Advice On Breeding

[perkinschammie]

Hello - I'm an owner of three lovely veiled chameleons, an adult female, a three month old male, and a sub-adult male (unsure of his actual age - he's about 7 inches long though). I was wondering if you guys have any advice on breeding them - such as how old my males would have to be to breed. I'm sure my female is old enough considering she's already laid one batch of infertile eggs. How should I go about breeding them? Should I just put them in the tank together and keep an eye on them? How long do I have to wait after my female laying an infertile batch of eggs before breeding her? How long is the gestation period and incubation period? What heat do the eggs need to be kept at - and can I keep them in vermiculite like you do with snake eggs?

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I'm an owner of three lovely veiled chameleons, an adult female, a three month old male, and a sub-adult male (unsure of his actual age - he's about 7 inches long though). I was wondering if you guys have any advice on breeding them - such as how old my males would have to be to breed"...you can breed them once the male is sexually mature.

You said..."I'm sure my female is old enough considering she's already laid one batch of infertile eggs"...stands to reason.

You said..."How should I go about breeding them? Should I just put them in the tank together and keep an eye on them?"...i always hold the male outside the female's cage and watch the reactions. If the female hisses, inflates her body, darkens her colors, rocks back and forth, lunges at the male, etc then do NOT put them together. Try again in a couple of weeks. If she remains calm, body slim, no hissing, etc. And the male does not react in an aggressive manner, the two can be put in the same cage.

You said..."How long do I have to wait after my female laying an infertile batch of eggs before breeding her?"...until she acts in a receptive manner...see above.

You said..."How long is the gestation period and incubation period? What heat do the eggs need to be kept at - and can I keep them in vermiculite like you do with snake eggs?"...from the time of mating, the gestation is about 30 days. It will take about 250 days at about 74F. I fill a shoebox sized container half full of moistened vermiculite in it. I make small indents in the slightly moist vermiculite with my thumb in rows about 1" apart in all directions and place an egg in each. To test for moisture of vermiculite, take a fist full and squeeze...no more than a drop or two of water should come out. Be careful when digging up the eggs and moving them not to turn the eggs.

Do you have an appropriate container in the cage full of washed sand now so the female can lay eggs when necessary?

If you have more questions just ask.