Kat1355
New Member
Your Chameleon - Bearded Pygmy, female, age unsure.
How long has it been in your care? I have had Mama for approx. 3 months.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Very rarely, only to check on her health.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Small crickets, mealworms, wild caught pesticide free small moths etc. What amount? She eats at least 2 crickets per day, sometimes seems to ask for more. How are you gut-loading your feeders? Flukers Orange Cube and Flukers High Calcium Cricket Diet.
Supplements - Per articles I studied before I purchased Mama, I do not dust as the articles stated they do not need as much as the larger chams. I heavily gutload before feeding however.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? I mist 2-4 times a day depending on work schedule and I don't have to mist long. Her enclosure stays between 70-90% humidity. Do you see your chameleon drinking? I never see Mama drink, but she is always a good color, her eyes are never sunken and she is active during the morning and night. However she loves to rest in her plant during the afternoon.
Fecal Description - Consistency is like a little brown ball with white attached. Mama has never been tested for parasites and she shows no bumps on her skin.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. She had laid eggs during transit in the mail to me. I placed them in the terrarium with her in the substrate, but they never did hatch. They were hard and dented when I took them out of the carton she came in. They did swell, but never really grew. Turned a bit of color, then nothing. Just were like cheese inside after about 3 months.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage Mama is in a Zoo Med terrarium 12X12X12. Screen top and front vent holes for temperature gradient air flow.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? Reptiglo 2.0 UVB. What is your daily lighting schedule? Approx. 12 hours per day.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 70-80 degrees. Lowest overnight temp? 62 degrees. These are the temps I read that beardeds should be kept at. How do you measure these temps? With a Exo Terra digital combination Thermometer/Hygrometer.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 70-90% How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting 2-4 times a day. What do you use to measure humidity? See above.
Plants - Are you using live plants? All live plants, Ivy and Dracaena.
Placement - Where is your cage located? In a corner of my living room by a window, but to the side, not in front of it. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No, my house is fairly quiet and Mama has never been very shy. She always seems very curious. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 4 ft.
Location - Where are you geographically located? Camas, Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. I am not really too concerned, just a little nervous because it appears Mama may be going to lay eggs again. She is almost covered by a tunnel she has dug in the substrate. Per recommendations her terrarium substrate is 1/4-1/3 inch gravel covered by plastic mesh, approx. 1 inch of eco earth with sphagnum moss, leaves that were baked for sterilization and crushed a bit, and lots of twigs and a vine for climbing and basking. Though she does not really care to bask often, which I understand is par for this species. I also had a male with her, but they sent me two different types of pygmies. Mama is a bearded and they sent me a spectral male. He recently passed away. I am totally unsure why as his feces was proper size, color, and consistency. He ate well. Now, four days since he passed Mama is burying herself in the substrate, and appears to be digging stuff out. She is very plump, so I am assuming she is gravid and ready to lay. I know they can carry sperm for a while, but I was never sure if she would mate with a spectral, so I am assuming she is either carrying prior sperm or the eggs will be infertile. I have read I should remove the eggs, but I would rather they hatch in the terrarium, unless this is a bad thing. Any ideas anyone? I also have some questions on my female Jacksons but I will post with another question sheet for her. I am a newbie, but I studied long and hard to make sure I could provide properly for my sweeties before I got them. I joined and read everything I could on this forum as well as other care sheets and articles, including the cham ezine. I hope I am doing everything correctly because I love them dearly. Am I just a nervous new cham owner?
How long has it been in your care? I have had Mama for approx. 3 months.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Very rarely, only to check on her health.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Small crickets, mealworms, wild caught pesticide free small moths etc. What amount? She eats at least 2 crickets per day, sometimes seems to ask for more. How are you gut-loading your feeders? Flukers Orange Cube and Flukers High Calcium Cricket Diet.
Supplements - Per articles I studied before I purchased Mama, I do not dust as the articles stated they do not need as much as the larger chams. I heavily gutload before feeding however.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? I mist 2-4 times a day depending on work schedule and I don't have to mist long. Her enclosure stays between 70-90% humidity. Do you see your chameleon drinking? I never see Mama drink, but she is always a good color, her eyes are never sunken and she is active during the morning and night. However she loves to rest in her plant during the afternoon.
Fecal Description - Consistency is like a little brown ball with white attached. Mama has never been tested for parasites and she shows no bumps on her skin.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. She had laid eggs during transit in the mail to me. I placed them in the terrarium with her in the substrate, but they never did hatch. They were hard and dented when I took them out of the carton she came in. They did swell, but never really grew. Turned a bit of color, then nothing. Just were like cheese inside after about 3 months.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage Mama is in a Zoo Med terrarium 12X12X12. Screen top and front vent holes for temperature gradient air flow.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? Reptiglo 2.0 UVB. What is your daily lighting schedule? Approx. 12 hours per day.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 70-80 degrees. Lowest overnight temp? 62 degrees. These are the temps I read that beardeds should be kept at. How do you measure these temps? With a Exo Terra digital combination Thermometer/Hygrometer.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 70-90% How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting 2-4 times a day. What do you use to measure humidity? See above.
Plants - Are you using live plants? All live plants, Ivy and Dracaena.
Placement - Where is your cage located? In a corner of my living room by a window, but to the side, not in front of it. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No, my house is fairly quiet and Mama has never been very shy. She always seems very curious. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 4 ft.
Location - Where are you geographically located? Camas, Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. I am not really too concerned, just a little nervous because it appears Mama may be going to lay eggs again. She is almost covered by a tunnel she has dug in the substrate. Per recommendations her terrarium substrate is 1/4-1/3 inch gravel covered by plastic mesh, approx. 1 inch of eco earth with sphagnum moss, leaves that were baked for sterilization and crushed a bit, and lots of twigs and a vine for climbing and basking. Though she does not really care to bask often, which I understand is par for this species. I also had a male with her, but they sent me two different types of pygmies. Mama is a bearded and they sent me a spectral male. He recently passed away. I am totally unsure why as his feces was proper size, color, and consistency. He ate well. Now, four days since he passed Mama is burying herself in the substrate, and appears to be digging stuff out. She is very plump, so I am assuming she is gravid and ready to lay. I know they can carry sperm for a while, but I was never sure if she would mate with a spectral, so I am assuming she is either carrying prior sperm or the eggs will be infertile. I have read I should remove the eggs, but I would rather they hatch in the terrarium, unless this is a bad thing. Any ideas anyone? I also have some questions on my female Jacksons but I will post with another question sheet for her. I am a newbie, but I studied long and hard to make sure I could provide properly for my sweeties before I got them. I joined and read everything I could on this forum as well as other care sheets and articles, including the cham ezine. I hope I am doing everything correctly because I love them dearly. Am I just a nervous new cham owner?
