Help!

[chamalee@]

Hello guys!
This is Emerald,
Female piebald veiled chamaleon about 8 months old. Latetly she is refusing food and water, hasn't pooped in a week or so, she is also very defensive.
She has a live plants cage, well monitored temperature, a mister and a egg laying bin.
I dont know why shes acting like this all of the sudden.
She seems to relax when shes on my head but we barely handle her.
I need to know if there is anything going on to take the right actions. Im fairly new with chamaleons and I dont want to lose her for not understanding the underlying issues.
Any help with be greatly appreciated.

 

[kinyonga]

What is the basking temperature? How much do you feed her in a week and what do you feed her?
She may be producing eggs.

 

[chamalee@]

What is the basking temperature? How much do you feed her in a week and what do you feed her?
She may be producing eggs.

Hi, basking temp is 80-85 and I alternate feedings between 6 large superworms, 10 crickets or 10 dubua roaches every 2 days.

 

[nightanole]

Welcome to being a girl mom. Basking temp is "ok", might be a bit high if ambient is 75. 80-85 is fine in the winter when ambient is below 70 all day long. 85 is on the high side for an inexperienced keeper with a teenage girl veiled.

But it is around that time that she can start producing eggs if she was very well fed. That is certainly too much food too frequently for an adult female. But its still fine if she is in the final growth phase and is a cricket vacuum. Id switch to twice as week "as much as she can eat in a sitting/hour" and then remove the food, if you can. Unfortunately if you feed them like males, you get lots and lots of eggs.

 

[kinyonga]

Let’s hope she gets through the egg laying and you can then start her on the care that will prevent her from producing large frequent clutches.