Is this cham pregnant?

[CaptainMorgantown]

Hey everyone!

I work at a family owned pet store, and I think we might have a young pregnant female on our hands. The only reason that I think she is pregnant is because she is a lot bigger, darker, and more aggressive than her sister is, and she also has the mustard spots on her. I was hoping that someone on here could give me a definite answer. If you all need more pictures, let me know a good angle, and I will take them when I get into work later

 

[MamaD]

Has she been housed with males? If she has been and she is old enough to produce eggs, then, pregnant spots will be a really bright yellow. I mean brilliant! Mustard...not so much.

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

Yes, but the males are a few months younger than she is. There is now another female chameleon that is showing the same colorings. I am going to see if they will lay eggs in the bin I have for my cham, but I don't want to drag it into the store or bother setting up another cage for them if they are not pregnant.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Can you fill this out please?
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful.

 

[Eltortu]

Can't tell from that picture if gravid, but she does look stressed.

 

[Salty]

I'm just a noobie but cant you tell by the colors?

 

[JohnnyD]

I'd say there's a good chance she is. The mustard yellow markings and the spots can mean pregnant.

 

[DavidBuchan]

She looks pretty young to be gravid, she's not adult so she wouldn't necessarily have 'full' gravid colours. This makes it difficult to say for certain until you see some egg bulges. You should probably treat her as if she is since she's been kept with males. You should separate them at 3-4 months old anyway really, because of the stress of competition and possibilities of causing early eggs even without mating taking place.

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

I'll try to fill this out to the best of my knowledge, but some of the tank has been set up since before I started working, so I'm not too positive of some things.

Can you fill this out please?
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Veiled Chameleon. Female, and we think that she is around 8 or 9 months. They have been with us since around May.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
About once a week to see if there are any health concerns.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Crickets, and superworms once a week. Not sure on the amount, but I make sure each cham eats about three before I stop watching. Gut loading both with carrots.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
All are flukers products. Calcium with NO D3 everyday, D3 once a week, and multivitamin once a month.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
We have two drippers on the cage, but none of the chams ever use it. All of them drink when we mist the cage.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
It is hard to tell whose is whose, but none of the poop looks abnormal.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
We separated the cham in question about a month ago because I suspected she was pregnant, but after a week of being by herself and a week of putting her in a laying bin every day, she never laid any eggs and was put back in her old cage.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
80 gallon costume built combo cage. The upper half of the cage is screen, the lower half is glass, and it has a screen top.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
This is one of the things that I am not too sure of. We have two different basking spots because the cage is so big, and I believe that they are both 100 watt daylight bulbs. The UVB is a tube, but I have no idea or guesses as to what this is either. I am told that the girl that used to take care of the chams was very knowledgable about them, so I trust that it is the right kind. Lighting schedule is 11-7 lights on, the rest of the time lights are off. This are our open hours, and I know that the hours are wrong, but there is nothing that I can do about it.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Cage floor is colder than the rest of the cage. It is about 65-70 degrees. Basking spots are at 85-95, and the rest of the cage is around 80 degrees. We keep the store at a constant 70 degrees, so I am assuming that the cage is that temperature at night. We have a digital thermometer.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Humidity is between 60-70%. We have a mister that we use about two or three times a day. We also have a digital hygrometer.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
No live plants as of right now. We are planning on getting some soon. Right not we have a huge odd looking log thing in there. I can't really get any more descriptive than that.
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
The cage is on a low self. It stands about five feet tall, and about a foot off the ground. It is near the door, but not to where it gets hit with chilly air.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
West Virginia

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
I am thinking that about two of the female chams are pregnant.

 

[EvilLost]

You said it is hard to tell whose is whos poop...and that she was put back with the others....You know these animals need to be housed individually at adulthood.

i believe most people supplement D3 and Multivit 2x a month (basically alternate on sundays)


I can't help with the pregnancy, but I'd have a sand bin just in case.

EDIT: you know they will lay eggs even if they don't mate right?

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

You said it is hard to tell whose is whos poop...and that she was put back with the others....You know these animals need to be housed individually at adulthood.

i believe most people supplement D3 and Multivit 2x a month (basically alternate on sundays)


I can't help with the pregnancy, but I'd have a sand bin just in case.

EDIT: you know they will lay eggs even if they don't mate right?

