Sorry but....Why do they dig???

[Amanda S]

In the wild I assume chameleons dig since that is what they naturally want to do in captivity but...how do the eggs hatch?

I ask this because...I have research and discussed on here about how to arrange eggs and how to incubate them. But why? In the wild don't the eggs get laid in clutches, underground, and live? I see why we keep them in dark, moist containers at various temperatures and might create a false diapause but why do they need to be arranged in rows 2/3 from the surface?

 

[dodolah]

all those are the things we do to raise the hatch rate and make our life easier by allowing us to better control the optimal condition at all time.
I guess you can just leave the eggs alone.
But, just like in the wild, the chances of 100% hatching success is less.

 

[Amanda S]

Alright. Makes sense. I am concerned I won't find eggs and wondered what would happen if nature took its course.

 

[kinyonga]

Its usually difficult to keep the temperatures and moisture levels right when the eggs are left buried.

Spacing the eggs an inch apart in rows for chameleons like veileds allows the eggs to hatch more individually and there is a better hatch rate and survival rate.