Tilly laid!

[joeandsoph]

Hey!

I don't know if you saw my panicky post yesterday about Tilly. She'd started digging in her bucket and I was a little worried as it was ours and her first time.

So this morning, she covered something up but when we looked couldn't see no eggs but she looked fine.

So got home tonight and found the eggs!!! 63 in total. She's doing wonderful, had a big dinner and is in a lovely mood (one of the best moods I've ever witnessed her in!!!). He's the eggy pics! And a few pics of Tilly which I've just taken.

 

[jannb]

Glad to hear that she laid and is doing well. 63 eggs is allot. After a few days I would cut down her heat to 80 and only feed her 3 days a week.

 

[joeandsoph]

Hi Jan,

Yeh I do agree but I also feel it could be worse. Some chams lay many many more so I'm please it wasn't above 70 or something.

We are cutting her food back as I do think she's a little plump.

We'll just have to not fall for the goggly eyed 'feed me' look hehe.

 

[jannb]

Here's an excellent link for females: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

 

[joeandsoph]

Hey,

Yeh I looked at that when we first got her. To be honest we have learned soo much and still learn every day. I don't think Tilly would be as well looked after if it wasn't for all you people on here.

Thank you all so much for you help.

 

[Miss Lily]

Congrats! She knew what she was doing, bless her! 63 is a lot though, even though she didn't look that big (or skinny after) to you. I thought the same with Lily and she laid 104 the first time. Even with all that many inside her she could still suck herself right in!

I know from experience how difficult it is not to overfeed. I felt mean for a few days, but actually it's nice to not have to get the food ready every day. Both mine get fed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tommy is being very picky at the moment so gets offered something every day in the hope that he will eat! I found that it fits better with my working routine too - no feeding on Monday, which is my busiest day is great! I now find feeding them much more fun than a chore (not that it is, but you know what I mean!) - I really enjoy watching Amy shoot everything down now she's really hungry when she's fed! She runs through her cage to get to the food as soon as she sees anything coming her way!

As Jan said, after a few days, lower her temps and cut back on her food. This will limit (or prevent) the size of the next clutch if she lays again. Amy is kept at 80-82 degrees and she's doing really well!

 

[joeandsoph]

To be honest, I didn't think we were over feeding but she is plump.

So what do you suggest we feed. Getting her in a new tank soon which hopefully will help control the heat better.

 

[Miss Lily]

Amy gets either two xl locust and a small dubia or I switch a locust for a morio worm some days. She gets silkies mixed in too when I can get them, and they both get an occasional waxy on Sunday. I think others recommend 5 or 6 crickets every other day, but obviously locusts are a bit bigger than crix!

Since I cut back with their feeding Amy has lost some weight - she started out at 186g and is now down to 171g.

 

[joeandsoph]

We only feed 4 crix or locusts every other day, so that's even less than some people.

I was told to feed abour 4 bugs every other day, you think this is still too much? Don't want to starve the poor gal.

 

[Miss Lily]

I really don't know the answer to that! I have only recently started to cut back myself. Amy still seems like she's starving and runs through her cage with her tongue out ready. I do feel mean, but it's for her own good, plus I want her to be be with me longer than Lily was (which she already has been!) You really do have to 'be cruel to be kind'. They really don't need to eat every day. Lily proved that by not eating for 10 days and still had the energy to dig a hole, lay 104 eggs and cover everything back in after. They truly are amazing creatures.

Females are a lot more greedy than the males though. I am sure Amy would eat everything I offered her all day long, whereas Tommy will not eat if he's not hungry. Today I got him to eat one waxworm and that's all he's eaten for 4 days and in the 3 days prior to that he ate one locust. They don't need a lot of food and energy when all they do is sit and bask all day, lol! I suppose it just reflects on survival in the wild. The females eat a lot more to produce clutches of future generations. They don't need to do that in their cages, but their bellies don't know that!

 

[joeandsoph]

Well maybe we'll cute down to 3 crix. And maybe less if we're feeding large locusts. And waxies as a treat!

But at least she's laid, and it seemed so stress free for her. She just got on with it. So...it's up from here =D