fluxlizard
Avid Member
I personally can't tell from the photo for sure- looks like it certainly could be eggs.
I can offer you some suggestions for your nest site though.
You can offer cover over the sand to make it more private. Privacy a big deal. Dried leaves can be put over the sand leaving some sand exposed, but will make her feel more secure when she goes down there.
You can also start a shallow tunnel and partially conceal the entrance (an old board or lid or something over part of the entrance to form a roof- many times they will start their own tunnels under something like that if it is available.) You can even then pick her up 1x and put her head into the tunnel and leave her there. Sometimes reluctant females who really have to lay know immediately what to do when you do that and if you back off immediately and don't bother her.
But only try that once- constantly messing with her can make her feel insecure and then she will hold onto the eggs.
The other couple of suggestions I have- I like yard dirt from the garden out back. Real dirt smells and feels correct to chameleons. They don't lay eggs in the desert or on the beach, they lay in dirt. Real soil is really appealing to my females, I find.
The other is if you can get a plastic garbage can and fill it with a 18" or so of dirt or your sand, you have instant privacy walls for your female and she can't climb out. That's assuming you know she wants to lay though. You might want to wait until you see she is actively roaming the bottom of her enclosure before removing her to a special nesting can. That is what I do. When they need to lay, normally they start to explore to find a place and they become very active and move to the bottom of the enclosure.
Melleri don't dig tunnels- just pits, but you can see what I am talking about with the leaves and soil here in a garbage can:
You still want some substrate exposed to attract your female so she knows there is a place to dig down there, but some leaves will help her feel like she can blend in.
I can offer you some suggestions for your nest site though.
You can offer cover over the sand to make it more private. Privacy a big deal. Dried leaves can be put over the sand leaving some sand exposed, but will make her feel more secure when she goes down there.
You can also start a shallow tunnel and partially conceal the entrance (an old board or lid or something over part of the entrance to form a roof- many times they will start their own tunnels under something like that if it is available.) You can even then pick her up 1x and put her head into the tunnel and leave her there. Sometimes reluctant females who really have to lay know immediately what to do when you do that and if you back off immediately and don't bother her.
But only try that once- constantly messing with her can make her feel insecure and then she will hold onto the eggs.
The other couple of suggestions I have- I like yard dirt from the garden out back. Real dirt smells and feels correct to chameleons. They don't lay eggs in the desert or on the beach, they lay in dirt. Real soil is really appealing to my females, I find.
The other is if you can get a plastic garbage can and fill it with a 18" or so of dirt or your sand, you have instant privacy walls for your female and she can't climb out. That's assuming you know she wants to lay though. You might want to wait until you see she is actively roaming the bottom of her enclosure before removing her to a special nesting can. That is what I do. When they need to lay, normally they start to explore to find a place and they become very active and move to the bottom of the enclosure.
Melleri don't dig tunnels- just pits, but you can see what I am talking about with the leaves and soil here in a garbage can:
You still want some substrate exposed to attract your female so she knows there is a place to dig down there, but some leaves will help her feel like she can blend in.
