PardalisGirl
Avid Member
I had a very unexpected event Sunday......I was able to confirm the sex of my youngest Melleri, Squirt, after she laid 48 eggs. Don't get too excited...they are probably infertile. It's possible they are fertile and I am holding on to the fantasy that they could be fertile. They probably are not though.
Some background.....I have a group of three adult WC Melleri in a large free range and just aquired a small CB juvie from the Gesang's (Chameleons Northwest). This little sweetie is the offspring of Hercules and Megana. Anyway...Squirt was the smallest of the three WC Melleri and when I got the group. She grew very quickly and has caught up to the size of the other two adults. None of these are as big as my beloved and departed Layla though.
I've been discouraged by the lack of any breeding behavior. I've had them for over 1 1/2 years. Squirt and Knopfler are roamers. Every other day or so they will climb down and explore the room they are in. They always like to climb up on the other cham cages in the room and sit on the hoods (not together).
During the last couple of weeks Squirt started roaming on a daily basis. During the last few days she started hiding. She would leave the free range and hide under furniture in the room, etc. Yesterday I decided that something might be wrong with this activity and decided that I would give her a good examination and figure out if I should put her in a cage to evaluate her. I found her sleeping under a plant arrangement and there was one dried up egg near her. I palpated her and could not really feel anything. I put her back in the free range with the idea that i would set up a laying bin after I finished some cage cleaning. I left the room.
I came back a couple minutes later and she was headed down to the floor and Knopfler, who had been at the opposite side of the free range, was now in the spot I had set Squirt. It seems that he had pursued her and she left to get away from him. I now look back and see that he has moved towards her whenever I put her back in the free range. There was no head bobbing, lobe flapping or anything that looked like male breeding behavior. I thought he was trying to avoid my possible handling rather than pursue Squirt.
I put Squirt in a big cage and left to clean some cages in another room. I came back an hour later to look at her before I set up the big laying bin. To my surprise she had dug into a big potted Pothos in the cage and laid 48 eggs. All in one hour. She lightly covered them and was back at the top of the cage.
The eggs probably are not fertile. They are soft and pliable. They are perfectly egg shaped but just don't feel right. I accidentally squished one and lots of yellow yolk came out. I set them up as though they are fertile but am totally prepared for disappointment.
I think Knopfler is interested in Squirt now, but am not certain that he was at the time she would have been receptive. I think she was hiding this last week to escape his attention. The free range has multiple very large potted plants. She could have easily chosen them to lay her eggs in instead of the potted plant in the cage.
Sorry for the long post on this story. I'm pretty excited thinking that I now have a breeding pair. I need to change Squirt's name to something more appropriate
Some background.....I have a group of three adult WC Melleri in a large free range and just aquired a small CB juvie from the Gesang's (Chameleons Northwest). This little sweetie is the offspring of Hercules and Megana. Anyway...Squirt was the smallest of the three WC Melleri and when I got the group. She grew very quickly and has caught up to the size of the other two adults. None of these are as big as my beloved and departed Layla though.
I've been discouraged by the lack of any breeding behavior. I've had them for over 1 1/2 years. Squirt and Knopfler are roamers. Every other day or so they will climb down and explore the room they are in. They always like to climb up on the other cham cages in the room and sit on the hoods (not together).
During the last couple of weeks Squirt started roaming on a daily basis. During the last few days she started hiding. She would leave the free range and hide under furniture in the room, etc. Yesterday I decided that something might be wrong with this activity and decided that I would give her a good examination and figure out if I should put her in a cage to evaluate her. I found her sleeping under a plant arrangement and there was one dried up egg near her. I palpated her and could not really feel anything. I put her back in the free range with the idea that i would set up a laying bin after I finished some cage cleaning. I left the room.
I came back a couple minutes later and she was headed down to the floor and Knopfler, who had been at the opposite side of the free range, was now in the spot I had set Squirt. It seems that he had pursued her and she left to get away from him. I now look back and see that he has moved towards her whenever I put her back in the free range. There was no head bobbing, lobe flapping or anything that looked like male breeding behavior. I thought he was trying to avoid my possible handling rather than pursue Squirt.
I put Squirt in a big cage and left to clean some cages in another room. I came back an hour later to look at her before I set up the big laying bin. To my surprise she had dug into a big potted Pothos in the cage and laid 48 eggs. All in one hour. She lightly covered them and was back at the top of the cage.
The eggs probably are not fertile. They are soft and pliable. They are perfectly egg shaped but just don't feel right. I accidentally squished one and lots of yellow yolk came out. I set them up as though they are fertile but am totally prepared for disappointment.
I think Knopfler is interested in Squirt now, but am not certain that he was at the time she would have been receptive. I think she was hiding this last week to escape his attention. The free range has multiple very large potted plants. She could have easily chosen them to lay her eggs in instead of the potted plant in the cage.
Sorry for the long post on this story. I'm pretty excited thinking that I now have a breeding pair. I need to change Squirt's name to something more appropriate
