Laying questions

MissSkittles

Chameleon Enthusiast
I believe the time I’ve been paranoid about and fearing has arrived.
Miss Grumpy has been looking plump (super fat actually) lately. Her colors haven’t darkened or changed as I expected it would and she’s shown no interest in her lay bin. This morning while her color actually appeared pale/washed out, her dots are more prominent. When I looked into her enclosure, there’s a bunch of dirt and rocks in her clean play sand lay bin. It took quite while to find her, but her butt was sticking out of the hole she dug in one of her plants. I covered her enclosure to give her privacy. I made myself a tiny peek hole but the only thing that I can see is that she hasn’t moved to her lay bin and from the sounds of her, she’s busy digging in the plant still.
Of course I have some questions about all of this.
The plant pot is only about 6” diam and 5-6” deep. Can she even lay in such a spot?
How long does this process usually last with veileds?
How will I know when she’s done and I can safely uncover her?
I didn’t get a chance to feed her today, which I’m not worried about. What to do about feeding if this goes on for a couple or few days? Thankfully I splurged on a mist king so don’t have to worry about hydration.
How will I know if she’s having any problems? Up until the first week of June she wasn’t getting proper diet, calcium or UVB.
Many thanks in advance to whatever info anyone can provide.
 
I believe the time I’ve been paranoid about and fearing has arrived.
Miss Grumpy has been looking plump (super fat actually) lately. Her colors haven’t darkened or changed as I expected it would and she’s shown no interest in her lay bin. This morning while her color actually appeared pale/washed out, her dots are more prominent. When I looked into her enclosure, there’s a bunch of dirt and rocks in her clean play sand lay bin. It took quite while to find her, but her butt was sticking out of the hole she dug in one of her plants. I covered her enclosure to give her privacy. I made myself a tiny peek hole but the only thing that I can see is that she hasn’t moved to her lay bin and from the sounds of her, she’s busy digging in the plant still.
Of course I have some questions about all of this.
The plant pot is only about 6” diam and 5-6” deep. Can she even lay in such a spot?
How long does this process usually last with veileds?
How will I know when she’s done and I can safely uncover her?
I didn’t get a chance to feed her today, which I’m not worried about. What to do about feeding if this goes on for a couple or few days? Thankfully I splurged on a mist king so don’t have to worry about hydration.
How will I know if she’s having any problems? Up until the first week of June she wasn’t getting proper diet, calcium or UVB.
Many thanks in advance to whatever info anyone can provide.

Oo congrats first lay!

So honestly there does not need to be a certain depth to the pot. My chameleon layed in the pothos plan pot which was MAYBE 4 inches deep. Its important she have the option for a big deep lay bin but they mostly want to lay up against a root ball or a rock. You will know she is done when she is back under her basking or another usual spot in her encloser and she will probably look tired and dirty. She will eat again when she is ready.

Give her a day or two after she had covered the hole to see if she tried again--and after you could consider taking her to the vet for a xray to see if she got all her eggs out.

First lay! Yay!
 
Anam covered it well...

When you say covered, what do you mean? You didn't cover the whole thing did you?
I covered the exposed side and front with a very thin cotton sheet/blanket...is breathable. The plant she chose to dig in is at the very top of her enclosure.
Just peeked and she’s on her basking branch looking neither dirty, tired nor any slimmer.
We had an appointment for the vet to come tonight to check her eyes (both ok now) and husbandry but cancelled so as not to disturb her laying.
 
Forgot to add pic.
96E0B85E-5C61-4E21-A43A-DF9BC27EA5FD.jpeg
 
I covered the exposed side and front with a very thin cotton sheet/blanket...is breathable. The plant she chose to dig in is at the very top of her enclosure.
Just peeked and she’s on her basking branch looking neither dirty, tired nor any slimmer.
We had an appointment for the vet to come tonight to check her eyes (both ok now) and husbandry but cancelled so as not to disturb her laying.

Give her some more time. It's not uncommon for them to dig test holes -- but monitor her and I would reschedule the vet appt.
 
Thank you. So guess I’ll have to take it as it comes. I just pray she has an uneventful laying. Will be contacting the chameleon vet when she’s done (or if she doesn’t seem well) to reschedule.
*even though the eggs are infertile, I still kind of feel like an expectant grandma. :wideyed:
 
Don’t offer her any food during this process. They can go without food for weeks. Try to be completely hands off right now. You said you have a MistKing right?
 
Yes, I do have a Mist King. Set to spray for 2 minutes 3 times during daytime.
Sounds like your all set! Don’t sweat her starting in the wrong plant. My female insists on digging up this one specific pitcher plant before going to her bin. She does it every time, like clockwork. I don’t know what she has against this one plant but they go to war every cycle. I’ve tried putting large white marble chips on top to discourage her, nothing. She just throws them out... point is every thing you’ve described is perfectly normal behavior, she’s got this!
 
Sounds like your all set! Don’t sweat her starting in the wrong plant. My female insists on digging up this one specific pitcher plant before going to her bin. She does it every time, like clockwork. I don’t know what she has against this one plant but they go to war every cycle. I’ve tried putting large white marble chips on top to discourage her, nothing. She just throws them out... point is every thing you’ve described is perfectly normal behavior, she’s got this!
Thanks Brody for the reassurance. Much appreciate it! :)
 
Yay! Miss Grumpy finished covering her eggs last night and this morning was in her usual basking spot looking a little sandy and a bit thinner. She’s eaten a few silkworms and has been moving around as she usually does. I just retrieved and counted the eggs...36. She did good! I’m so very relieved!!! Now to learn how to adjust things to reduce the frequency of her laying and we’ll be all set. 5ECE3F46-F5E5-4A3F-89C2-385E3CB29298.jpeg
 
Yay! Miss Grumpy finished covering her eggs last night and this morning was in her usual basking spot looking a little sandy and a bit thinner. She’s eaten a few silkworms and has been moving around as she usually does. I just retrieved and counted the eggs...36. She did good! I’m so very relieved!!! Now to learn how to adjust things to reduce the frequency of her laying and we’ll be all set. View attachment 242426
Yay!
 
Just read this whole thread, congrats! I fear mine will lay soon... but she is still small and shown no colors. However, I am hand misting at the moment because I’ve just splurged on lights. What would I do for misting when this time comes? I don’t want to disturb her
 
Just read this whole thread, congrats! I fear mine will lay soon... but she is still small and shown no colors. However, I am hand misting at the moment because I’ve just splurged on lights. What would I do for misting when this time comes? I don’t want to disturb her
Since you still have time you could save for an auto mister. Once you get it (hopefully before she lays), I would think just having it go off at the same times without you physically being there she would get use to it. Or if you’re still hand misting just make sure the cage is covered so she can’t see you while misting. I don’t have a female but just brainstorming lol.
 
Since you still have time you could save for an auto mister. Once you get it (hopefully before she lays), I would think just having it go off at the same times without you physically being there she would get use to it. Or if you’re still hand misting just make sure the cage is covered so she can’t see you while misting. I don’t have a female but just brainstorming lol.
Auto mister is always the best option....
 
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