Dbash44
Avid Member
Hey chameleon people!
I have a 19 month old female panther that's possibly egg bound. I need a good reference for a vet or herpetologist in the Hollywood, CA area. I feel like my experiences with the vets out here have not been as good as they could have been if I had received a reference from the forum first.
I spoke with a reputable member of the forum who suggested I post my situation to receive insight to someone who might be of help.
Current Problem:
I paired the aforementioned female Ambilobe panther chameleon on December 28, 2019. I followed the methods I use for my other female (who lays eggs like a champ) for her, yet she seems to not want to lay or maybe can't lay. She seems uninterested in her laying bin even when I've set her in it and is still holding on to her clutch. I deep cleaned her enclosure on Monday and did not find eggs either. She's now at the point where she's over due (compared to average reports) and she is sleeping in the bottom half of her cage on some days.
When she sleeps it's usually hidden with her feet holding on to her background. She still has a strong grip, eats well, drinks well and actively explores her cage when not sleeping. She seems to be searching for a laying spot IMO since she tries to get out of her cage from the corners. Today she even climbed out of the top when I was putting a fresh laying bin in. The laying bin has and still is 1:1 ratio of organic top soil to washed playsand. Container is 16"L x 10"H x 10"D. Covered the side that you can see from the front of the cage with a large fake plant.
I researched the forums and found suggestions to put together a large laying bin (i.e. large trash can, bucket, etcetera) to put the female in till she lays. This bin does not sit in the cage. From my understanding, this is used a lot in "last resort" situations. I went ahead and took the same ratio of laying media and filled a 5 gallon bucket. I also put a rock in the bottom and a small plant in it's plastic pot potted in the laying media. I put her in the bucket, attached a 50w reptibasking spot lamp in a clamp light fixture to the lip of the bucket, put them in the walk in closet and let her go at it for about four hours. Each hour when I cracked the door a hair to check on her, she was only trying to get out. She had not interest in the predug hole I made. She was also presenting her resting colors (greenish brown and pink).
The member I spoke about previously has suggested that I use a 65L tub filled halfway with washed playsand. The lid would be modified to have a screen. They then suggested I use a uvb strip light on top of the lid as a light source for my cham once she was inside. Lastly, this person suggested actually taking the plant out of the pot and planting it in the sand. I bought all the stuff to do this and plan to move forward with it tomorrow and leave her in there for a few days/till she lays. I'm open to suggestions on this, though I very much trust this member and the experience they have under their belt.
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Pictures:
First picture is from October 20
Second is November 11
Third is December 28 (hours before I paired her)(can also really see her nails in this; she's on my car ceiling)
Fourth is also December 28
Fifth is January 07
Sixth is January 08
Seventh and Eighth are January 19
Ninth and Tenth are from this afternoon, February 05
I have a 19 month old female panther that's possibly egg bound. I need a good reference for a vet or herpetologist in the Hollywood, CA area. I feel like my experiences with the vets out here have not been as good as they could have been if I had received a reference from the forum first.
I spoke with a reputable member of the forum who suggested I post my situation to receive insight to someone who might be of help.
Current Problem:
I paired the aforementioned female Ambilobe panther chameleon on December 28, 2019. I followed the methods I use for my other female (who lays eggs like a champ) for her, yet she seems to not want to lay or maybe can't lay. She seems uninterested in her laying bin even when I've set her in it and is still holding on to her clutch. I deep cleaned her enclosure on Monday and did not find eggs either. She's now at the point where she's over due (compared to average reports) and she is sleeping in the bottom half of her cage on some days.
When she sleeps it's usually hidden with her feet holding on to her background. She still has a strong grip, eats well, drinks well and actively explores her cage when not sleeping. She seems to be searching for a laying spot IMO since she tries to get out of her cage from the corners. Today she even climbed out of the top when I was putting a fresh laying bin in. The laying bin has and still is 1:1 ratio of organic top soil to washed playsand. Container is 16"L x 10"H x 10"D. Covered the side that you can see from the front of the cage with a large fake plant.
