Laid some eggs - not fertilized

alonnamarie2216

alonnamarie2216

Member
Hey cham fam,
I'm looking for some advice. This is my first Cham and she's a beautiful female, obviously.
I noticed yesterday she wasn't going for the crickets I gave her and thought that was a little weird. I tried to hand feed a meal worm since she always goes for those, just to see if maybe she just wasn't feeling it at the time but was still going to eat. Came home later that night and she was just sitting under her dripper. Also super weird.
This morning I went to give her a few worms again noticing she didn't take her crickets. Didn't eat from her cup but took one hand fed like it was going out of style.
Went to do my daily poo duties and noticed three to four eggs chilling on top of the sand.
I'm scared to death she's going to end up egg bound.

A few other tidbits of info.
I've covered the past few days thinking she might be gravid, giving her privacy.
I have a scheuffalera (sp?) in her cage 24/7 that has proper sand/soil mixture for a laying bin properties.
I haven't seen her at the bottom of the cage but is definitely not moving around her cage like usual. Still moving just not as much. She booked it toward my hand this morning with the handfed worm.
Basking is kept between 85 and 90. outsides are around 80.
UVB could use a replace in the next month. (on order)
Misting several times a day. (I'm actually SUPER EXCITED to announce my new Mistking to her! Also on order!)
Let me know guys, you are all the best. thanks in advance!
 
I'm thinking she just dropped them. They were on top of the soil. I haven't dug around in fear that it'll upset her and she won't let the rest go if she's going to.
 
Does she still look like she has the clutch? Her getting her appetite back is a good sign that she has laid. If she did lay, she would have buried them really well and covered them back as well as she could. It's definitely worth checking out the bin.
 
Came home and another single egg was on top of the bin. It looks like it was pooped put more or less. I felt her this morning and it felt like there were more in her. I'm trying to give her as much privacy as I can. You sure that digging up the bin won't bother her too much? She didn't eat much again today.
The biggest thing with taking her to the vetop is that I live 30 miles from the vet and I don't want to stress her anymore than she probably already is.
My poor baby. I just feel like I'm a failing parent. :/:/:/
 
alonnamarie2216 said:
Came home and another single egg was on top of the bin. It looks like it was pooped put more or less. I felt her this morning and it felt like there were more in her. I'm trying to give her as much privacy as I can. You sure that digging up the bin won't bother her too much? She didn't eat much again today.
The biggest thing with taking her to the vetop is that I live 30 miles from the vet and I don't want to stress her anymore than she probably already is.
My poor baby. I just feel like I'm a failing parent. :/:/:/
Click to expand...
I know exactly how you feel, my girl has been really struggling since her first clutch. Can you set up a trash can or bucket lay bin? Taking her out of her home is stressful but it will help her focus on digging and getting those eggs laid. If she's dropping eggs then she isn't bound yet, she's just not happy with where she is going to lay. The only way cham moms can protect their babies is by hiding them, so it's a very strong instinct.
 
I can, all I have on hand is sand though. Like playground sand. Is that sufficient if it's moist? I'm stuck between a real poop rock and a hard place. A blizzard just hit so I'm just freaking at this point! This little poop head is the only good thing I got in my life right now. She is my child more or less!
 
alonnamarie2216 said:
I can, all I have on hand is sand though. Like playground sand. Is that sufficient if it's moist? I'm stuck between a real poop rock and a hard place. A blizzard just hit so I'm just freaking at this point! This little poop head is the only good thing I got in my life right now. She is my child more or less!
Click to expand...
My scale babies are my children, too! Sand is a great laying medium, the most used and accepted by far. Some dirt mixed in is also pretty standard. As long as it's damp enough that you can tunnel all the way down without the tunnel collapsing, it's just right. I would definitely try to set up a dedicated lay can or bucket, then she'll focus on the job at hand. Try to keep offering feeders and keep her hydrated without her seeing you. I'm sure she loves you in her lizard way, but her instincts tell her that you are going to hurt her eggs so try not to let her notice your presence at all. I put my girl in a trash can and rigged a drip system for her, left her some feeders should she be interested and set up a spy cam so I could watch her without interrupting her strong instincts.
 
A drip system for water. I used a little dripper but you can put a solo cup in the top of the bin with a few pinholes in the bottom. Feeders can just go in a cup in her bin. How is she today?
 
She's still moving decently. I misted her and watered her. She hand fed but didn't go for the ones in her cup again.
Because of how my set up is at the current moment, can I basically just scoot her cage out and the bin in?
How about lighting? Do I keep it on constantly or leave it on the normal timers?
 
alonnamarie2216 said:
I can, all I have on hand is sand though. Like playground sand. Is that sufficient if it's moist? I'm stuck between a real poop rock and a hard place. A blizzard just hit so I'm just freaking at this point! This little poop head is the only good thing I got in my life right now. She is my child more or less!
Click to expand...


I've read countless threads of people using sand. I understand everyone has their own way but you should consider switching it our for some topsoil from your local nursery or home depot. Soil has a more soft, normal texture, a more natural feel, earthly -fresh smell and Chameleons almost instantly know what to do when you place it in their cage. Just get a normal sized bucket. Fill it up with topsoil, get it slightly damp(just mist the top of it really really good) and she'll take care of the rest. Don't worry too much on mixing it with water. Then it becomes muddy and unnatural. You want to mimic as much as you can as normal dirt that they would find in the wild. And typically speaking sand isn't a common substrate most Chameleons would encounter unless on the shores of Madagascar etc. Hope this helps, best of luck with her.

p.s.- It may also help to add a small vine or plant in the laying bin as it will encourage/motivate her to choose the bin as her nesting area

-Anil
 
While I appreciate your advice. I actually knew that but unfortunately like I said for an all new laying bin, all I have right on hand is sand. A blizzard just hit and the nearest Home Depot is almost 40 miles away. I have searched several times on what kind of soil to get and was either never able to find it or get a straight answer. No one ever covers the lighting, water, and food portion of a laying bin so that's really where I'm at.
 
So I made a 98% sand bin. I had a little dirt. Put up a sheet around it. Put a little twisty vine in there. A few feeders which are now roaming all over. With a dripper and her normal lights on her normal timer.
All she wants is out.
No crickets. No digging. Just out.
I'm at a loss now.
 
Hey there! Im a new cham mom too ! Im getting ready to prepare a laying bin for my female named Pascal (not very original but thats what happens when little girls give them names!) and i could use advice on how to set up her laying bin. I also have a very inquisitive 10 month old american bulldog that feels the need to bark at the chams and am afraid she will mess with the cham if i take her out of her cage...help!
 
Yes, you can give her pothos to her. You have everything in there she needs, hopefully she will start digging. It might take a day or so, Dilly was at it for 4 days.
 
So she's okay? I have a camera set up on her. To watch her without invading. I assumed that since her orginal laying bin was inside her viv that this one should be seperate?
Thank you guys for all your help. I appreciate it.
 
alonnamarie2216 said:
So she's okay? I have a camera set up on her. To watch her without invading. I assumed that since her orginal laying bin was inside her viv that this one should be seperate?
Thank you guys for all your help. I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
I had a spy cam, too! And yep, this one is seperate from her normal enclosure. She might not be very hungry until she lays, but give her a day or so in the bin before you worry about the not eating. Keep an eye on your cam, if she's looking badly dehydrated or lethargic a vet visit might be the way to go.
 
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