MangoTango
Established Member
hi all I’m pretty sure I posted about this a while ago, but essentially my female veiled chameleon does not stop covering the eggs once it reaches a flat surface. She will continue to kick the sand until it becomes a mountain in the spot of the eggs. After on and off (only when it’s time to sleep) for about three days she will eventually fully stop. What I’ve learned from this, and from everybody’s insight is that the digging and the kicking of the sand is a hormone that needs to shut off on its own and for some reason, my girl’s does not shut off when it should. It gets to a point though, like as I type this, where now she is just kicking and moving the sand in any direction and not where the eggs are, and at a certain point might even uncover them if she keeps going for some time. One time I removed the bin quickly, took the eggs out, and replaced the bin without the eggs, so that she at least wouldn’t uncover any eggs, but can continue to move sand until her hormones are content, and of course, just like every time eventually she will stop (around day three).
That being said is that something that we believe should be done now? She started the entire egg laying process yesterday, September 23 at 9 AM and when her lights shut off at 9 PM, she slept on the branch all the way up top and then this morning went back down and continued to cover even though they were fully covered and in a nice flat even surface last night. it is now September 24 around 4 PM. She usually stops around the third day mark, but I hate that she continues when she was clearly done a long time ago. The only “perfect” egg process she had was her very first time, which only took her six hours with 45 eggs and ended with a perfectly flat and even surface. To my knowledge, nothing had happened after that that would constitute this abnormal way of laying. Her last lay was only 14 eggs and it might’ve been the sixth clutch -I’m not 100% and I will have to check my notes later.
Another time in the past, I had removed the bin and she ended up digging in pots or essentially trying to dig on a branch. The kicking would not stop until I replaced the bin and let her continue.
i’m just looking for insight as it pains me to watch her tire her little body out, but also not sure if I should interfere and give her food and water if she’s going to keep doing this anyway. The occasional time that I had interfered, she wasn’t angry and continues to use the same bin without abandoning any holes so she’s decently comfortable with me, but I don’t wanna be causing any damage to a potential healthy and efficient egg laying process in the future.
edit: forgot to mention that today sometimes she will come out and sit on the nearest branch possible for a minute or so and then climb back in and continue moving sand around. It’s like mentally she knows she’s done, but the hormones just won’t stop.
thank you.
~ tired cham mama
That being said is that something that we believe should be done now? She started the entire egg laying process yesterday, September 23 at 9 AM and when her lights shut off at 9 PM, she slept on the branch all the way up top and then this morning went back down and continued to cover even though they were fully covered and in a nice flat even surface last night. it is now September 24 around 4 PM. She usually stops around the third day mark, but I hate that she continues when she was clearly done a long time ago. The only “perfect” egg process she had was her very first time, which only took her six hours with 45 eggs and ended with a perfectly flat and even surface. To my knowledge, nothing had happened after that that would constitute this abnormal way of laying. Her last lay was only 14 eggs and it might’ve been the sixth clutch -I’m not 100% and I will have to check my notes later.
Another time in the past, I had removed the bin and she ended up digging in pots or essentially trying to dig on a branch. The kicking would not stop until I replaced the bin and let her continue.
i’m just looking for insight as it pains me to watch her tire her little body out, but also not sure if I should interfere and give her food and water if she’s going to keep doing this anyway. The occasional time that I had interfered, she wasn’t angry and continues to use the same bin without abandoning any holes so she’s decently comfortable with me, but I don’t wanna be causing any damage to a potential healthy and efficient egg laying process in the future.
edit: forgot to mention that today sometimes she will come out and sit on the nearest branch possible for a minute or so and then climb back in and continue moving sand around. It’s like mentally she knows she’s done, but the hormones just won’t stop.
thank you.
~ tired cham mama
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