Egg Laying

[Jacques]

Hi everybody,

I have two Flap Necked Chameleons. I live in South Africa and they are indigenous to our area.
Smartie, my female, has started laying eggs/egg. Problem is that it seems she is struggling to push them out? How long does it take to lay an egg on average?

I am getting worried about her health.

Thank you!

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Did she dig a burrow?
Is she in it laying?
It can take quite awhile to accomplish this task ... when did she start?

-Brad

 

[Jacques]

Hi Brad,

She did not dig a burrow and is currently just sitting on one of the branches in her cage.
This morning she was walking around with an egg still stuck to her.
I am not sure, and I did search her cage, but it seems that there is only one egg showing. It has almost been two days.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Does she have a place to dig a tunnel?
It sounds like she may need some help at this point.
Do you have a qualified herp vet?
She needs a container 12 inches or so deep full of quite moist sand or dirt.
How is her water situation? Is she drinking?

-Brad

 

[Jacques]

She was drinking this morning and seems to be healthy. Not eating. I have provided her with a large bucket filled with reptile sand.
She hasn't moved to the bucket although I have placed one of the branches in the bucket for easy access.
Scared to move her myself.
Have moistened the sand as advised.
I think the eggs will be infertile as I have had Patches, the male, for only a week. Have not seen them doing the Chameleon Cha Cha...
Read that Females will produce eggs even though they may be infertile?

Thank you for the advice so far!

 

[chameleonneeds]

OK how long did you have the laying bucket in? Not early enough Im guessing.
Start a tunel in the sand for her just to maybe hint her.

Is she Wild Caught or Captive bred? Im guessing WC. Then they are probably fertile and I hope you havnt been throwing them away!
I have found that almost all female flap necks that are adults and come from the wild are either at the early stages of gravid or extremely gravid and about to lay.