Egg bound? Please help!!!

Christinec

New Member
I am a first time owner. I have my chameleon for five months, since she was a one-month old juvenile. She walked around the enclosure, including the ground, for a few weeks before. I provided her with a laybin which covers 1/3 of enclosure base area. The laybin is 20cm in height. It is filled with Eco Earth (ZooMed). She seldom walked on the dirt and never dug in it. Today, she looks very weak and she napped in the daytime. I am worried that she may be egg-bound. Please advise. Thanks a lot!!!!!!

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Female panther, 6-month old
  • Handling - Once a week
  • Feeding - Crickets gutloaded with Repashy Superload, dusted with ReptiCalcium w/o D3 everyday; with Reptivite with D3 (Zoomed) once a week, She ate 4 crickets/day recently
  • Watering - A drinking water fountain is provided to her. I sometimes see her drinks.
  • Fecal Description - White urate and dark faeces, did not find the faeces these two days.
  • Cage Info:
    • Cage Type - Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Large, 18 x 18 x 36-Inches
    • Lighting - 50W warmth lamp as UVA; T5HO 10.0 22-inch UVB
    • Temperature - Basking temp 30C, room temperature around 26C recently, measured by hygrometer
    • Humidity - 50-70% ambient humidity, measured by hygrometer
    • Plants - Live and fake plants
    • Placement - In the living room
    • Location - Hong Kong
    • 1.jpeg
    • 2.jpeg
 
Last edited:
The bin has been there for a month now. I think she’s drinking a little more as I observe her urate seems whiter. For basking, I am not sure because the bask lamp is not always on. When the surrounding temperature is high (above 26C), the basking lamp is off.
 
Aside from the water fountain which has already been addressed, the only other change I would make is to give her a larger and deeper lay bin. It may be a bit difficult to squeeze into your enclosure, but it should be at least 40x40 cm with a depth of about 30 cm. Washed play sand as has already been said is ideal to use, but whatever you use needs to be able to hold a tunnel without collapsing.
 
If my females don't lay I usually get a plastic tote 20-30 gallon, fill it up with sand/eco earth mixture so that she can dig a tunnel without it falling on her, put a stick in the plastic tote(but not too big as she may not go to the ground if she has the option to climb). Leave her in all day alone with ample light and she will most likely lay. Leaving your girl in a storage bin all day may seem mean or hurt her but trust me, they will lay and it will be better for them in the long run. Thanks
 
If my females don't lay I usually get a plastic tote 20-30 gallon, fill it up with sand/eco earth mixture so that she can dig a tunnel without it falling on her, put a stick in the plastic tote(but not too big as she may not go to the ground if she has the option to climb). Leave her in all day alone with ample light and she will most likely lay. Leaving your girl in a storage bin all day may seem mean or hurt her but trust me, they will lay and it will be better for them in the long run. Thanks
Thanks! Do you provide water for her in the tote? And how warm/cold should the sand/eco earth mixture be?
 
Also, dont let her climb out. She must be forced to lay.
I’m not really sure that they can be ‘forced‘ to lay. Granted, I’m not terribly experienced (my girls have laid only 3 times between them), but I believe their laying is triggered by hormones. That is why it’s best to give them permanent access to a lay bin, as there is only a short time that their hormones trigger laying instinct. If somehow that window is missed, that is when they become egg bound. I may be wrong (& ask someone to correct me if I am), but this is how I understand it.
 
Thanks! Do you provide water for her in the tote? And how warm/cold should the sand/eco earth mixture be?
Room temperature soil and no I provide water when she is done laying. Make sure not to disturb or even look at her when she’s in the box. Let me know how it works!
 
In
I’m not really sure that they can be ‘forced‘ to lay. Granted, I’m not terribly experienced (my girls have laid only 3 times between them), but I believe their laying is triggered by hormones. That is why it’s best to give them permanent access to a lay bin, as there is only a short time that their hormones trigger laying instinct. If somehow that window is missed, that is when they become egg bound. I may be wrong (& ask someone to correct me if I am), but this is how I understand it.

as stated I only use this method when my females don’t lay. I’m glad yours have laid how they’re supposed to.
 
Back
Top Bottom