Egg Binding Questions

[Nihil]

This is a newb question...What I've always read and researched is that all female chameleons if not bred, can and usually do, become egg bound. That's what I always read on Veileds, and years ago when I was breeding them, I experienced it.

I read other articles that say you have to be cautious, what does that mean exactly? I've also been told, they'll lay infertile eggs when it's time to lay, regardless of being bred, like chickens.

So my questions specifically are:
1) What techniques are used in dealing with female chams that aren't being bred?

2) What applies to Live Barrers like Jacksons?

I'm curious as well, there's a local shop and he's got some jacksons which are plenty healthy and look to possibly be in early stages of being gravid and was considering purchasing one in hopes to have some babies in the months to come, but if they're not gravid, what will happen if they're never bred?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jamie and jarrett]

The article was probably implying that you have to be aware of what you cham is doing. If it is a female, an egg laying chamber should be always available in her cage, just for precaution. If you do notice her starting to dig, do not bother her. If you bother her she can abandon the hole, and if it happens enough, she will become eggbound. She may dig a few test holes before actually commiting to one.

Female veileds can, and often do, lay infertile eggs.

And I can say that I have had my female veiled for about a year and a half now. She has laid two successful clutches of eggs, without being bred. There is always a chance for them to become eggbound, but I do not think that them being or not being bred has anything to do with it.

I do not know about the Jackson's, I have only had experience with veileds.

 

[kinyonga]

There was an article about veiled females dying eggbound if they weren't mated when they became sexually mature. It was hard to decide whether to breed my veiled females that young or not. After much debating with myself about it, I decided not to do it. My females were fine.

Right now I have a veiled female that is over 4 years old and she has never laid an egg. I have another one and she is coming up on 7 years old...she has never laid an egg either. The mother of the 4+ year old one never laid an egg until I mated her....she lived to be over 7 years of age. All the hatchlings in the clutch she laid were good. I have had quite a few others that have never laid an egg.

All this to say that the paper was not right.

This site explains how I have kept these females....
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Eggbinding (dystocia) is thought to be the result of poor husbandry (overfeeding, inappropriate nutrition, failure to provide an appropriate egglaying site, incorrect temperatures, etc.) most of the time and sometimes the result of physical problems (eggs that are misformed, fused, too large, reproductive tract deformities, etc.). Stress can be a factor too.

Regarding those that produce live babies....there have been cases of dystocia in them too.

I can't give you an answer about a Jackson's that isn't bred.