I researched the forums and found suggestions to put together a large laying bin (i.e. large trash can, bucket, etcetera) to put the female in till she lays. This bin does not sit in the cage. From my understanding, this is used a lot in "last resort" situations. I went ahead and took the same ratio of laying media and filled a 5 gallon bucket. I also put a rock in the bottom and a small plant in it's plastic pot potted in the laying media. I put her in the bucket, attached a 50w reptibasking spot lamp in a clamp light fixture to the lip of the bucket, put them in the walk in closet and let her go at it for about four hours. Each hour when I cracked the door a hair to check on her, she was only trying to get out. She had not interest in the predug hole I made. She was also presenting her resting colors (greenish brown and pink).
The member I spoke about previously has suggested that I use a 65L tub filled halfway with washed playsand. The lid would be modified to have a screen. They then suggested I use a uvb strip light on top of the lid as a light source for my cham once she was inside. Lastly, this person suggested actually taking the plant out of the pot and planting it in the sand. I bought all the stuff to do this and plan to move forward with it tomorrow and leave her in there for a few days/till she lays. I'm open to suggestions on this, though I very much trust this member and the experience they have under their belt.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - 19 mo. Panther Cham. Owned for 13 months
- Handling - Handle her once every couple weeks.
- Feeding - Staple diet of crickets gutloaded with BugBurger with added fine chopped bee pollen (1/2 tsp to 1/4 cup Bugburger). 10 medium crickets every other day. I've cut back in the last two weeks to about half this. Aside from this, she eats hornworms, silkworms and occasionally dubias. Worms are fed their respectable chows. Dubias eat same as crickets. She ate a couple grasshoppers in the last month (I got some at a show that she received a couple of)
- Supplements - Lugarti calcium w/no d3 every feeding aside from the weekend meal. I switch off between Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin and Rep-Cal Calcium WITH d3 (so each twice a month).
- Watering - Mistking. First misting is at 7a for 30 secs for "morning dew". Then 9a, 10:30a, 12p, 1:30p, 3p, 4:30p, 6p. Nine o'clock and every other increment is about 2 minutes. Every time in between is 45 secs. I see her drink from time to time. Also use a fogger during the night in 30 minute increments starting at 12:30a till 7a. Computer fan used to circulate the air.
- Fecal Description - Solid Brown. Looks hydrated and normal. Urate is white with some orange
- History - When I received her she had a bit of a deformity in her eye lid. The shape of the opening is more round than oval shaped. She also has VERY long, sharp nails.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Reptibreeze 18x18x36. Background is a Vine-like mat product. Bought it at a reptile store and can't remember what it's called or the brand. Haven't found it online. Right and left side are covered with a shower curtain.
- Lighting - Zoo Med dome with 50w ReptiBasking Spot lamp. Arcadia t5 6% UVB. Use a 40w nano ceramic bulb for the night. My apartment gets in the 40's at night when I'm not home. Lights go on at 9a and off at 9p (I know 7a-7p is recommended. I found later lights out time works better for the activity in my apartment)
- Temperature - Baking spot during day has been 87. Recently brought it down to 82. Ambient temps are mid 70's during day and low 70's at night. (I have four chams each with their own ceramic night bulb which help keep the temps up. One bulb doesn't create the significant temp change for anyone doing the math here). Measure basking spots with Zoo med infrared thermometer. Have an Acurite thermometer outside enclosure for ambient temps.
- Humidity - Can't honestly answer this one. I've used the above watering schedule for years and it's seemed to work. I recently added the 7a misting time.
- Plants - Schefflera, pathos, speckled croton
- Placement - Near kitchen in my apartment. This is the place with the least traffic. Not near an air vent. Top of the cage is about 6 feet. I'm 6,3" and its at eye level.
- Location - Hollywood, CA
Pictures:
First picture is from October 20
Second is November 11
Third is December 28 (hours before I paired her)(can also really see her nails in this; she's on my car ceiling)
Fourth is also December 28
Fifth is January 07
Sixth is January 08
Seventh and Eighth are January 19
Ninth and Tenth are from this afternoon, February 05
