I am fairly new to chameleon keeping and I have a nine month old female yemen. She eats well and I've had no issues with dehydration or anything. But the other day she passed up a meal which she has never done Before and she has been turning a dark blue/green with cyan spots from time to time within the past week. I know the coloration and appetite could mean she's gravid and she's also been moving around a lot. If anyone could give me advice it would be greatly appreciated. I just dont want to stick her in the laying bin unnecessarily.
I can't tell if my veiled cham is gravid.
- Thread starter tayy
- Start date
DirtyDubbz
New Member
She's beautiful I'm not really sure could it be she is going to shed they normally become less food orientated during this time ? Wish I could be more help
Chiichan
Member
She's a beautiful girl. 
She wouldn't be gravid unless she's been mated with a male, but they still lay eggs regardless of being mated. Her eggs will just be infertile.
Always have her laying bin available to her for when she is ready to lay her clutch, but at this time she doesn't look like she'll be laying any time soon. She does look like she has a little pooch though.
Every chameleon is different, some may increase or lose/slow down appetite during gestation. My female lost her appetite about a week or so before she laid. (and she eats like a beast)
Below is a picture of her I took just for this thread. She has an obvious bulge at her hind legs and she looks very full throughout her body. I know she is gravid because our male was with her last week.
She wouldn't be gravid unless she's been mated with a male, but they still lay eggs regardless of being mated. Her eggs will just be infertile.
Always have her laying bin available to her for when she is ready to lay her clutch, but at this time she doesn't look like she'll be laying any time soon. She does look like she has a little pooch though.
Every chameleon is different, some may increase or lose/slow down appetite during gestation. My female lost her appetite about a week or so before she laid. (and she eats like a beast)
Below is a picture of her I took just for this thread. She has an obvious bulge at her hind legs and she looks very full throughout her body. I know she is gravid because our male was with her last week.
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Chiichan
Member
Also her behavior will be an even greater indicator for when she is ready to lay, which would be her being in the lower parts of her enclosure often.
Some will and can lay just fine on their own, but some (like mine) need to be placed in a deeper bin with higher walls to encourage her to dig.
Some will and can lay just fine on their own, but some (like mine) need to be placed in a deeper bin with higher walls to encourage her to dig.
You're girl is lovely just curious what is the definition of gravid? I misunderstood and took the term to mean ready to egg. Do they behave/lay differently if the eggs are fertile. I dont ever plan on breeding her. When it is time for her to lay how can I be sure before putting her in her laying bin? Im just concerned that I'm going to think she needs to lay when she doesnt and unnecessarily put her in the bin. Then id just feel like an *** lmao.
just curious what is the definition of gravid? I misunderstood and took the term to mean ready to egg. Do they behave/lay differently if the eggs are fertile. I dont ever plan on breeding her. When it is time for her to lay how can I be sure before putting her in her laying bin? Im just concerned that I'm going to think she needs to lay when she doesnt and unnecessarily put her in the bin. Then id just feel like an *** lmao.
Chiichan
Member
Thank you.
Gravid is when she has a FERTILE clutch. "Pregnant" in a sense. She will lay clutches throught her life with or without a male. I don't think there's an official term for a female with infertile eggs. She just has eggs.
A key behavior she will show when she is ready is the pacing and searching for a place to dig. They are arboreal and aren't usually in lower areas unless they need to lay, have health issues, or just want out.
I honestly don't know if their behavior is any different whether or not the eggs are fertile because her 1st clutch was her only one so far. She was about 17onths at the time. I would think the egg laying process is still the same.
Gravid is when she has a FERTILE clutch. "Pregnant" in a sense. She will lay clutches throught her life with or without a male. I don't think there's an official term for a female with infertile eggs. She just has eggs.
A key behavior she will show when she is ready is the pacing and searching for a place to dig. They are arboreal and aren't usually in lower areas unless they need to lay, have health issues, or just want out.
I honestly don't know if their behavior is any different whether or not the eggs are fertile because her 1st clutch was her only one so far. She was about 17onths at the time. I would think the egg laying process is still the same.
I have a female who I wrote about a little bit ago today about "Eye Problems". She has a unique problem in that she's been laying eggs about every month to 6 weeks since I got her 7 months ago. That's insane. I will say one thing though, she always loses her appetite just before, and she gets what you have said - spots. Her colors become all mixed up almost like camouflage and then the spots show through all that. It sounds like your girl might be ready to drop some eggs. I have a laying bin within her enclosure that I just leave in there all the time. It's a tupperware type square container about 7" deep. I had used a different one that was only about 3 inches deep, and she didn't use it until he last drop. It was the first time she had ever dug a hole. She used to just drop the eggs from whatever branch she was perched on and plopped the eggs onto the bottom of the cage. I think that is due to the fact that her previous owners didn't take care of her as well as they could have. They were young, he was in the Army, and they had a baby of their own to take care of. So now with my girl's eye problem, I'm not sure if her not eating as well is due to the eyes or if she's getting ready to lay. I'd say just be ready for your girl to lay every 6 months, and if possible, incorporate the bin into her enclosure so it's always ready for her. Read up on all of the possibilities and maybe that OCD feeling will lighten up. Good luck.
