how can you tell

[tannb]

Have pygmy chams and as you all know they are not the most colorfull of chameleons so my questions are

1 how do you know they are ready to mate?
2 how can you tell if the females are gravid?

Can only find info about them once they have laid but really wanted to know how to spot the signs

All information will be gratefully appreciated

 

[hallenhe]

I can't recognize a gravid female pygmy (brev) the moment she's mated (unlike panthers or veileds, which put on gravid colors); with mine, I didn't know until she was clearly rotund, and this was within a week or so of her laying her eggs. Also, I never saw any obvious "receptive" or "non-receptive" display - which may just mean I'm unobservant, so hopefully those who have had pygmies longer will chime in.

 

[lisa h]

I can't recognize a gravid female pygmy (brev) the moment she's mated (unlike panthers or veileds, which put on gravid colors); with mine, I didn't know until she was clearly rotund, and this was within a week or so of her laying her eggs. Also, I never saw any obvious "receptive" or "non-receptive" display - which may just mean I'm unobservant, so hopefully those who have had pygmies longer will chime in.

I second your reply. Mine gets "crazy" coloured every now and again, but I think it's more related to mood (ie being stressed or relaxed) than it is to being receptive or gravid. Only when she looks like a tennis ball do I know she's gravid.

 

[tannb]

how long do they look like a tennis ball before they drop eggs?