Egg Laying Help: Chameleon still digging 15 hours later

millsamus

millsamus

New Member
My female Veiled is still digging.... 7 hours of digging last night. She spend the night in the hole. And this afternoon she is still digging. Why cant she make up her mind that the holes deep enough or good enough for her?

This is the 3ed time I have put here in her digging space and still no luck
 
My females have dug out several test holes before they lay, it's completely normal.. Are you using sand/soil mix?reason I ask I noticed the females prefer to lay in a sandy substrate vs just straight soil.. And I would also make sure to give her some privacy, put a blanket or towel over her cage. If your constantly checking on her this could spook her and than she may not feel safe to lay her eggs.. I usually wait about an hour until lights have gone out and have a quick look to notice if u see her looking smaller / noticeably thinner..
 
jonpfeiffer said:
My females have dug out several test holes before they lay, it's completely normal.. Are you using sand/soil mix?reason I ask I noticed the females prefer to lay in a sandy substrate vs just straight soil.. And I would also make sure to give her some privacy, put a blanket or towel over her cage. If your constantly checking on her this could spook her and than she may not feel safe to lay her eggs.. I usually wait about an hour until lights have gone out and have a quick look to notice if u see her looking smaller / noticeably thinner..
Click to expand...

Using straight play sand. I have her in a Home Depot bucket, outside of the tank with some cardboard over it for privacy. First time I put here in she continues in the hole I started then covered it up lol. Began another and hours later nothing. This is the 3ed time shes digging another hole and the 2ed day in the hole.
 
it took my female 3 days to dig and lay. she dug 3 holes before she finally found one she liked.
STOP checking on her, she will stop, and she will become egg bound this way.
 
Agreed, stop checking in on her. If you can, set up a webcam to watch her but stop listing up the top to look in, or letting her see you. If she doesn't feel safe she will not continue laying eggs.

My females may also take a full 24 hours or more to go through the whole process. She'll be ok if you don't check her every 15 minutes.
 
camimom said:
it took my female 3 days to dig and lay. she dug 3 holes before she finally found one she liked.
STOP checking on her, she will stop, and she will become egg bound this way.
Click to expand...

What does your laying bin look like? I need to make mine inside her cage somehow, for next time

Olimpia said:
Agreed, stop checking in on her. If you can, set up a webcam to watch her but stop listing up the top to look in, or letting her see you. If she doesn't feel safe she will not continue laying eggs.

My females may also take a full 24 hours or more to go through the whole process. She'll be ok if you don't check her every 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

Yea I am checking about every hour now. I have a cardboard top as a lid. With a crack for me to peek. Most of the time she wont see me, if she does she still continues to dig


Pictures of your laying bin setup please!!! & What substrate do you All use??
 
Its very important that you not let her see you. I know one member here who thought it didnt matter because she kept digging anyways but the female later died because she didnt lay her whole clutch. I would seriously stop looking so much.
 
Update

Shes still diggn!!! She finally stopped with thte first hole and filled it back up. Now shes onto a 2ed hole!!!


Wow I think shes spending 2 nights in that bucket. :(
 
It's ok, let her do what she needs to do. She'll be fine without her heat and UV for 2-3 days while she finishes up.
 
My girl slept in her whole, so deep down i couldnt see her. its ok.

trust us, its ok.

my lay bin is a mop bucket that is 14 inches deep.

bottom is filled with about 3 inches of sand, and the rest of it is filled with oraganic top soil.
 
millsamus said:
How can I be sure when shes done? Now she it just staring at the hole she made lol.
Click to expand...

When digging the hole they will be head first in the hole. Once they get the hole to their liking they will turn around and lay the eggs. Usually this doesn’t take nearly as long as digging the hole. Again, very important, DO NOT let your female see you looking. She needs complete privacy to lay these eggs. Once she’s finished laying the eggs she will start covering up the hole and then pat the sand down and return to the branch. She will look very thin and need a long warm misting to drink and very important that she eats some feeder dusted heavily with plain calcium.
 
jannb said:
When digging the hole they will be head first in the hole. Once they get the hole to their liking they will turn around and lay the eggs. Usually this doesn’t take nearly as long as digging the hole. Again, very important, DO NOT let your female see you looking. She needs complete privacy to lay these eggs. Once she’s finished laying the eggs she will start covering up the hole and then pat the sand down and return to the branch. She will look very thin and need a long warm misting to drink and very important that she eats some feeder dusted heavily with plain calcium.
Click to expand...

See here's the problem..... Shes in a home depot bucket with some cardboard over it to keep her from escaping. This bucket is separate from her cage. So I am worried of her escaping for the most part. Yes I know she needs her privacy, I think I need a web cam!!! Anyone have a web cam they don't need :p
 
DONE:::: Results

Chameleon Layed her eggs some time last night:

31 eggs & She now weighs in at 66 grams
 
Yay!! I was also going to tell you NO MORE LOOKING....but it turns out she's done her job, you've done yours and everyone is doing fine. Now, you need to take Jannb's advice and give her a couple of heavily dusted feeders and a nice long misting. She'll be exhausted and needs the extra nutrition and hydration. Congrats!
 
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