Hi I have an 18 month old female panther chameleon who has never laid eggs. I bought her recently from a friend who looked after her very well. She started digging in the bottom of a plant pot for around 2 days. My local pet shop said try coconut husk but she wouldn't entertain it and she carried on digging in the plant pot. I have checked and found 8 full size eggs and 1 half size egg. Im wondering has she finished laying eggs or could their be other complications due to only 8 full size and 1 small size.
Help needed please
- Thread starter Da21982
- Start date
Trillian
New Member
I'd leave her to it for a few days if I were you, it can take several days for them to finish laying and it's best if she isn't interrupted. There's a chance that she only had 8 to lay, but it's more common for them to lay 20-30. My panther girl has laid twice in the 3 years I had her, 30 first time, 22 second time. I had a big tub of soil/sand mix, exactly by the book, but she chose to dig and lay in the hanging pot of her pothos.
How is she doing now? Has she returned to the pot?
How is she doing now? Has she returned to the pot?
Hi have taken the plant out of the smaller pot and used a larger pot with a topsoil mixed with play sand and some vermiculite mixed in and I have also put a plant pot of play sand and vermiculite only I have just looked and she seems to be edging her way back to the bottom of the viv. She is still off her food she is generally a brown colour until she sees me and turns peachy colour and seems interested in me when I go to pick her up
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
Don't touch her! If she still has eggs, you can interrupt her from laying them. If she doesn't lay them she becomes egg bound and dies without risky surgery.
Cover up her cage with a light-colored cloth. Don't watch her. Please read some threads on dealing with egg-laying females.
Trillian
New Member
If she chose a pot to lay, then it's good enough, but it's good you've given her a choice now. Sometimes they prefer a small pot with a live plant in it than one more suitable with no plant.
Leave her to it for now, when shes done she'll be back in her regular basking spot and then you can remove the eggs and give her the extra nutrition she'll need. I second the suggestion of reading up on this, she'll need delicate care afterwards, and you need to know the symptoms to look out for in case she becomes eggbound.
If you aren't sure of her history over the last 12 months, regardless of what your friend says, it's a good idea to freeze the eggs for at least 48 hours. The last thing you need right now is 30 tiny fragile hungry mouths to feed!
Leave her to it for now, when shes done she'll be back in her regular basking spot and then you can remove the eggs and give her the extra nutrition she'll need. I second the suggestion of reading up on this, she'll need delicate care afterwards, and you need to know the symptoms to look out for in case she becomes eggbound.
If you aren't sure of her history over the last 12 months, regardless of what your friend says, it's a good idea to freeze the eggs for at least 48 hours. The last thing you need right now is 30 tiny fragile hungry mouths to feed!
Do I need a vet visit. She has been digging another hole all though the one she used was an original small pot that was full of roots and not very much room to dig in she stayed in it all day when I looked I could see her breathing heavy like panting she was in the hole for around 8 hours and now shes in her basking spot problem is she is still fat looking and still dark green/brown colouring until I pick her up the again she turns peachy coloured. I have removed the plant and their is no eggs should I be getting worried. I currently have a black bin liner wrapped around 3 parts of the viv. I have not seen her eat in around 5 days now I keep putting locust and crickets in but they are still their.
reptileguy112
Member
get a container (at least the size of one of those gallon ice cream tubs) and fill it with play sand, make it moist enough that you can dig a hole and it doesn't collapse then put it in there.
I have tried a large plant pot full of play sand, coconut husk and she wont go near them she prefers to lay at the base of a plant I currently have 1 extra large plant pot with plant in it with top soil,sand, and vermiculite mix. 1 medium plant pot with sand and small amount of top soil and a medium umbrella plant and pot with top soil and sand mix . She still moves around quite fine she has a tight grip on my finger and her eyes are not sunken so her current condition seems ok apart from the eating part. she has 4 available lay bins 3 with plants and 1 without I did leave play sand in for 24 hrs but she didn't use it and dug a new hole in a different plant pot
reptileguy112
Member
You dont need to although it might help if you get a medium sized trash can with a foot of moist sand and leave her in there without interruption for a day or two. It should look like this
Thanks for the info and the help. I took her to the vets on Monday she was 122g. The give her injections of Herceptin I think it was with no joy after 6 or so injections. They operated on her yesterday they found her ovaries were the size of peas instead of small dots they removed her 55g of ovaries and stitched her back up she currently weighs 77g now and seems to be eating good.
