digging

[Daguerreotype13]

Ok I have a question. I have a female BB Ambilobe and she's gravid so I readied a nice big 5gal plant bucket full of black playsand and I mixed in enough water so that I've successfully dug out a nice big "J" tunnel and it held no problem. I noticed my girl has been hanging out down by her laying bin so I was expecting to dee some digging. Last night when I walked into the room I noticed she was nowhere to be found so I assumed she must be digging. This is where it gets confusing.

So today when I check her cage, NO HOLE DUG. At least not in the playsand. However lo-behold I have a nice umbrella plant in there for her and she's managed to move aside the stone I have sitting on the soil and she dug in the plants soil!

Can somebody please tell me why oh why has she found the need to dig here instead of her nice HUGE laying surface? I know it can't be the play sand because I've read and have heard from experienced breeders who use playsand as an egg laying bin...

Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ruru]

can she get into the bucket and out with no problems? maybe she isnt used to having in her cage? did you wash the playsand?
when they lay the rebury the eggs... are u sure she didnt lay in there bury it and still had retained some? as for her diggin in the plant im not sure what to do about that, id wait until someone more expierenced chimes in b.c. idk if ud want to interupt her and make her start over b.c. that is an aweful lot of work the little chameleons do, but on the other hand it might not be deep enough or she might not be able to get deep enough b.c. of roots.

 

[Daguerreotype13]

Yea well I have a branch that leads into the bucket so I know she can make it in and out just fine since these bloody annoying crickets love to gather in there! But yea that's why I haven't covered the plant hole I don't wanna disturb the beginnings of her work but she moved aside the stones which amazed me so im gonna have to get bigger planting stones looks like! Im just at a loss at what to do now

 

[suzi]

I have a female who does that no matter how many laying bins with different choice substrates I have provided I just let her do her thing and take the eggs out of the plant pot when she is all finished. After she fills the hole back up with dirt.

 

[Daguerreotype13]

Alright thanks for the help I guess ill just let her do her thing then as long it works right?

 

[kinyonga]

Don't let her see you watching her when she's digging....it can make her abandon the hole.