egg laying HELP EXTREMELY WORRIED!

[LouiseKelly]

I bred my Chameleons 37 days ago and I think my female laid her eggs last night, there is an egg sitting ontop of the soil, so I'm hoping she's laid them.
My problem is that every morning i will spray my Chameleons I'm scared I might have disturrbed her laying she was on the edge of her egg laying bin when I uncovered her uer but she doesn't look extremely skinny like everyone says they are meant to look, sh alwayas been a bit of a "fatter" Chameleon, but I'm worried I might have disturbed her so she will stop laying the rest?


HELP!!!!

 

[AngieL]

Oh dear! Im sorry youre having bother, egg layingbis stressful enough!

The egg shouldn't be on top of the soil, but that's not the main concern. Cover her cage back up and leave her be. If you have a dripper you can set it going but don't spray or attempt to feed her. Give her total privacy and see if you can sneak a peek at lights out time to see if she's digging still. If so its ok to leave her for an extra little while but it's normal for her to sleep by the hole if she's not finished by nightfall.

You'll need to check for eggs if she's been digging and check her to feel her belly to make sure there's no eggs left over. If she won't lay, you can put her in a trash can with a good 12 inches of soil/sand in the bottom. Give her no option to get out and she should naturally start to dig and lay for you.

Here's a link to a great blog with more info on the matter https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

Please keep us updated

 

[LouiseKelly]

Okay so tonight when i turn the lights off I should have a little look?
Should I wait until tomorrow to take the bin out and look for the eggs then? X

 

[AngieL]

You'll need to know if she's digging or not, if you could hear it happening without looking that would be better but I realise it's not alway possible. If you don't spot her digging, See where she is at lights on tomorrow and how she's looking. If you think she's laid and you find no eggs left in her belly then you can take the bin out and retrieve the babies! I would leave the bin in until you are 100% sure she's done laying. If she doesn't lay today and since she has laid 1 egg I would do the trash can ASAP as you dont want her to keep the eggs too long or she might end up egg bound.

 

[LouiseKelly]

Okay, I've just got in from work and had a sneaky look where a gap was in the cover and she's laid 1 egg on the floor now :/

 

[Dez]

Though it is not normal find eggs on top of the soil it is not unheard of to have a cham drop afew eggs like that.

I have had females a couple eggs before digging and laying like normal.

What are you using for your bin , how deep is it and what type of dirt or sand are you using. It you are using soil you should be able to see if she dug because she will look dirty (most of the time)

 

[LouiseKelly]

I havent seen her dig myself yet, but her face and feet are dirty, and this morning she was in the bin when I turned the lights on then a lil while later she was on the edge of her bin. I made a little hole which has gone now aswell, so I think she maybe digging. Yes this is her first clutch and she is 14months old x


I'm using topsoil aswell its 15inches deep x

 

[Dez]

Ok. Sounds like she has been digging. She may be testing out the laying sites or she may have dug and laid and you don't know it.

You can feel her tummy and see if you fell any eggs in there. Most of the time if she has eggs they can be easily felt. If she feels all squishy she may have laid them already. You can check the dirt to see if there are any eggs burried

Or you can give her a few more days and check the dirt then
Continue to water her and fed her calcium dusted feeders

Some females first clutches go a little odd. Not all girls but it seems to be more common , at least for me, to have a few odd things happen with the females first clutch .

 

[LouiseKelly]

Thanks for yyour help.

I've felt her tummy and she definitely has eggs, she hasn't laid anymore.
I've changed her egg laying bin to a trash can which people adviced but still no sign :/

I'm getting worried, how long should I leave it until I take her to the vets or something?
She isn't eating at all, and I don't leave the bugs in there incase that disturb her to much x

 

[AngieL]

If it was me i'd take her to the vets ASAP. They can give her a shot to help enduce the egg laying. Since she's not laying in the trash can she could be having troubles getting them out so the sooner you act the better!

Ihope you guys get on ok, please let us know.

 

[LouiseKelly]

She's only been in the trash can for a day, should I take her to the vets tomorrow then? X

 

[LouiseKelly]

It's been 39 days since I bred her aswell x

 

[AngieL]

Since she popped one out already then didn't carry on, that would concern me! But, you could leave her today and see the vet tomorrow, it's up to you. I'm a worrier though so I would go now

 

[LouiseKelly]

Thanks for the help.

Took her to the vets today, couldn't feel many eggs in her, neither did the vet. But I asked him to do an x ray anyway, turns out she still had quite a few eggs in her! Me and the vet where both pretty surprised, her belly just felt squishy!
So he's giving her the injection and keeping her in over night, so hopefully I get a good phonecall tomorrow saying she's laid her eggs.
If not it will be surgery :/ so fingers crossed!!
So expensive though! Looking into reptile insurance now! Haha, will keep you posted though

 

[camimom]

Thanks for the help.

Took her to the vets today, couldn't feel many eggs in her, neither did the vet. But I asked him to do an x ray anyway, turns out she still had quite a few eggs in her! Me and the vet where both pretty surprised, her belly just felt squishy!
So he's giving her the injection and keeping her in over night, so hopefully I get a good phonecall tomorrow saying she's laid her eggs.
If not it will be surgery :/ so fingers crossed!!
So expensive though! Looking into reptile insurance now! Haha, will keep you posted though

if they do surgery to remove the eggs, you can have them go ahead and remove the reproductive organs, this way,, she cnat ever get egg bound again.
just a thought.

 

[LouiseKelly]

Got a phonecall from the vets this morning and she laid 20+ eggs last night
Going to pick her and the eggs up later, and bring her home

Very relieved.

Thanks to everyone for there advice xxx

 

[AngieL]

Got a phonecall from the vets this morning and she laid 20+ eggs last night
Going to pick her and the eggs up later, and bring her home

Very relieved.

Thanks to everyone for there advice xxx

Yay! I'm so pleased to hear that! LOts of food and water for your girl for the next week or so. Congrats

 

[LouiseKelly]

Thanks I will do.

I've just spoken to someone in my near by pet shop and they said that females usually die about 2 years after they've been mated?
Is that true?
'

 

[laurie]

She isn't going to die in two years!! That is crap. She could die but it won't be from laying one clutch of eggs. The more a female is breed it will shorten her lifespan, but once will not take it down to 2 years. She may only live 4 or 5 years. But that is only a guess.

 

[AngieL]

Thanks I will do.

I've just spoken to someone in my near by pet shop and they said that females usually die about 2 years after they've been mated?
Is that true?
'

That's a myth! If she is cared for properly she can live a long happy healthy life. Overbred chameleons will live a shorter life yes bus breeding once doesn't mean the death sentence! Egg laying does take a lot out of her, that's why females typically live less time than males but what you were told is not true