Hello

[Miranda]

A single egg found before and after the laying!?

Been awhile since Ive been on here..

I just have a quick question..

I can usually tell when my Chameleon needs to lay her eggs because she stops eating and looks enormous. Well, this time she didn't look big and she was still eating so I didn't realize she needed to lay until I woke up one morning and found a single egg in the bottom of her enclosure. So I got her egg bucket in there within five minutes of seeing that egg. She started digging immediately..all night. Came up the next morning and covered em. I counted 38 this time. So about three days later I notice ANOTHER single egg in the bottom of her home. I just wanna know- is this single egg thing normal!?? Should I be worried?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Is it possible you missed that second single egg when you found the first one? Perhaps it had been there, and simply slipped off a leaf or a branch 3 days later?

This happened to me this year with a female Ambanja. I did not have a sandbox in her enclosure (my bad) and suddenly there was an egg on the floor of the cage. I got her into the birthing bin and she did great. Afterwards I found 2 more eggs in her enclosure. I think they must have been hidden in branches. At any rate, Mama was just fine and I personally believed she dropped those other 2 eggs before I got her into the birthing bin.

 

[Miranda]

Its pretty much impossible that the second single egg fell out of something.
She laid all her eggs in the bucket and then I took the bucket out and cleaned out her cage that day. Plus the last egg I found was in her water dish thing. but I guess its nothing to worry about.. right?

 

[Justin Carl]

Hello Miranda!

What species of chameleon are we talking about?
Sounds like a veiled with the clucth size.
Have you felt her belly for any leftover eggs?
It only takes one egg for her to become eggbound.
You should start keeping track of her weight, that way these thigs dont surprise you.
Also, why dont you just leave the egg laying container inside of the cage.
Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I don't know. If the last egg you found was subsequent to the clutch buried in the bucket, then you may have a problem. Hopefully someone who has experienced this specific situation will chime in.

You may wish to edit your first post. Got to edit, and then "go advanced" and change your post title to reflect the real concern. That will draw more experts to your aid.

 

[Miranda]

Yeah shes a veiled.
I havnt felt her belly but shes very thin now, I dont think there could be anymore in there.. honestly I wouldnt know what a single egg felt like inside her. I guess I could try though.

 

[Justin Carl]

Obviously the clutch was infertile, correct?
What are your feeding habbits like for her?
What do you feed and what do you gutload with?
How long has it been since her last clutch?

 

[Miranda]

Infertile, yes.
She gets wax worms sometimes, and millworms sometimes, mostly crickets that I feed "Total bites".
and her last clutch.. I dont remember exactly, it seems like she lays alot though. and usually around 50 something eggs, 38 has been the smallest so far. How often are they SUPPOSE to lay?

 

[Justin Carl]

Miranda,
She will lay as much as 4 times a year or never in her life!
It all boils down to how much you feeder her and temperature.
Give this article a good read or possibly the whole thing.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
I'm not familiar with the cricket total bite gutload, but I find it unlikely that it's infact "total".
That blof also has really good information on gutloading.
What are millworms? Do you mean mealworms?

 

[Miranda]

I wish it was never it her life! It stresses me out, I worry about her.
Thanks-Ill check out that link.
and yeah, mealworms! Sorry