Egg laying

Hello all my name is Caleb and I have recently bought a veiled chameleon. She is my pride and joy shes amazing. I do have some questions about an egg laying bin, I have a smaller cage the one you get for a starter kit, and I was wondering how do I fit a container in there so she can lay her eggs. If you have any helpful advice it would be much appreciated thank you!
 
Hello all my name is Caleb and I have recently bought a veiled chameleon. She is my pride and joy shes amazing. I do have some questions about an egg laying bin, I have a smaller cage the one you get for a starter kit, and I was wondering how do I fit a container in there so she can lay her eggs. If you have any helpful advice it would be much appreciated thank you!
Hi and welcome! It’s a challenge to fit a decent sized lay bin in that sized enclosure, but it can be done. Your lady will be needing an upgrade to a 2x2x4’ enclosure, which is minimum size for an adult.
For the lay bin, you’ll need an approx 10x10x10” plastic bin. I drill a couple of tiny holes in the bottom for drainage. You’ll want to fill it approx 6-8” deep with washed play sand. You want to keep the sand moist enough to be able to form a tunnel without collapsing. Make sure there’s a branch or vine for her to get in/out. When she needs it, she’ll find it. Once she starts digging, cover the visible sides of the enclosure with a light sheet and give her ultimate privacy. If she sees you watching, she may stop laying. I poke peek holes in my sheet so I can monitor. Some will dig several holes until they have one they like. The whole process takes about a day or two. No need to worry about feeding. For hydration if you don’t have an automatic mister, use a dripper. When she’s all done, her hole will be covered and she’ll be sitting in her basking area looking dirty and much thinner. Feed and hydrate her well for a couple of days and then resume your normal care.
 
I did a review of your husbandry a few days ago. To ensure she has no problems laying, you’ll need to make the changes I suggested. While proper husbandry is important for all chameleons, it is even more vital for females to prevent problems with egg laying.
The first cycle is a bit easier to figure out than latter ones. First she’ll become receptive, meaning she’s ready for a male. She’ll be showing all of her pretty colors and patterns and be very restless. This goes on for a couple of weeks. A few weeks after that she’ll have started getting plump and maybe even lumpy and can lay her eggs at any time, often with no warning. It’s best to avoid having to guess and just keep the lay bin in her enclosure permanently.
 
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