please!!! we need help

[jabol]

I have bought two Ch.dilepis, seller said that it is male and female and according to information that I have found on different sites the recognition was good because female turned dark when was in contact with male and this fact made us think that she was going to breath eggs because we have found information that pregnant females act this way... we have also find information about color of theirs throat but now it occurred that both of them have the same color do you have any idea how to recognize sex of dilepis?

 

[pssh]

I believe the males have spurs on the backs of their hind feet while females don't. However chameleons should not be kept together, they need their own cages.

 

[jabol]

I know that their should be kept seperate, but their were togehter for short time while new cage building was in progress... As far as I know the spurs should give me an idea which one is a male and which is female but believieng to seller information about sex of each one the female has spurs and it is also the one which turn dark... i wonder if there is any possibilty that spurs dont say interchangeably about sex of specimen...

 

[jabol]

sorry for my mistakes in spelling or other but English isn't my native language so i have hope that my messages are read able

 

[pssh]

Spurs are definately a male trait. Female lack spurs, and some males get territorial even with receptive females. He may just be a 'moody' boy.

 

[kinyonga]

Not all males in the dilepis group have spurs.

Here's an article with some information about the group...
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49

And one more...
http://www.adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/chdilepis.html

 

[pssh]

But if one does have spurs wouldn't that suggest it's male? Or do some females have spurs also?

 

[kinyonga]

Yes, females don't have spurs...so if there is a spur its a male.
(I was typing my reply and looking up information when it was posted that one had a spur.)

 

[jabol]

thanks a lot!!

Thank you very much for your commitment in my topic and your reply with many informations that helped me more or less with my problem although i have learned a lot from your post or sites you linked for me...
but now I fell so dumb and have tremendous pangs of conscience because from beginning I gave you wrong description of situation not corresponding with the facts... today with full responsibility I can say that non of my chameleons has spurs I don't know how come that earlier I was sure about their presence... please forgive my lack of knowledge and that I mislead all of you willing to help me...

Now according to your advises I can say that I am in possession of to females or both sex of dilepis kind with no spurs...
from time I have split ed them in to different cages one (that previously seemed to be a female according to what seller said and turning dark in contact with male) of them acts strange and sluggish don't want to eat and don't react any way even in presence of any live food dedicated for dilepis... while she or he was with another one for short time was very active but also aggressive...

 

[jabol]

According to one of the description that one of you have linked it is normal behavior before laying eggs... yesterday she also tried to dig and this made me very happy because I believed she is preparing place for eggs... but she stoped and now don't do anything... why while being with another one she ate and now act this strange way?
I am afraid that something is going wrong because she turned very skinny in addition i must say that all conditions like temperature etc are fulfilled...

 

[jabol]

in a while i will be able to present some photos... maybe it will help...

 

[pssh]

If she has started to dig you must provide her a laying bin. It should be a container that is big enough for her to fit in plus three inches on every side. Make sure it is about 10-12 inches deep and filled with play sand or organic potting soil that has no fertilizers in it.

If she seems sick or in poor health please take her to a qualified vet with chameleon expirience.

 

[jabol]

this is probably female

this maybe a male

my first thought was to contact with vet but in Poland it is hard to find someone who knows anything about this specimen and could tell me something about their sex and strange bahaviour of one of them, most popular is Chamaeleo calyptratus about which i have some knowledge because of that as soon as I have noticed she is diging I provided bin like you later on advised...

i wanted to show you this pictures because i have conatcted with the seller, and he said that the stripe along body of chameleon should give me an idea of sex of each other... he said that the one with darker stripe is a male.. is it possible that sex is recognizable in this way? or he just wanted to get rid of me?

 

[rcmike]

Did she get skinny right after digging? Maybe she layed some eggs?

 

[jabol]

this one with slough is probably male, the one which lately still trying to dig is the one on the pic above... In my opinion she will get also slough in short time... do you think that it is related some way?

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post another picture of the second one where the leg is not in front of the tail. I'm trying to see the base of the tail (near the body).

 

[jabol]

click to enlarge

is that enough? maybe I will try to take a photo of cloaca under the thail

 

[jabol]

I am seeing forrward for some ideas from you, I hope that this silent isn't because you are out of ideas.. because if you cant help us i dont know who can

 

[Shaboo10]

Chameleons CANNOT be kept in the same terrarium, it causes stress, and stress can kill a chameleon, so she turned that color due to being with another chameleon.

 

[kinyonga]

Its Christmas time...and I've been busy...the second picture has your finger in the way of the area I need to see. Can we try one more time please?