Show Ophelia a Male...

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Please forgive - just asking a dumb question. I certainly don't want to over-stress my girl...

But, what would happen if I brought a male into Ophelia's space - near her, showed him to her, whatever.

Would she decide she IS gravid after all and start calcifying her eggs?
Is it a foregone conclusion that she WOULD show black - "get away" - colors?
Would it cause more stress then the experiment is worth?

I'm a cause-and-effect kinda girl... I want to know what would happen. She hasn't even shown the robin-blue dots in full force... I "think" I am starting to see some blue colors, but that started today. At the vet.

Thoughts? Am I totally off base?

 

[jannb]

I wouldn't do it. It would stree her out.

 

[Angelwolf]

I agree with @jannb . Don't stress her out. Just let her do her thing. She will lay when her body is ready. And she may also be retaining the clutch because of all of the "attention" she is getting. Just a thought...

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Yep, ok! I don't even know a male veiled lol

@Angelwolf I try to keep that on my mind. It's difficult to know the right balance of how to feed, water, clean up cage/poop/dead feeders, bring out for sun and also leave as much time undisturbed! So hard... any tips? I try to be sneaky - just moved the curtain aside to add water to her dripper - we didn't have eye contact.

Yesterday (vet day ) was a big day. After she got back, I kept the sheet up so I could keep an eye on her but most days for the last 2+ weeks, she looks like this. I pop in once to feed and try to do everything at once.

 

[Andee]

In my opinion the robin blue colors and the yellows spots are usually a sign veileds are receptive. Not that they are gravid.

 

[Angelwolf]

Ya. I think @Andee is right.

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Well, shoot. Just when I think I'm moving closer to some sort of understanding...

'kay... stick with me here...

Dr. Greek said there is always the possibility that she doesn't have "eggs". They could be developing, but at this stage they (the follicles) could still reduce in size and diminish back to the start. Some reptiles do that. She doesn't have shells on her eggs. Yet.

So, could she NOT be gravid? Could she be entering into a gravid stage?

I think my chameleon is broken lol

 

[Angelwolf]

Well. They do lay eggs even when they have never met a male. Was she mated? For sure? And she may be waiting to put the extra calcium on the eggs to make sure her body has enough to survive. This could be one reason they reabsorb eggs from time to time. And it may not just be calcium. There are other factors involved in egg production. Do a little research into birds and the process of laying, and you will see many correlations.