Gravid Veiled Chameleon may be having trouble laying her eggs

[Brittneylc1981]

We have a 7 foot screened enclosure. The temperature is at 80 and humidity is around 60 to 64. We have a 6 to 8 inch opaque lay bin prepared. Substrates are 50 play sand and 50 perlite (vermiculite). We covered her entire enclosure with a sheet for privacy. She has been eating normally. Her crickets and cockroaches are calcified. The lay bin is 2 ft x 1 ft big.

She has been going down to the bottom exploring. We noticed one possible test hole. Being serious first time chameleon owners we are concerned. We wouldnt want to lose our baby Mazzy to being egg bound. I can attach some more pictures once we get home. But I appreciate any helpful advice.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

We have a 7 foot screened enclosure. The temperature is at 80 and humidity is around 60 to 64. We have a 6 to 8 inch opaque lay bin prepared. Substrates are 50 play sand and 50 perlite (vermiculite). We covered her entire enclosure with a sheet for privacy. She has been eating normally. Her crickets and cockroaches are calcified. The lay bin is 2 ft x 1 ft big.

She has been going down to the bottom exploring. We noticed one possible test hole. Being serious first time chameleon owners we are concerned. We wouldnt want to lose our baby Mazzy to being egg bound. I can attach some more pictures once we get home. But I appreciate any helpful advice.

Sounds good. If Mazzy is exploring the laying bin she is probably close to laying. Keep your eyes on Mazzy for signs she has laid her clutch of eggs..

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Sonny13]

Assumption it’s her first time? My girls first time was a hell and took ages. Was also afraid she would become egg bound. I would give her a bit more time and privacy, nature do her thing.

 

[LizardLurkin]

Is it also easy for her to get into a leave the laying bin?
It's helpful to have some sort of branches so she can sort of pathfind to and out of it.

 

[Brittneylc1981]

Yes she is my first chameleon. She let me touch her stomach softly i didn't feel anything but she looks in detress. Here are some pictures.

 

[Brittneylc1981]

Is it also easy for her to get into a leave the laying bin?
It's helpful to have some sort of branches so she can sort of pathfind to and out of it.
View attachment 364552

Yes we do have some sticking out. I have attached a picture

 

[LizardLurkin]

The laying bin appears to check out...
She does look fairly gravid.

Not sure if this could be related, but do you have a linear t5HO UVB bulb? The coil UVB bulbs often sold in these double light fixtures are largely ineffective for chameleons in captivity, and I just want you to know that. The reptisun 5.0 or arcadia 6% are the only thing to give chameleons sufficient UVB exposure.

 

[Sonny13]

When did she show for the first time restless behavior? My first guess is she is in her receptive phase at the moment and is still developing eggs. The second restless period is mostly the one she's looking for place to lay her eggs.

Agree with @LizardLurkin and wanted to ask the same. And what's in the small enclosure?

 

[Brittneylc1981]

I have to double check the bulb with the man. But it is a 75 watt just cause her enclosure is 7 foot tall.

We watched YouTube videos and read the forum so we would know what to expect. But her colors have changed. Her patterns are beautifully different and show more than ever. We noticed her going down to the very bottom of her enclosure looking around. Her belly appeared big. And our male; who is now on the otherside of the room, has been stalking her cage. But last night she did sleep on the bottom of her cage (unusual) clinging on to the screen.

 

[Brittneylc1981]

When did she show for the first time restless behavior? My first guess is she is in her receptive phase at the moment and is still developing eggs. The second restless period is mostly the one she's looking for place to lay her eggs.

Agree with @LizardLurkin and wanted to ask the same. And what's in the small enclosure?

The small enclosure is my daughter's chameleon.

 

[kinyonga]

Hope your chameleon isn’t eggbound. Part of what can push them to egg binding is overfeeding as they approach sexual maturity and temperatures that are too hot. Can you give us information on how much you’re feeding her and the temperature she is kept at?

