HELP!!! Pregnant Chameleon Digging Around

I

ilovevolcomstone2

New Member
Hey,

I bought my Panther Chameleon from a Reptile Show in Raleigh, NC in May (I believe). They told me that Marley (my chameleon) was a Male, so I believed them. "He" has been doing very well and is very healthy. I noticed that Marley has been pretty fat lately, but never suspected that "he" was pregnant. Well, I went on a trip to NY and just got back today. My roommate that also has a Panther chameleon took care of Marley while I was gone. When I got in my room, I noticed that there was 4 eggs at the bottom of the cage, and Marley was roaming around near them. I was astonished!! haha. So, I realized that I was sold a pregnant female Panther. Yay. I read up on some articles, and she hasn't laid anymore because she realized that she needs somewhere to put the eggs and if I didn't act fast, she could die if the eggs were laid. So, I put a box of soil at the bottom of the cage, put the eggs in it, and put her in it too so she would realize what I did. She has been and is still digging around. Am I doing good so far? I don't really know what else to do. Thanks, Marissa:confused:
 
How old is your chameleon? Wild caught? The females are often very much so different in coloration than males on paradalis.
 
Cameron B said:
How old is your chameleon? Wild caught? The females are often very much so different in coloration than males on paradalis.
Click to expand...

Well they said that Marley was a year old. But they also said that she was a male. So I have no clue. Her body (not including her tail) is about 4 inches long.
 
How deep is the soil?

Are you giving her privacy?

You need to leave her alone and let her do her thing. It would be wise to place a visual barricade between her and you so she can feel comfortable. She will not lay if she thinks there is a threat near by (you). The dirt should also be moist and at least 10 inches deep. You need to hurry or she'll become egg bound.
 
summoner12 said:
How deep is the soil?

Are you giving her privacy?

You need to leave her alone and let her do her thing. It would be wise to place a visual barricade between her and you so she can feel comfortable. She will not lay if she thinks there is a threat near by (you). The dirt should also be moist and at least 10 inches deep. You need to hurry or she'll become egg bound.
Click to expand...

Yea. I'm sitting at the other side of the room. The box is only about 3 inches deep. Should I take that one out and put another one in? Or will she lay her eggs in that?
 
Cameron B said:
Are you talking about Mike??? http://www.flchams.com/ ?

I can't really believe that he would say he sold you one thing, and gave you another?
Click to expand...

I didn't get his name, but I grabbed a card. My roommate got a Panther from him too. We bargained and got the chameleons for cheaper, and when we did that the person that sold it to us called someone and asked. So, maybe the person that sold it to us didn't know a lot? I'm not sure.

Even if he did, I'm not worried about it. Marley has been awesome. She has never tried to bite me, and is pretty friendly. When I got her, she would only be a light blue color to a gray. Then recently, she developed this orangish pinkish color with some green. I also noticed that on her cheeks, there was some purple. Really interesting and pretty.

So, I think I got a good deal either way. haha
 
a 5 gallon bucket worked well for me. I filled it full of top soil that I churned while misting to make it moist, to hold form as she digs. I then put cardboard around the cage so she couldn't see me.

Check in on her but be careful she doesn't see you. She will stop digging and start another hole if she sees you. You want to check on her to make sure her hole hasn't collapsed on her.

When she is done laying she will need extra care. Be sure to mist her a lot and feed her with calcium dusted crickets. It takes a lot out of a female when she lays a clutch.

Is she wild caught or captive bred? This will tell us if the eggs will be fertile or not (roughly...). If she is WC (wild caught) then the eggs are most likely fertile and would be worth saving. You can pick up an incubator at your local petshop.
 
Ok, this is how I was told to do it, and it worked great for me.

you'll need:

1- 33 gal. + plastic garbage can
2- enough topsoil or poting soil to fill it about 1/2 way
3- 1 Clamp-lamp
4- 1 small ficus

1.Fill trashcan 1/2 way up with soil.

2.Add water to soil.....you want just enough water so the soil will pack together well. take a handfull and squeeze. if water comes out, its too wet. if you open your hand and it stays clumped, its probably good. (it has to be fairly dry, but it also has to hold its shape so it doesn't collapse on her when she tunnels)

3. prepare ficus (wash and rinse entire plant and clean out the roots of pearlite) re-pot the ficus in the trash can.

4. lightly pack down the soil (not too hard so she cant sig, but had enough it won't collapse when she digs.)

5. attach clamp-lamp(60 watt bulb) to trash can and adjust so the temp is good (80 ish)

6. insert chameleon and leave her alone for a day.

mine dug a few holes before actually laying. these pics are just after I dug the eggs up(obviously)...but they're the only pics I could find at the moment.......sadly, the eggs were infertile.

tcan1.jpg


tcan2.jpg


hope this helps
 
also, can you post pics, 4" long including tail at over a year old (and gravid) doesn't sound like a panther......should be much larger.
 
she's 4 inches not including the tail. sorry. I didn't mean to put that.

But, I went to sleep because I didn't see any responses. I checked out the soil, and there was only 4 eggs from last afternoon. She was digging for so long though!

What should I do with the 4 eggs? Is she done laying eggs? Should I put her inside the trashcan with a ficus and soil?

Right now, she is sleeping at the top of the cage. She stayed up really late, so I bet she is tired. I misted the cage and gave her some crickets, but she is still passed out.
 
You can just get a pot from home depot or a garden store. fill it with top soil and wet it, and stick it in her cage. thats really all you need.
 
Don't wait to get the egglaying place set up right...you need to let her get on with the digging. There is a time limit to how long they will dig before they lose the urge and move towards eggbinding. When she is digging do not let her see you watching her.
 
Oh my, what a pretty girl you have there.... If she won't dig in th soil, try sand. It's called playsand, you can find it at home depot. Just make sure it is moist enough that when you squeeze it it makes the shape of your fist and stays that way.

My girl likes when I start the hole for her. She is a lazy bum. Do you have a vet on hand in case she doesn't lay in the next day or so? Mine dug and dug but didn't like the soil so she wouldn't lay, she wouldn't eat or drink and got very dehydrated. I had to take her to the vet for fluids or she wouldn't have made it. That was a last resort though.

Sorry I am rambling, my point is.... get a vet if you don't have one.
 
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