She is the oldest that we have in our big cage. The other are around three months old. Again, this is a pet store that I work at, but do not own. I cannot do anything about it without the owner's consent, and right now she is worried about other things. We already used our four spare tanks to house three adult males and an adult female. Until those sell, there is nothing I can do. The female in question is currently being housed with one other other female who is her sister, and two younger males that we just got in last month. We think that they are around three or four months, but we don't know for sure.

We have a schedule of who gets what supplement and when, and at the most they get D3 three times a month, and we give the multi v. on the first of each month. We go by what our breeder raises them on. We have had a male since he was very young, and he has never had any help problems. So, although our supplement schedule is not the most common one, it has not caused any harm towards them.

 

[EvilLost]

She is the oldest that we have in our big cage. The other are around three months old. Again, this is a pet store that I work at, but do not own. I cannot do anything about it without the owner's consent, and right now she is worried about other things. We already used our four spare tanks to house three adult males and an adult female. Until those sell, there is nothing I can do. The female in question is currently being housed with one other other female who is her sister, and two younger males that we just got in last month. We think that they are around three or four months, but we don't know for sure.

We have a schedule of who gets what supplement and when, and at the most they get D3 three times a month, and we give the multi v. on the first of each month. We go by what our breeder raises them on. We have had a male since he was very young, and he has never had any help problems. So, although our supplement schedule is not the most common one, it has not caused any harm towards them.

Prime reason why I don't like pet stores, but anyway....

Juveniles can be housed together, but I would be concerned about her being with the little ones....

I'm sure some variance to supplements can be made without issue, it is pretty close to the "standard" that I wouldn't be concerned there.

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

I'm not trying to sound bitchy, but aside from the problem we have with the chameleons, you don't know anything about the store. We go through a lot to ensure the animals are happy and healthy, but I know how everything has to be absolutely perfect for people that know a lot about the animal. It took me a few weeks before I understood that not everything can be exactly right for everything. I know that some places are completely terrible, and we are not one of them.

I know that she is getting too old to be in with the new guys, but until she shows any sign of aggression towards them, she will have to stay there. However, if she is pregnant, we will have to order another cage for her to be in.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

I'm not trying to sound bitchy, but aside from the problem we have with the chameleons, you don't know anything about the store. We go through a lot to ensure the animals are happy and healthy, but I know how everything has to be absolutely perfect for people that know a lot about the animal. It took me a few weeks before I understood that not everything can be exactly right for everything. I know that some places are completely terrible, and we are not one of them.

I know that she is getting too old to be in with the new guys, but until she shows any sign of aggression towards them, she will have to stay there. However, if she is pregnant, we will have to order another cage for her to be in.

She is "pregnant"... At least thats what you tell your owner to get her in a seperate cage. Then put a laying bin in it for her to lay eggs. Another thing to consider is if she does lay eggs, or is going to, it may stress her out to have a bunch of people walking around a store and staring at her. It is best to give females privacy while in the process of laying eggs. If she sees someone watching her digging/laying eggs she may abort and become eggbound,

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

We have a "sick room" for our reptiles that need some peace and quiet, or need to be watched closer. Right now the two female chams are back there, in there. Of course they would have their laying bin set up back there and not in the middle of the store.

I understand you guys want to help, but this isn't anyone's pet. There is not a lot that I can do to change her living environment. We could get her a cage of her own, or we could spend that money to get medicines and more supplies for animals that are in dire need of it. I have already suggested that she stays in the sick room until we sell one of our adult chams. However, with doing this she will probably not get sold either, but hopefully we can put her back in the store before she gets too much bigger.

 

[PaulTB]

tbh not trying to sound like a jerk but even though it's not your pet store and you work there and your worried that she may be pregnant and worried enough to post on the forum's about it you have a bigger problem at hand even if she is pregnant. The money that you can spend for a cage to get her in her own enviorment sounds better to me then losing 2 younger cham's especially the fact that its understandable that the money can go to other animal's but if you keep those 3 together the female could kill them very easily especially if she is pregnant cause they get more fiesty just my input it on it.

 

[CaptainMorgantown]

Don't worry, I learned my lesson. I won't be posting anymore with question about the store chams.

 

[kinyonga]

Don't be put off by the comments...its a good thing that you are posting on here and trying to help the chameleons at the store.

Too bad the owners don't realize that they should separate her out so they won't lose her or the others in her cage.

For a few dollars you could buy a 65 liter rubbermaid type container and cut away most of the lid, put a piece of screen over the hole in the lid and put some sand in the bottom of it, add a UVB light over the screen, add a branch and put her in the container. The store would then have this in the future to put gravid chameleons in.

Hope it turns out okay.