Gravid female question

[RainbowBatsy]

I have a gravid female chameleon, she's been gravid for a few weeks now. I taped a pillow case to the front of her cage so she doesn't see me and provided her with a laying bin. She used to just have the yellow spots but as of yesterday, her whole body started turning black. Does this mean she is going to lay soon or does it mean something else? Pictures below.

 

[Andee]

That is not the usual black for a non-receptive female. I would be worried something is wrong, those immediately signal to me as stress colors and few females I have seen who just immediately go into laying with no issues flash those colors but I will tag a couple knowledgeable people with breeding veileds. @jannb @kinyonga

 

[RainbowBatsy]

Could she be stressed because she's in pain or she's about to lay them? This is her first clutch so maybe that's why she's stressed? I have a pillow case taped over the cage so she doesn't see me so nothing outside of her cage should be stressing her out, and I haven't taken her out since she got gravid colors. I've left her alone for the most part except for feedings, and today she wouldn't even eat so that's why I'm asking if she is about to have them or not

That is not the usual black for a non-receptive female. I would be worried something is wrong, those immediately signal to me as stress colors and few females I have seen who just immediately go into laying with no issues flash those colors but I will tag a couple knowledgeable people with breeding veileds. @jannb @kinyonga

 

[Andee]

The fact that she's not eating may be a sign she needs to lay or getting ready to. Do you have a good sized lay bin in her cage? What is the substrate you are using for it?

 

[kinyonga]

Was she mated?

 

[RainbowBatsy]

The fact that she's not eating may be a sign she needs to lay or getting ready to. Do you have a good sized lay bin in her cage? What is the substrate you are using for it?

Okay. I don't know the dimensions of the laying bin but I have pictures of height, length and width

 

[RainbowBatsy]

Here's another picture

 

[RainbowBatsy]

Was she mated?

No she wasn't mated

 

[RainbowBatsy]

Also the substrate is ecoearth

 

[Nursemaia]

The laybin should be 10-12 inches deep and the substrate needs to be moist enough to hold its shape when a tunnel is dug. She may be stressed because she doesn't like the laybin. I use a 5 gallon bucket with half organic soil and half ground walnut shells. Some people use play sand but I like the ground walnut shells because they have the same the same texture as sand and I can get a huge bag cheaply at Petsmart.