Gravid colouration?

[JamesD]

Hi guys,
I've not posted here before, but have been reading posts for quite some time! I've recently purchased a pair of Rhampholeon uluguruensis and have a few questions about them as they are my first chameleon. Just to inform you, the female is 8 months old and the male is 9 months old (both are CB).
My first question is, do female pygmies show a different colouration/pattern when gravid? I know they don't have much of a range of colours, but they can definately do light to dark very well! My female has recently started to display dark and light vertical stripes around her dorsal crest and I'm wondering if this is just a normal variation of their daily pattern, or whether it's because she's gravid. When she moves to the viv floor, she becomes a lot darker than when she's basking.
She has also spent most of the past few days either basking, or walking around on the viv floor pressing her nose against the substrate in various places. I was told that pygmies were quite inactive, however apart from the odd few hours spent basking she is extremely active and always walks as though she has a purpose. My male acts a lot more as I expected...sitting on one branch for several hours then slowly wandering to another for the next few hours. So my question is, is this normal behaviour, or could she be looking for somewhere to lay?
If it helps, I can post pics of her and/or the viv for you to look at.
Sorry for all the questions and the long post, but I want to make sure I get things as good as I can for them.
Thanks in advance,
James

 

[JamesD]

Also, just to let you know, temps are 72F and humidity averages at around 75-80%.

 

[JamesD]

Can nobody help with any of my questions?
She's been an eating machine since she got here.....she took 15 crickets today (same size as the gap between her eyes). Her behaviour is completely different to the males....he has spent the whole of today sitting up at the top of the ficus. Yesterday, he came down to the bottom of the viv for a little while, ate 5 crickets then went back up and hasn't come down since! She has been on the move for almost the entire day!!!

 

[jannb]

Hello James and welcome to the forums. I can not answer your questions because I don't have pygmies and I know very little about breeding. If you fill out the help sheet below and post a few pictures some of the other members will help you. Allot of people work in the day time but it gets pretty busy on here in the evenings. Jann

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[JamesD]

Hi Jan, thanks for your reply. I'll try and answer those questions in as much detail as possible.

Cage Info:
I am using the 30x30x45 Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium.

For lighting, I use a 25W spot lamp which lights up the top of the viv but provides dappled shade on the viv floor. This is on for 12 hours a day (8am-8pm).

The basking spot is 76F and the viv floor is 72F. These temps drop by around 5F over night and I'm measuring them using a digital thermometer (with probe).

Humidity averages at around 75% and rises to over 90% just after a spray (I spray at least twice a day, sometimes 3 times). This is measured with a digital hygrometer.

I am using live plants. I have one Ficus which is as tall as the viv and one fern which covers one side of the floor. There are also severl clumps of live moss to increase humidity (see pic).

The viv is not near any fans or anything and is not in a high traffic area. It is approx. 5ft off the floor.

Chameleon Info:
This cham is a female CB Rhampholeon uluguruensis that is approx. 8 months old. It is also housed with a male that is approx. 9 months old. I have only had them for 4 days.

I only handled them once to move them from the container they arrived in, into their viv.

I am currently feeding them on crickets that are around 3mm in length. They are gutloaded with fresh carrots and dark greens that have been coated in calcium carbonate. I am feeding them daily as they are always looking out for food. The female will eat over 10 in one sitting. I bowl feed them so that there are none loose in the viv at night to bother them.

I am using calypso calcium carbonate and nutrobol to dust the crickets. I mix it 3:1 (calypso:nutrobol) and am going to dust their food once a week.

I mist them with filtered water 2-3 times a day. I do this until there are water droplets on most of the leaves (although lighter in the evening) and I have seen them both drink after most sprays.

Their faeces is normal in colour, well formed and the uric acid granule is white and not too large.

Unfortunately, I have no history on these chams other than their age.

Although it's not really a problem, my questions can be found in my first post (no point in repeating them!). Below are 2 pics of their viv however, since these were taken, I have added a lot more branches to the lower part of the viv and have spread the plants out more to provide a lot more cover for them.

I think that was everything

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I don't keep them either.
The one major thing missing is a UVB light. For this species (I believe) a Reptisun 2.0 linear tube or a used 5.0 would be in order.
This is a great article:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=63

-Brad

 

[JamesD]

Hi Brad,
I was planning on getting a 2% UVB tube....I was simply waiting to get paid as the set up turned out to be more expensive than I had planned! I got paid yesterday so there should be one up and running within the next few days.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Excellent

-Brad

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Hi guys,

My first question is, do female pygmies show a different colouration/pattern when gravid?

You will see it in her body appearance. A girl full of eggs will look very plump. View her from overhead, looking down at her. You might want to check the sides of glass tank under soil from time to time (even bottom). In a glass tank, odds are pretty good that she'll lay her eggs next to the hard surface of the tanks glass. I've come home to tiny baby surprises a few times, without ever knowing eggs had been laid.