The substrate in your lay bin looks very dry…too dry to hold a tunnel, I think. In addition to that, perlite and vermiculite should not be used in the substrate IMHO…for many years I used a washed plays and produced by King’s. It has never caused any issues when the females try to eat it or get it in their eyes, etc when digging.

(Vermiculite and perlite can be used in the egg bin.)

Also, what is the chameleon in the smaller cage? What sex is it? What age is it? Is there anything between the cages to prevent the chameleons from seeing each other?

If you don’t have a long linear uvb light (Arcadia 6 or Reptisun 5) on both of the cages, then you need to get one for each cage. @Beman can give you good information about the uvb lighting.

Adding…
Just saw some of your other posts and I see you also have a male. Can the male and female see each other? Are they in the same room?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi there. I’m just going to give you this. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/ In addition to not feeling safe enough to lay their eggs if they can see us humans, they will also not feel safe enough if other animals can see them.

 

[Brittneylc1981]

Hope your chameleon isn’t eggbound. Part of what can push them to egg binding is overfeeding as they approach sexual maturity and temperatures that are too hot. Can you give us information on how much you’re feeding her and the temperature she is kept at?

The substrate in your lay bin looks very dry…too dry to hold a tunnel, I think. In addition to that, perlite and vermiculite should not be used in the substrate IMHO…for many years I used a washed plays and produced by King’s. It has never caused any issues when the females try to eat it or get it in their eyes, etc when digging.

(Vermiculite and perlite can be used in the egg bin.)

Also, what is the chameleon in the smaller cage? What sex is it? What age is it? Is there anything between the cages to prevent the chameleons from seeing each other?

If you don’t have a long linear uvb light (Arcadia 6 or Reptisun 5) on both of the cages, then you need to get one for each cage. @Beman can give you good information about the uvb lighting.

Adding…
Just saw some of your other posts and I see you also have a male. Can the male and female see each other? Are they in the same room?

 

[Brittneylc1981]

Nooo. The chameleon in the smaller cage isba 2 month old female. We completely covered her cage

Hope your chameleon isn’t eggbound. Part of what can push them to egg binding is overfeeding as they approach sexual maturity and temperatures that are too hot. Can you give us information on how much you’re feeding her and the temperature she is kept at?

The substrate in your lay bin looks very dry…too dry to hold a tunnel, I think. In addition to that, perlite and vermiculite should not be used in the substrate IMHO…for many years I used a washed plays and produced by King’s. It has never caused any issues when the females try to eat it or get it in their eyes, etc when digging.

(Vermiculite and perlite can be used in the egg bin.)

Also, what is the chameleon in the smaller cage? What sex is it? What age is it? Is there anything between the cages to prevent the chameleons from seeing each other?

If you don’t have a long linear uvb light (Arcadia 6 or Reptisun 5) on both of the cages, then you need to get one for each cage. @Beman can give you good information about the uvb lighting.

Adding…
Just saw some of your other posts and I see you also have a male. Can the male and female see each other? Are they in the same room?

We feed her in the morning. 3 large calcified crickets. And 3 in the evening. The temperature is 80 and humidity at 60.

Substrate 50 play sand. 50 perlite. I put some more water in there again and mixed it. Felt good enough to hold a tunnel.

The chameleon is about 2 to 3 months. She is a female. I attached a picture showing the covering of her enclosure. Our gravid female.

The light bulb is reptisun. 75 watts just cause her cage is 7 feet tall.

He is a male chameleon. We moved him across my room. About a good 10 feet away from her.

Thank you for your help it is much appreciated. I dont want to lose my beautiful Mazzy. Thank you so much for the information. I will double check everything.

 

[LizardLurkin]

The light bulb is reptisun. 75 watts just cause her cage is 7 feet tall.

So, the basking bulb is an entirely separate kind of bulb from the UVB you absolutely need for each of your three babies.
Chameleons absolutely require either the Zoomed Reptisun T5 Hood with 5.0 UV-B Bulb 24" or Arcadia Reptile Pro T5 Kit, Forest 6% UVB, 24W, 24" otherwise, they will develop MBD, eye issues, and all sorts of things. The bulbs for whichever fixtures you purchase will also need to be swapped out at least every six months. Just because the UVB light turns on after the six months and gives off light, does not mean they are still giving off the necessary UVB.
This is super important!
They are expensive, but are non-negotiable with chameleon keeping.
I don't want any of your beautiful babies to get rubbery bones or anything, so I really want to reiterate the importance!

