Distended Stomach for 3 days!

[HueTheChameleon]

Hello,

Hue The Chameleon, that we learned was female, has had a distended stomach for about 2-3 days. I'm not sure if the chameleon is doing it for fun or what's really going on. Bowel movements and urate seem to be normal. Hue is eating about the same number of crickets a day. I'm not really sure if it's just a new trick Hue learned or why our chameleon is doing this.

Short video to follow.

 

[carol5208]

She may have eggs. They can produce eggs without a male. Don't know if you are aware of that or not. Let's see the video and maybe we can determine for you.

 

[HueTheChameleon]

 

[HueTheChameleon]

If she does have eggs, do I have to do anything special or just wait for her to lay them?

 

[brownie64]

You will have to put a laying ben in the enclosure so she can dig a spot to lay the eggs. From what I can tell from that vid I don't think that is eggs it's too low, and not all over the sides like it would be if she were gravid. Let some others give there opinion, and see what they think kind of hard to tell through that screen, and that angle. If it were me and it isn't eggs I would take her to see a qualified reptile vet could be a cyst, or a tumor. Can we get some pics?

 

[kinyonga]

Please don't wait to add the laying bin to the cage. If she needs to lsyband hasn't got some place to do it she can become eggbound and die.

 

[HueTheChameleon]

I went to home depot and bought some organic, pesticide and fertilizer free dirt and put it in a 15 gallon tank at the bottom of the cage, it is about 8" tall of just dirt. The chameleon hasn't come down yet, do you recommend manually moving the chameleon down or just wait for Hue to figure it out?

 

[jajeanpierre]

Let her figure it out. Mine have usually been very restless as they get ready to lay eggs. One, an older wild caught, just lays her eggs with no fuss at all.

She doesn't look like she is anywhere near laying eggs, but they can trick you and hide an awful lot of eggs. Look at her from above. When she is developing eggs, she will have a pear shape to her.

From the video--which doesn't show a lot--it looks like she is flattening her sides. If she's doing that, it's a defensive posture so I would think about what could be bothering her. It could be something like being able to see a Christmas tree that is upsetting her. As I said, I can't really see much in the video.

 

[HueTheChameleon]

Let her figure it out. Mine have usually been very restless as they get ready to lay eggs. One, an older wild caught, just lays her eggs with no fuss at all.

She doesn't look like she is anywhere near laying eggs, but they can trick you and hide an awful lot of eggs. Look at her from above. When she is developing eggs, she will have a pear shape to her.

From the video--which doesn't show a lot--it looks like she is flattening her sides. If she's doing that, it's a defensive posture so I would think about what could be bothering her. It could be something like being able to see a Christmas tree that is upsetting her. As I said, I can't really see much in the video.

She is flattening her sides and looking tall. She's only 3-4 months and has been changing in temperament lately.

 

[brownie64]

Did you prepare it properly here is video on how to do it the right way.

 

[brownie64]

She is flattening her sides and looking tall. She's only 3-4 months and has been changing in temperament lately.

Yah like Jajeanpierer said she is being defensive, but you still need to get the laying ben in for her she only has about a month and she will be needing it if your age is correct. she looks like she could be a little older to me.

 

[carol5208]

If she is only 3 or 4 months then she is too young to lay eggs. I think the earliest I have seen on here with eggs was like 5-6 months and that is even early. Just for future, have the bin set up for her. I agree with others and from the video she does not really look like she has eggs and especially now knowing her age, it is highly unlikely.

 

[HueTheChameleon]

Yah like Jajeanpierer said she is being defensive, but you still need to get the laying ben in for her she only has about a month and she will be needing it if your age is correct. she looks like she could be a little older to me.

The pet store sold her to us at a discount because they had her for over a month. She shed every two weeks for two months straight and almost tripled in size. We have a feeling her dietary/lighting needs weren't being met at the store. We've had her for about 3 months now and they had her for about a month. so she's probably at 4+ months.

At first I thought she was getting fat because she can eat. 10 large crickets a day or a dozen and a half medium ones.

 

[HueTheChameleon]

We do have a bin set up now. I don't see her having much interest in it. Is it instinctual for them to know to find the bin and lay eggs? As in, will she go down and check the area out first for a few days and then lay eggs or will it be like a switch: no interest to immediately laying eggs.

 

[brownie64]

At her age I would have the laying ben ready, You can tell if she is gravid and ready to ley eggs by the way she looks, and acts. She will be quite large, and usually you can see lumps when she is getting close. And she will become restless staying towards the bottom of the cage. However like I said I would get that laying ben set up ASAP because if you do miss the clues, and she can't lay those eggs she could become egg bound, and that can be lethal, and very expensive. Good luck