Egg-Laying Bin - Dirt vs. Sand

[JRchameleons]

For my first gravid female, I used a roughly 12x12 plastic flower pot filled with moist, washed playsand. Although I was worried it was too compacted and would be difficult for her to dig through, she seemed to have no problems digging her hole, laying 36 eggs, and covering them.

For my second female I decided to try a mix of soil and sand. I used plain top soil (no fertilizers, rocks, or sticks) along with the washed playsand. I was going to try a 50/50 mix, but I ran out of sand so it ended up being probably 1/3 sand and 2/3 dirt. I thought that using some dirt would make it easier for her to dig through, but actually, I'm thinking that it's even more compacted than the plain sand was. It seems like I had to use a lot more water to make it hold a solid tunnel when I dug. It really seems like it's too wet actually, but I kept adding water until my tunnel held.

Anyway, I wanted to get everyone's input on dirt vs. sand vs. dirt/sand mixture as an egg-laying substrate. To those who have tried two or all three choices (or some other option I haven't thought of), what seems to work best for you?

 

[jannb]

I like sand because #1 Lynda (kinyonga) one of our most experienced senior members, recommends it and #2 the dirt left a dark stain on the females that didn't come off until their next shed.

You might find my egg laying/laying bin helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

[JRchameleons]

Thanks Jann. I didn't even think about the possibility of dirt leaving a stain on my female, but that's definitely a good point.

The reason I decided to try a dirt/sand mixture (other than thinking it would be easier to dig through) was because I read somewhere here about one member preferring dirt over sand. I want to say it was Olimpia, if I remember correctly. I think it was worth a try, but depending on how things go once my female lays, I will likely be sticking with sand from now on.

Trust me, I've read your blogs. I mulled over them many-a-time back in the day when I was first starting out with chams.

 

[Chase]

I like sand. I have much better results with it.

Along with what Jann said, I like it for the following reasons:
1. Not as mucky if you mess up water to substance mixture
2. Seems easier for the females to dig in, not sure if this is true, but like I said, it seems like it.
3. My females seem to have liked it better too. Don't know why, but like with the digging situation, just seems like it.

Only thing I dislike is the fact the eggs can be more difficult to find in the sand. I had a clutch one time that I completely mixed up in the sand, and got very scared over the fact that I moved the eggs around a lot after being deposited.

-C

 

[Dez]

I use topsoil myself and never have had a female refuse it.

Its true what it makes their face and arms dirty and they don't come totally clean until their next shed... but I have a female that is super sneaky and lays in about 20 minutes..the only clue I have that she even laid is the dirt on her face.

 

[Branman]

I prefer topsoil too. My female didn't get any dirt stains on her after she laid her eggs. It's what i prefer, but veryone has their own preference.

 

[JRchameleons]

Thanks; that's a good point. It could actually be a good thing for her to get dirt stains so it will be obvious that she laid.

 

[fluxlizard]

I much prefer topsoil. I used sand/peat mix for years, and now topsoil for years. No comparison in the response from the lizards. They know what topsoil is right off. It smells right, feels right, isn't abrasive and is always the correct moisture content in my part of the world, if I go out and shovel some into the bin a few days before the female needs to lay. And it is free. And when I am done I put it back and get fresh from some other location in the yard.

I don't know of any chameleons (or many other lizards) who lay eggs on the sandy beach.

 

[Olimpia]

Yes, I use a mix of topsoil to sand. And I've used ecoearth for my veiled the one time she laid, but my panther has had a couple infertile clutches by now and she will not use sand if it's in her cage. She prefers to lay in her plant pots, so i have to find her when I hear her digging in the plants and place her into her large laying bin and she will use that without problem. I used a ratio of something like 1:4 sand to soil.

I'm with Flux, I don't know where in a tropical forest like in Madagascar you find sand except along the coast. Yemen, I don't know, probably not either. But soil just seems so much more natural. It's why my panther rejects it and goes straight for her plant pots.