How often do you breed your panther females?
- Thread starter Ekaj13
- Start date
CNorton
Avid Member
I would say the very nature of breeding is "compromising" to a female's health whether it is in the wild or captivity. This is why they do not just lay one egg at a time.
To answer your question, once a year is do-able. You'll have difficulty keeping a female from laying several times during a year if she is being well fed. Several other members offer much better advice on keeping females from laying infertile clutches often. The simple solution to a long life with a female is controlling their food intake.
Many breeders tend to care less about longevity and more about output. Those breeders can squeeze maybe even 4 clutches per year. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this sensitive subject.
To answer your question, once a year is do-able. You'll have difficulty keeping a female from laying several times during a year if she is being well fed. Several other members offer much better advice on keeping females from laying infertile clutches often. The simple solution to a long life with a female is controlling their food intake.
Many breeders tend to care less about longevity and more about output. Those breeders can squeeze maybe even 4 clutches per year. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this sensitive subject.
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jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I totally agree with everything said above. If you care about your female I wouldn't breed often and only feed her 3 times a week 6 to 8 feeders, the size of crickets and keep her temps low. Her basking spot should be 80 to 81. I'm attaching my egg laying/laying bin blog that you might find helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
Thanks guys. I appreciate the input. However I don't believe restricting food is as good a idea as many people seem to say it is. In my opinion it sounds tantamount to endorsing malnourishment.
I do care about my chameleons very much, I should have probably phrased my question differently.
I do care about my chameleons very much, I should have probably phrased my question differently.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Here's my female veiled that I have reduced her food and heat since she was 6 months old. How does she look? The vet says she's very healthy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/camille-three-years-old-today-55531/
Chase
Avid Member
You are still providing the correct amount of food; infact it is the suggested amount, unless they are growing. By doing this, they are overweight, and their bodies aren't focused on sucking all of the nutrients out of her to make eggs, that aren't even fertilized. This is the schedule I have fed all of my females, of multiple species, and haven't dealt with any infertile eggs yet.
LPR08
LPR08
She looks good. However, when we restrict an animals diet to prevent it from doing something it normally would, it seems to me that we are providing a sub-optimal diet. I do totally understand it's important to avoid over consumption for obesity and other health reasons.
Does anyone know approximately how many clutches a wild panther chameleon would naturally lay in one year? Is there a set breeding season?
Does anyone know approximately how many clutches a wild panther chameleon would naturally lay in one year? Is there a set breeding season?
pssh
Avid Member
Reptiles do not need food like mammals. Healthy adults can go more than a month without eating without any ill effects. feeding them every other day will not cause any problems as long as you gutload and supplement well and the female is healthy. It would be similar to the females eating habits during the dry seasons.
Most people dont breed them more than once a year. The females usually make multiple fertile (or partially fertile) clutches from one mating, so expect at least double or triple the first clutch.
Most people dont breed them more than once a year. The females usually make multiple fertile (or partially fertile) clutches from one mating, so expect at least double or triple the first clutch.
The idea is not to starve them, but to keep them at a good weight. Its proven that animals and people who are not overfed (or underfed) live longer.
What I was trying to do with my chameleons was to feed them well for a couple of days after they laid their eggs and then put them on the diet for a period of time after that with the hope that it would decrease the number of eggs that ovulated....which would put less demand for nutrients, etc. on the female. I have had quite a few female veileds that don't lay any eggs in the 6+ years that they usually live and one or two that have laid clutches of less than 20 when/if they do lay. I have taken those same females and made changes, bred them, hatched their eggs and raised some of their female hatchlings up to the same ripe old ages. When they are producing the eggs its important to make sure they get enough food to do it properly.
I started doing this based on the "concept" that some animals in the wild in a "lean" year will produce no litters/clutches or very small ones while in a "fat" year they will produce more.
What I was trying to do with my chameleons was to feed them well for a couple of days after they laid their eggs and then put them on the diet for a period of time after that with the hope that it would decrease the number of eggs that ovulated....which would put less demand for nutrients, etc. on the female. I have had quite a few female veileds that don't lay any eggs in the 6+ years that they usually live and one or two that have laid clutches of less than 20 when/if they do lay. I have taken those same females and made changes, bred them, hatched their eggs and raised some of their female hatchlings up to the same ripe old ages. When they are producing the eggs its important to make sure they get enough food to do it properly.
I started doing this based on the "concept" that some animals in the wild in a "lean" year will produce no litters/clutches or very small ones while in a "fat" year they will produce more.
trumpetmonkey
New Member
Nov to Feb is what I've read for a breeding season in Madagascar.