Female Veiled showing signs of receptive/gravid?

I have a female Veiled Chameleon. I've had her since May 2014. She's getting appropriate care light/temp/humidity/diet wise. She's healthy as can be. She is about 4-6 inches snout to vent length. The enclosure is 1.5'x1.5'x2.5'. I know it's too small and I have a larger enclosure prepared, I just don't want to add the stress of a new home to whatever is going on now, so she will be moved as soon as this is over. I'm having trouble researching exactly what's going on. She is normally bright green with bright yellow lines horizontally down the sides, nothing special. Lately she's been developing orange patterns all around and more recently has turquoise stripes and spots. There are small lumps above her hind legs and her belly seems full. When I palpate the lumps on her back end, they are soft. The belly is also soft, but not as soft as the back. She hasn't been eating much in the last week or so and when she does it's mainly vegetables. I'm supplementing the vegetables with calcium and D3 powder. She spends a lot of time on the bottom so I've left a lay box out. It's a small tupperware (the kind that like Hillshire Farms sliced ham comes in) filled about halfway with moist soil.

From the research I've been able to dig up, I've narrowed it down to sexual behavior. There is no chance of fertility. I'm assuming she's gravid, or she could also just be showing signs of receptiveness, too? I have three iguanas, but I have not yet experienced a gravid stage with them. The research was pretty straightforward with them. I got my questions answered with them and I am prepared for them to lay eggs when the time comes. Chameleons appear to be much different on the other hand. I've read that unlike iguanas, Chams can have several clutches in a year or none at all. From what I understand the orange and turquoise as well as the darker hues is typically a sign of sexual maturity. Please correct me if any of this info is wrong.

Attached are pictures of the features I have described. If you need anymore pictures or other information, please let me know.
 

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The first picture is just her adult colors, and the second two are of her being stressed/angry

I would add her lay bin in. as she is at that age.

also, upgrade the cage so you can get the bin in there.

you have nothing to worry about. even if she is gravid, changing the cages wont hurt her, unless she starts to dig in a plant or something, and you try to move her.
 
The second picture kinyonga posted of the receptive veiled chameleon is exactly what she looks like when she is resting/basking. I have a small lay box in, but I will upgrade the cage today and make a larger box.

camimom, you're right, I know the dark colors were just from her being stressed because I was getting up in her bubble with the camera. I posted the second two pictures to show that she has these little round lumps above her hind legs. So if the first picture I posted are simply just her adult colors, what should I be looking out for if she decides to become gravid? From what I understand, the decrease in diet, bright turquoise and orange color, and the lumps on top of her back legs were all signs that she is full of eggs.

So I just have a few questions, then. I've been reading that she could be producing egg sacs, but not actually lay them, and they will later be absorbed into the body. On the other hand, these egg sacs can potentially mature to entire eggs and she will hopefully lay them. Is that correct?

Also, if she is just full of egg sacs, does that mean these sacs can be fertilized? Do the Chameleons need to develop these sacs before they can be fertilized? Or are they able to become pregnant any time as long as they are of sexual maturity regardless of having egg sacs?

I do not plan on breeding her right now. I am asking these questions because if she does indeed lay eggs, I would like to see how the entire process works from gravidity to lay. I might try a mock hatching trial. I would like to one day attempt to breed her as an experiment, but I do not want to even try until I feel I can do it correct and responsibly.
 
The second picture kinyonga posted is not necessarily a gravid female, just a sexually mature one.

gravid females don't always look gravid. sometimes, they have a black backgroound (where the green is) with blue/orange spots. sometimes they don't.

my female only turned black when she was gravid with fertilized eggs. when she laid her infertiles, she never changed colors from your first picture.

If she is producing eggs, she will eventually lay them.

females can withhold sperm, so even if they don't have egg production started, they can start it at a later time.

this is why its best to just have the egg lay bin in her cage at all times.
 
Sorry for my short answer...battery was running out on my playbook.
When a female is gravid she may show the gravid coloration until she lays the eggs but she can also not keep the dark background color.

She can produce eggs and not lay them...that would be considered eggbinding...and is a death sentence if reproductive surgery is not performed at that point.

The likelihood of her resorbing the "eggs" is almost zero. I have heard of one or two cases of it happening in over 25 years of experience with them.

The eggs can be fertilized only up to a certain point. If the mating occurs after that point the female will likely lay a completely infertile clutch (often earlier than the 30 day norm and retain the sperm for the next clutch.

Sexually mature females have follicles that ovulate and become eggs (half in one tube and half in the other). If there was no mating the eggs will be infertile and still need to be laid. If a mating occurs then the ovulated follicles will become eggs and be laid. There are exceptional all of this due to reproductive issues or deformities.

Follicular stasis can occur. This means that the follicles get "stuck" and cannot progress to ovulate or become eggs. If this happens they will eventually,Lynda rot in the female and she will die without surgery to remove them. From what I've learned so far, follicular stasis occurs when the female is overfed constantly. When overfed constantly the female usually develops MBD and often prolapses too.

Eggbinding can also occur. This means that the eggs can't/won't be laid. Again, if surgery is not performed the female will die. The most common reason for eggbinding is failure to provide a suitable place for the chameleon to lay the eggs. This can also occur when there are deformities in the reproductive tract or an aggressive is deformed or the husbandry is poor and the female lacks the calcium to shell/lay the eggs.

Hope this helps.
 
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