As for feeding, these are very handy images to have around.

You can make gutload ice cubes (they stay good in the freezer for months!) to feed your bugs around 12 hours before feeding to your chameleons, so they have important nutritional value for your little guys. Since your one female is mature, it's a good idea to slow down in feeding her. She should get 2-3 good sized feeders I believe about every 2-3 days.
I hope she lays soon.

 

[Brittneylc1981]

So, the basking bulb is an entirely separate kind of bulb from the UVB you absolutely need for each of your three babies.
Chameleons absolutely require either the Zoomed Reptisun T5 Hood with 5.0 UV-B Bulb 24" or Arcadia Reptile Pro T5 Kit, Forest 6% UVB, 24W, 24" otherwise, they will develop MBD, eye issues, and all sorts of things. The bulbs for whichever fixtures you purchase will also need to be swapped out at least every six months. Just because the UVB light turns on after the six months and gives off light, does not mean they are still giving off the necessary UVB.
This is super important!
They are expensive, but are non-negotiable with chameleon keeping.
I don't want any of your beautiful babies to get rubbery bones or anything, so I really want to reiterate the importance!

As for feeding, these are very handy images to have around.

View attachment 364597View attachment 364598

You can make gutload ice cubes to feed your bugs around 12 hours before feeding to your chameleons, so they have important nutritional value for your little guys. Since your one female is mature, it's a good idea to slow down in feeding her. She should get 2-3 good sized feeders I believe about every 2-3 days.
I hope she lays soon.

Yes. We have been spending alot of money on our chamildrens bulbs for each of our chameleons. Bulbs are from 20 to 30 dollars each. But will also look into these other bulbs you suggested.

I saved each of these pictures. She eats kale sometimes but will try some other leafy greens for our chameleons. Will def do the ice cubes.

I looked under her sheet. She is crawling down to the bottom of her cage. So she knows her lay bin is there. I added water to the mixture. And will decrease her food intake. The heat down there is at 78. And just keeping an eye on her (being sneaky).

 

[LizardLurkin]

Yes. We have been spending alot of money on our chamildrens bulbs for each of our chameleons. Bulbs are from 20 to 30 dollars each. But will also look into these other bulbs you suggested.

I saved each of these pictures. She eats kale sometimes but will try some other leafy greens for our chameleons. Will def do the ice cubes.

I looked under her sheet. She is crawling down to the bottom of her cage. So she knows her lay bin is there. I added water to the mixture. And will decrease her food intake. The heat down there is at 78. And just keeping an eye on her (being sneaky).

So the gutload veggies would be for the bugs. You are legally required to be a bug parent too, owning so many chams That's what no one tells you lol
Also!
It's not recommended to give vegetables to our chameleons, just to the bugs they will eventually eat.

As your girl is checking around at the bottom, you can to listen up for any digging noises Hope she makes some progress.
Be sure to read the laying section here. Privacy is very important in these times, and you wouldn't want her to catch you peeking.

 

[ehdee6]

Just want to show an affordable diy way to keep your cham babies separated and give them privacy.

The garage bag around the bottom is for my female vailed. I'm going to replace it with gardening cloth tomorrow to help with airflow. I've added an extra picture of Madame in all her glory.

I also must add, I know they're SUPER expensive to get set up, I spent $600 on my cham cages, easy. Plants, lights, food, decorations, misters, vitamin, (the cage itself!!) it all adds up, for sure! But, if anything a T5 liner kit with a 6% (Arcadia), or 5.0 (zoomed) UVB light is absolutely essential for their health. Especially a female who needs the UVB to help her body absorb the calcium to help her produce eggs. Please think of them not as some cheap lizard, but as a purebred kitten or puppy you just paid $2000 for. Once you get the cage right, the upkeep is much cheaper than a vet bill.

