can't find veiled in her cage!

[sblief01]

So my veiled chameleon did not escape. Last time I saw her was last night, and she was sleeping. I noticed that she started digging in her laying bin which she's never done before (she's 1 year old). I didn't open her cage at all. Today, I can't find her! I've seriously looked all over her cage, and the room she is in, but she's nowhere!

There's no way she could have gotten out of her cage, but I did look around the room just in case. There's no visible tunnel in her laying bin, but the dirt is turned. I can't see past the surface of the laying bin. I also don't want to disturb her too much if she's in there. Could she be in the dirt? This has never happened before and I've had her since she was 3 months old!

 

[jpowell86]

Is the substrate in her laying bin dry and loose enough that it could have fallen in on her??

 

[sblief01]

Possibly? I sprayed the dirt generously last night so it should be wet, but it's not soaking wet. It doesn't look like she dug very deep. Do I try digging her out??

 

[jpowell86]

Honestly, since she has been in there for almost 24 hours...I would have to check on her. Sometimes the media can collapse in around them if not moist enough to maintain it's shape. Be gentle, but I would begin the process of pulling the dirt back a little at a time to make sure she isn't covered up in there.

 

[sblief01]

Well she wasn't in there last night, I had just noticed she had dug some of the substrate up. She must have gotten into her laying bin sometime today during the day. Her light turns on around 9 am so she must have gone in there sometime after that. I noticed I couldn't find her around 245 today and it's 925 where I am now.

 

[jpowell86]

Well, if you can't see a visible tunnel, I would still check it.

 

[sblief01]

Ok I will thanks!

 

[sblief01]

Ok just went in there and she is in her laying bin! The top of the dirt is dug up, but I definitely saw her back legs and tail and her tail curled up when my light shown on her so she's ok!! Thanks again!!

 

[sblief01]

Should i maybe moisten the dirt a bit more? I don't want to bother her.

 

[jpowell86]

That's a hard call. You don't want to moisten the substrate to a point where it packs down on top of her.

I would let her be for a little while longer....maybe until the morning and see what happens.

Keep us update!