...only what is in this thread.)

Oops. I suspect you know many of the medical terms. That suggestion to look things up was for the rest of us.

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.co...ulatory-stasis-and-dystocia-oviparous-lizards
 
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Hi
Sorry for the slow reply, been a very busy day. If you would like to participate then please private message me your email and I will send you a information sheet, questionnaire and consent form; this is to protect your identity and personal information. I've been reading through your comments and i'll do my best to answer them all in this comment.
I'm keeping the questionnaire the same for vets and for keepers (with no disease problems) to make it comparable at the data analysis stage. The idea of collecting basic information from keepers is to have comparable data to those that have had the disease under the same environmental conditions. Obviously, to analyse only those suffering with disease could make a false conclusion on a contributing disease factor.
Although to a certain extent it is comparing fertile vs infertile egg production, there are those that were successfully mated and produce infertile clutches; the presence of infertile egg production may prove to be a factor at the end of the study, which would be a great conclusion to make. I realise other factors can be involved and it is a vast subject; however, with very little evidence based studies on the subject everyone has to start somewhere and I've tried to break the subject down for everyone as simply as I can. Secondary conclusion on age, socialisation, etc will be made at the end of the study if the data supports this.
As far as co-habitation is concerned; I mean if a male has been introduced into the females environment for any length of time. The presence of a male can act as a cue to the females reproductive system; although supporting literature has shown this as more of a factor for pre-ovulatory/follicular stasis. Although the period the male co-habits is not of a concern to this study, you may find the study Ballen et al, 2014, when considering very large enclosures for longer periods of co-habitation and the impact of early socialisation on growth and reproductive competency. The full study reference is: Ballen, C., Shine, R., & Olsson, M. (2014). Effects of early social isolation on the behaviour and performance of juvenile lizards, Chamaeleo calyptratus. Animal Behaviour, 88, 1-6.
Sorry for the very long message but I hope that helps a little, although the primary aim is looking at the presence of a male, the idea of collecting data is to see all those extra factors that may prove to be significant and will hopefully have many practical implications for us all. The point in this study is to contribute to my degree and hopefully provide an interesting resource for us all, the results and analysis will of course be available to you all once complete.
 
Thanks for the reply.
Have you read the reproductive studies by Maya Kummrow and Robyn Pimm on reproduction in veiled chameleons?

I've had quite a few veileds over the years and only had one suffer from dystocia that I remember...and she was mated. I had quite a few that produced no eggs for several years and that I then mated and they produced fertile eggs. I've had quite a few produce infertile eggs that have never seen a male and quite a few that have produced eggs having been mated.
 
Yes I have, there very good studies, particularly the one on male introduction and courtship behaviour, worth a read to anyone else on here interested. If you send your email address I will send you the questionnaire to fill out for the healthy ones that produced eggs.
 
Hi can everyone that wants to participate please message me your email address and if you have received the questionnaire can you get it back to me as soon as possible. Thanks
 
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