Eggs?

K

Khammy87

New Member
Cage Type - Glass aquarium (Yeah, I know, screen...) with screen doors. 48"Hx18"Lx18"D
* Lighting - UVB: 8.0UVB Exo-Terra Repti-Glo Linear fluorescent, Night: Red infrared heat lamp, Basking: 75 watt
* Temperature - Day: Basking 80-85, floor 70. Night: Top 75, floor room temperature. Digital
* Humidity - Varies between 60 - 75%, Misting at the moment, will be setting up an automatic mister. Digital
* Plants - There are 3 live plants of the same type, I do not know the type, though.
* Placement - I have it placed on a metal shelving unit. Top of cage is about 7ft off floor. No cold drafts, etc.
* Location - Ohio


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Female, less than a year (from what I was told), I've had her about a month
* Handling - I try to handle her often, about every other day atleast.
* Feeding - Currently, mostly crickets. Gut load with a couple recipes combined I found on this forum, and calcium cricket quencher. Dust every feeding. Been offering food daily, usually eats the equivelant of 5-6 crickets.
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - I water with a water bottle 3 - 4 times daily, currently working on a automatic misting system and drip system. I have seen her drink before.
* Fecal Description - Normal feces (white with black). Not been tested yet, once I get a fresh sample!
* History - Has had previous owner. I've only had her for about a month. Great little girl!
* Current Problem - Possibly egg bound??

Ok, well now that I have all that for ya! Fiona is my first chameleon. She is a pretty friendly little girl, only gets upset when I take her from her cage. Well, here recently I had noticed she was spending a little bit of time on the floor of her cage. The floor of her cage has some dirt on it with three plants of an unknown type. I didn't really notice any digging habits. Though, I am well aware of the possiblity, with her age and being female, of producing eggs. The past few days here I have noticed that she was starting to look bigger with not really eating very much more, and actually less I think. So, this morning I brought her into work (I am a veterinary technician) to take some radiographs. I will attach the Xrays I took (Don't judge, our chemicals were in need of changing!). Anyhow, as I suspected she is bearing eggs! I was talking with my teacher from tech school (He worked with zoos and such) and he said they lost most of their veiled chameleons to being egg bound.

So, after finding this out, I went to the store, bought her a deep trash can, a bag of potting soil (no additives, just dirt), and a bag of play sand. I mixed them both up in the pale and filled it about 3/4 full so she couldn't climb out, but left plenty of digging room. I put her in it with her heat lamp, but she doesn't show any interest in digging (left her for about 3 hours).

Am I doing something wrong? Is there anything else you guys can suggest? Any and all information is appreciated! Thank you!
 
 
Put no more than 12 inches of dirt/sand in the trash can. They try to dig to the bottom and she'll wear herself out. You need to have the dirt moist so the tunnel will not cave in on her. If it's not moist she will not like it. She will need total privacy. If she sees you looking she will stop and can become egg bound.
 
Alright, I will try that.. I was told somewhere to give her about enough to dig down 30cm or so.. Also; is it better that she is left alone during the day or night to do this??
 
You said you have a red infrared heat lamp at night...unless the temperature is dropping lower than the mid 60's this isn't needed.

At this age, she can be fed every second day.
Is she pooping?

Can you please post the specific supplements you are using and how often with each? What are you specifically using to gutload/feed the insects?

Eggbinding and MBD seem to be the most often reported problems with veiled chameleons unfortunately. From what I know eggbinding is most often a husbandry issue although there are some physical reasons for it happening too (fused/misshaped eggs, eggs that are too large to lay, reproductive system irregularities, failure to provide a suitable place for the eggs to be laid, etc.) and there is also follicular stasis occuring in veileds. Constant overfeeding can lead to egg issues too.

When you look at the x-rays are the "eggs" round (thus, follicles) or oval (eggs)?

I put an opaque container large enough for the chameleon to fit into when empty with a couple of inches on all sides including above and below. I fill it about 3/4 full of moist washed playsand. This provides a place for her to dig in the cage...once the female starts digging intently in this container she can be moved to the garbage can. (BTW, when a female is digging, do not let her see you watching her or she will likely abandon the hole. If it happens often enough it can lead to eggbinding.

Let's hope she's not eggbound.
 
Gutload: http://adcham.com/html/husbandry/gutload.html

Supplement: ZooMed's Reptivite with D3

I'll switch off the red light at night until winter time hits, but even then I may not use it if I am keeping my room warmish.. (Great for me too! Now I can fall asleep faster! Haha)

I'll take her down to every other day feeding, and with that supplement, should I only be doing this like every other feeding??

I hope she's not eggbound, too.. I don't suppose surgery is an option to remove eggs and possibly spay her during the surgery?

Edit: The eggs appear to be more of a oval, normal egg shape, not round. You can see them in the pictures I enclosed prior.
 
Khammy87 said:
Gutload: http://adcham.com/html/husbandry/gutload.html

Supplement: ZooMed's Reptivite with D3

I'll switch off the red light at night until winter time hits, but even then I may not use it if I am keeping my room warmish.. (Great for me too! Now I can fall asleep faster! Haha)

I'll take her down to every other day feeding, and with that supplement, should I only be doing this like every other feeding??

I hope she's not eggbound, too.. I don't suppose surgery is an option to remove eggs and possibly spay her during the surgery?

Edit: The eggs appear to be more of a oval, normal egg shape, not round. You can see them in the pictures I enclosed prior.
Click to expand...

