Okay, I have been keeping Chams for about 2 years now and I definitely do not consider myself a veteran on breeding / clutch laying etc. But is normal for a female Panther to lay 4 clutches of eggs in a 6 months period?! My 2 year old Nosy Be has done just that, again I don't know if that out of the ordinary or not. I was hoping for some feedback on this. I have not attempted to breed her at all during this period and I have cut back her food and temps to prevent her from laying further but its like she gets gravid within a month of laying a clutch. So far the clutches have been 40-50 eggs in each. I would love to get her to stop because I am sure the stress of laying eggs will cause her life span to shorten. Any feedback would be awesome. Thanks!
4 Clutches in 6 months?
- Thread starter lojack13
- Start date
Yeah, a ton of eggs! LOL! I talked to few others who keep Chams saying they had never heard of such a thing.
Feeding her 4-5 medium crickets every other day and sometimes a super for a treat, and bask temp is at 81-83
That's what I was afraid of! I keep a detailed log of all my Chams feeding and behavior and health habits - These are the days she laid this year=
First Clutch - July 20th
Second Clutch - September 10th
Third Clutch - October 30th
Fourth Clutch - December 9th ( today )
So in doing that math, I lied, its been within 5 months! The crazy thing was the first clutch she laid was the first one she laid in her life and its just been a perpetual cycle ever since.
Thanks so much for the input. I'm going to try every other day and if that does nothing then I just will let her do what she wants. I guess I can't stop nature. I was thinking about letting my male mate with her to see if the cycle would break. Any thoughts on that?
you mean every two days right? becuase you arleady said you feed every other day.
Honestly, i dont know if breeding her will change the cycle, but i do know fertile eggs take a bigger tole on females than infertiles do.
LOL yeah every two days. Hmm well I guess I'll forget the breeding then if it takes a harder toll on them. Thanks, camimom !
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Your female is showing the proper frequency for double-clutching, which when the temps are optimally warm, occurs every 45-50 days. When temps are cooler, if she still double-clutches, the time between can be as much as 70 days.
As you surmise, this many clutches is not a good thing. In the wild, Mother Nature pretty much turns them off in mid-Fall, by a combination of cooler temps, less food, and shorter days. By Winter, the temps would typically be a 10 degree F drop in ambient day and night norms. The reduction in food, as the Madagascar winter is also drier, is self-explanatory, as is the shorter daily photo-period.
The problem with many captive females is that they are kept in all-summer, all-the-time conditions. So they don't turn-off egg production. Meanwhile, the fertility rate for each successive clutch generally decreases, as does the overall quality of the eggs, especially once beyond the typical norm, which is 2-3 clutches per season.
Such excessive production will also shorten her life.
pssh
Avid Member
Each animal is an individual. What works for some won't work for others. She is obviously one of the females who needs to be kept differently to try and prevent clutches. I would start feeding every 2 days or cut the food in half and keep the schedule the same. I try to find the right balance for females and only feed them just enough to sustane themselves (while not being malnourished.) This has so far kept all my females from laying eggs until they are/were bred and kept in optimal conditions. Usually, the normal 4-5 insects every other day works out fine, but I have had a few that needed a lot less food and two that could basically eat all they wanted (though I never bred them.)
What are her ambient temps like? They may need to be lowered as well.
What are her ambient temps like? They may need to be lowered as well.
Thanks for the input. I am definitely going to try and feed her even less. She seriously would eat all day if I would let her. Every time I open the cage she will **** her head and start to stick her tongue out thinking I have something for her. LOL!
Her ambient temps are around 72 degrees. I could probably lower that some by shutting off the register vent to her room.
Thanks for the info! That is really cool to know all that, I love learning as much as I can about Chameleons.
