Help! Meller Eggs?

[Keiness]

So I have a WC Mellers chameleon, I've had her since October. I think she was imported last summer.

Well short story, I thought Commodore was male until about 5 minutes ago when I discovered 12-20 eggs on the bottom of the flex.

Im really really shocked, and im not sure what to do.

The eggs are small, about a inch. Very white, with some clear spots. I've started taking the ones I can reach and putting them in some vermiculite.

Im assuming they are infertile, but is it possible that she could have retained sperm from the wild? Do Mellers usually lay eggs randomly? How can I tell if she has more/ possibly egg bound?

 

[bradley]

i dont keep mellers i keep veiled but would love to keep mellers one day
She can retain sperm from the wild and can have two more clutches from one mating. If u want 2 know if she has more then feel her belly. Dont press to hard as u may damage the eggs. They should be good so get an incubator (soz don't know correct temps) and incubate them

 

[Dunnigan]

I dont think animals can retain sperm for over 1 year, but i could be mistaken.

 

[hailo]

thats awesome, hows the mother doing?

 

[Keiness]

Ok here are the eggs, I threw out two brown ones. See the pore like areas?

What do you think? Should I incubate them? They looks strange to me, some are white, some more yellowish. I don't have a clue what do for for cham egg incubation, I breed geckos. I was going to wait a few years to see if I happened to have a pair of Mellers...I guess i know ones female.

I guess it could be possible that she bred then was imported here, then held the sperm over the winter? Can they lay eggs without a male?

Should I put a nest box in their incase she has more to lay? Right now shes absolutely fine, very inquisitive and very hungry. This explains why she was off food before hand and scratching at a corner of her cage and crawling on the floor, and being grumpy/restless.

 

[kinyonga]

I answered (hopefully all of) your questions on another forum that you posted on.

 

[summoner12]

here is a thread about my egg experience... Maybe it will help?

Link

As for random laying... no... and I think she'll have more inside. chams in general don't drop eggs unless they are in dire need to lay. I would set up a bin for her just in case. In my thread you'll see my laying bin. It is a 20 gallon Brute Rubbermaid trash can.

 

[summoner12]

I answered (hopefully all of) your questions on another forum that you posted on.

can you link to that forum?

Also if Linda didn't mention it... (im sure she did) you can check out MelleriDiscovery.com to learn about what to do with the eggs.

 

[Keiness]

Thanks for the link, ill be reading it.

The other forum is here

The eggs look the same today, i'm still playing with heat to get the right steady temperatures.

I dont think she 'dropped' the eggs from a perch. The day before she was in a corner pawing at the garbage bag and shoving her head into it. I thought she was just stressing over being inside so I took her outside for a while and she was fine. Most of the eggs were in that corner and the bag is all tousled like she was trying to make it suitable. I think that she laid them there rather then dropped them as the eggs were splayed from there, like she walked away after and dragged some along.

I'm watching her closely, she drank some last night and ate several supers. I'm off to get some butters to help her fatten up. I'm just worried if she had more. I'll try and get a lay box set up tonight.

Melleridiscovery has been my life saver ever since I got my Mellers, so I have been checking it out.

My biggest question right now is the fact is this sort of thing even possible. Having held the sperm that long...and what the spots on the eggs could be? Could they be a result of holding eggs for a long period of time? And the chances of her having more.

 

[Pure]

Update please?

 

[Keiness]

They are incubating at around 69 degrees. I tried candling them but it didn't help too much. I seen a dark shadow which could either be a embryo or just the odd calcium structure of the egg. They were surrounded with yellow which again could either be the surrounded yolk or infertile. At this point I have no idea. The eggs are springy not hard.

As of this morning, there isn't mold yet on the eggs nor are they sunk in.