Inside her cage:

 

[Brittneylc1981]

So the gutload veggies would be for the bugs. You are legally required to be a bug parent too, owning so many chams That's what no one tells you lol
Also!
It's not recommended to give vegetables to our chameleons, just to the bugs they will eventually eat.

As your girl is checking around at the bottom, you can to listen up for any digging noises Hope she makes some progress.
Be sure to read the laying section here. Privacy is very important in these times, and you wouldn't want her to catch you peeking.

Okay. Yeah we feed our crickets and cockroaches kale too.

Just want to show an affordable diy way to keep your cham babies separated and give them privacy.

The garage bag around the bottom is for my female vailed. I'm going to replace it with gardening cloth tomorrow to help with airflow. I've added an extra picture of Madame in all her glory.

I also must add, I know they're SUPER expensive to get set up, I spent $600 on my cham cages, easy. Plants, lights, food, decorations, misters, vitamin, (the cage itself!!) it all adds up, for sure! But, if anything a T5 liner kit with a 6% (Arcadia), or 5.0 (zoomed) UVB light is absolutely essential for their health. Especially a female who needs the UVB to help her body absorb the calcium to help her produce eggs. Please think of them not as some cheap lizard, but as a purebred kitten or puppy you just paid $2000 for. Once you get the cage right, the upkeep is much cheaper than a vet bill.

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Inside her cage:
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Oh wow. That's awesome. Yes we knew they weren't going to be cheap. We spent alpt on each of them. They are an advanced reptile and need so much care to take care of. And we love each of our reptiles. My bf built 2 enclosures already for our two older chameleons. Mt daughter wanted one. I told her how much money, care, and love these little guys need. And for my bf and I its worth it. We walk into petco and look at how malnourished the chams are. Maynard and Miwa looked so malnourished, we snatched them up and they have grown alot. Bigger limbs, strong, and a healthy looking color.

I attached some pictures of each enclosure. Miwa is in a smaller enclosure. When she gets bigger we will make her a bigger enclosure.

And yes we checked the bulbs and lighting for our chams and their live plants. We are planning to get the hood lighting for the top.

 

[kinyonga]

You said…”Nooo. The chameleon in the smaller cage isba 2 month old female. We completely covered her cage”…even though the cage is covered, I would move it away from the other chameleon if I could…she may be sensing the other female. This might be of interest to you and explain a bit…
https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/63/2/484/7208014

You said..”We feed her in the morning. 3 large calcified crickets. And 3 in the evening. The temperature is 80 and humidity at 60”… it’s important to feed the young chameleons enough that they can grow properly…but for the females, to keep them from developing reproductive issues…as they approach sexual maturity, they need to have less food and proper temperatures and husbandry.

You said…”Substrate 50 play sand. 50 perlite. I put some more water in there again and mixed it. Felt good enough to hold a tunnel”... female veileds tend to eat the substrate in the lay bin. Vermiculite and perlite can lead to blockages in their intestines, so should not be a part of the substrate in chameleon cages at all IMHO.

You said…”The chameleon is about 2 to 3 months. She is a female. I attached a picture showing the covering of her enclosure. Our gravid female.”…so do you have 2veiled females and a male?

You said…”The light bulb is reptisun. 75 watts just cause her cage is 7 feet tall”…you need to use the long linear UVB bulbs…not the round ones. @Beman …can you explain this please…you do it much better than I do.

You said…”He is a male chameleon. We moved him across my room. About a good 10 feet away from her”…see my link about vibrations. I think they can feel vibrations at times…even if they can’t see each other…so they can tell others are nearby. No scientific proof yet…just my opinion.

You said…”Thank you for your help it is much appreciated. I dont want to lose my beautiful Mazzy. Thank you so much for the information. I will double check everything”...you’re welcome. I hate to see people lose their chameleons too.

Clarification of this…”Vermiculite and perlite can be used in the egg bin”…I meant the bin that the eggs are incubated in…not the lay bin.