First time egg-laying?

[TyggyToo]

Shayna has gotten me worried enough to move her to a bucket of sand, a branch, and some fake leaves for cover.

Now I feel like I put her in prison, or such a weird environment that she's paralysed with fear. Maybe its not her, maybe its just me.

If she is a first time layer at this point, how long will it take for her to do something in that bin? I mean anything. When do I say 'false alarm' and take her out? She's only 45g this week...she CAN'T have eggs. can she?

I need to move the heat light....she can do without her UVB for now. . .
I am a nervous wreck.

Tyg

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled Female about 9mo, fluctuates around 45-50g weight. She looks pudgy, not leaf-thin
Handling - Occasional. I only touch her to unclench her hind feet from her front legs/sides/tail (ongoing issue)
or put her in the shower (sometime last week) or get her off the cage bottom after a presumed fall
Feeding - med/large crickets fed BugBurger, phoenix worms. Occasional dubia. Fed a bit 2x day
Supplements - Repashy NO D Cal on crickets/dubias (withholding D for possible over dose)
Watering - Misting twice daily until she's lapped her 'lips' and a dripper is going 18 hr.
Fecal Description - normal, yesterday slightly off-white urates.
History - she has a long standing problem of mobility where her hindlegs will grasp the foreleg/flank/tail. Though
improved, we're still working at it.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screened, 16x16x30
Lighting - 12/12 light to dark. UVA for plant, UVB 10.0 (she self-regulates by spending time in the shade) and 60watt bulb for basking
Temperature - Daytime high 82 under basking light and 70's at base. Nighttime lows in the 60's exoterra thermometer and a laser thermometer.
Humidity - who knows? One weather-type hygrometer reads 60, the exoterra reads 30, and a clock/thermometer/hygrometer read over 80.
The cage is well misted 2-3xday, there is a dripper, water poured on a towel on the room heater, and plants
surrounding the cage.
Plants - one ficus in her cage, about 12 around the cage and in the room
Placement - on a desk, max heigh about 5'. Two birds also in the room, but it is very low traffic. It is a reading/meditating/watching animals room
Location -NE USA (that is NorthEast, or New England, not NEbraska!)
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[Elizadolots]

Can you maybe put a shallow pan with sand in the bottom of her regular enclosure to let her start digging if that's what she needs? If she does start digging you could move her to the laying bin at that time.

Do you have a thread going about the leg grabbing? That's typically an early indicator of illness. It can be an early indicator of MBD and, until it's shown to be something else, that's how I think you should treat it.

 

[TyggyToo]

Yep...been through the leg grabbing with the forum and a few vets, and I'm still working on it.

As far as the original issue of today's post, first let me say that I truly love this creature. She settled the matter for me. She climbed out. I disengaged her from the vine, put her back in her cage, and she gave me the stink-eye, then ambled off. It was if she was saying, "I'll tell you when I need it. Stop jumping the gun."

There is now a plastic tub about 11"long, 6" wide and 4" deep with a few inches of damp sand in there. This sooo doesn't play well with 'no substrate'!

 

[kinyonga]

It would be better if the container (opaque) you put in the cage was 12" deep by 12" x 8".

Make sure that once she starts digging you don't let her see you watching her.

Can you post some photos of her please?

 

[TyggyToo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWqNXLqveY&context=C30960e6ADOEgsToPDskLh2jLovBQ8V327-0B_8IOU




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGP-...xt=C30960e6ADOEgsToPDskLh2jLovBQ8V327-0B_8IOU


Her cage is only 16.5 inches square...I think 12x12 is an awful lot of foot space. Or do you think I should simply line the base with plastic and put in sand as a 6" substrate?

 

[Elizadolots]

Here's a link to jannb's blog entry on using a separate laying bin.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

The reason for using the play sand is it's been shown to pass through their systems pretty easily. There is little risk of impaction, which is one of the main concerns about using substrate.

She might be able to lay in 6 inches of sand (she's small, right?). She needs to be able to dig a tunnel, turn around in it and lay her eggs. She'll dig at an angle so she'd be able to make a tunnel longer than 6 inches.

However, just waiting until she shows you she's ready, then moving her to a separate bin might be easier and cleaner.

One thing you'll probably want to do is dig a starter hole for her.