Supplements: You need three. A plain calcium with no D3 that you will use the most......at everyother feeding. D3 Calcium should only be used twice a month and you need a multi vit. to use once a month.
This is what I use. The 1st, 3rd and 5th.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/


A cham always needs the lights off at night and they need it to be cool, at least 10 degrees cooler at night.

When you feed everyother day, you will only dust with supplements everyother time that you feed.

I would not recommend surgery except at the very last resort. They often do not make it through surgery.
 
Oh, and yes she is pooping..

I just took her to the garage (Warm out today) with her soil/sand mix in the trash can. I covered it so she wouldn't be disturbed. Its a very low traffic area. How long do you think I should give her before returning her to the cage?
 
jannb said:
Supplements: You need three. A plain calcium with no D3 that you will use the most......at everyother feeding. D3 Calcium should only be used twice a month and you need a multi vit. to use once a month.
This is what I use. The 1st, 3rd and 5th.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/


A cham always needs the lights off at night and they need it to be cool, at least 10 degrees cooler at night.

When you feed everyother day, you will only dust with supplements everyother time that you feed.

I would not recommend surgery except at the very last resort. They often do not make it through surgery.
Click to expand...

Wow, I think I will be doing ALOT more reading on these forums.. I was going off what the book told me (Which wasn't alot, they didn't go into great detail about veiled chammys) *takes notes* Thank you for all the information

Question: Could the reason they don't make it through surgery be because they are already too bad off before most owners bring them in?
 
If you know the date of inception it is easier to judge when to expect eggs. Do you ever weigh her? That is another good way to know if she is ready. She may need a day or two still to be ready.
 
Regrding the trash can, you said..."I covered it so she wouldn't be disturbed"...so you are leaving her in the dark??
I use a 65 litre rubbermaid container. I cut out most of the lid and put screen where I cut the part out. I put moist washed playsand in the container and add a branch. I put the chameleon in once she has been intently digging in the small container in her cage. I put the screened lid back on and put a light over the screen to provide light and heat. Just remember that its a closed space and will heat up....so don't overdo the light. (I usually just use a fluorescent UV light on the container.)

As Jann said, you need three supplement powders...phos.-free calcium is used on most feedings to help make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phos. in many of the feeder insects.

Phos.-free calcium/D3 I use twice a month lightly. D3 from supplements can build up in the system...so don't overdo it.

I use a vitamin powder with a beta carotene source of vitamin A twice a month. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed vitamin A will...however its not been proven if all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene (prOformed)..so they give a little prEformed once in a while. Excess prEformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are main players in bone health (and play parts in other body systems too) and they need to be in balance. Look at your gutload, supplements, what you feed the chameleon when trying to balance them.

Hope this helps!
 
Well, no eggs today..

I have new supplements ordered and on the way! Thanks for setting me straight on that

No, she is not in complete darkness, its a thin white sheet, so she is still getting some light in there

I'll keep working with her, and let ya know!

Thanks for all the help!
 
Update

Well good news! I got up this morning and checked on Fiona. I couldn't find her at first, but looked at the bottom of her cage which is dirt.. and I found she had been digging a hole! I located her in her cage, and she was a darkish color. So, I put her in the garbage can with dirt in it about half full and she's been in there since about noon. I peeked in on her once, and she is digging her hole! (She didn't see me). Hopefully eggs will soon follow!

Another question: I read somewhere about chameleons able to store sperm until it was proper to reproduce.. Is this true and if so, how long could she hold it and it still be viable?? Could I be dealing with cham-babies?? Is there any way, other than time, to tell if the eggs are viable??
 
Khammy87 said:
Well good news! I got up this morning and checked on Fiona. I couldn't find her at first, but looked at the bottom of her cage which is dirt.. and I found she had been digging a hole! I located her in her cage, and she was a darkish color. So, I put her in the garbage can with dirt in it about half full and she's been in there since about noon. I peeked in on her once, and she is digging her hole! (She didn't see me). Hopefully eggs will soon follow!

Another question: I read somewhere about chameleons able to store sperm until it was proper to reproduce.. Is this true and if so, how long could she hold it and it still be viable?? Could I be dealing with cham-babies?? Is there any way, other than time, to tell if the eggs are viable??
Click to expand...

So glad to hear she is digging!! Regarding the eggs being viable...From my experience, sometimes will look "off" from the get-go either in shape or color. If the females have been supplemented well as well as feeders gutloaded well too, the infertile eggs will often look like those that are fertile, nice white color and shape. I never throw any eggs away until they are moldy and have for sure gone bad. This usually happens within the first month of incubation, but can happen much later occasionally. Also, even if an egg looks strange with shape or color, I incubate it as a good egg until it proves otherwise.
 
ChrisnLisa said:
So glad to hear she is digging!! Regarding the eggs being viable...From my experience, sometimes will look "off" from the get-go either in shape or color. If the females have been supplemented well as well as feeders gutloaded well too, the infertile eggs will often look like those that are fertile, nice white color and shape. I never throw any eggs away until they are moldy and have for sure gone bad. This usually happens within the first month of incubation, but can happen much later occasionally. Also, even if an egg looks strange with shape or color, I incubate it as a good egg until it proves otherwise.
Click to expand...

Alright, well she actually produced 28 eggs last night. I have a feeling they are infertile since this is her first clutch, and she has not been introduced to a male to my knowledge.. Is it true they can hold sperm until ready to reproduce??
 
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