Veiled Chameleon won’t lay eggs?

Sydney1112

New Member
So this is my first veiled chameleon. I got her when she was just a baby. (Not sure of her actual age, the pet store wasn’t sure either) And I did as much reading as I could before I got her in July. And then in September I noticed her acting strange. And first she turned black and I got super scared and asked the guy At the pet store first. And he instantly told me she was dying. I then set an appt at the vet I could get in soonest which even then wasn’t until the next day at noon. So that night she seemed fine. The next morning (around 5am) I noticed she was just still on the bottom of the cage. She wouldn’t move and didn’t wake up until I actually moved her, Which terrified me. I did more research on female chameleons and read she could be getting ready to lay eggs so I hurried and bought vermiculite and filled one of my bins with it and set her in there. She seemed so mad about it and pretty much ran out of it. I took her to the vet and all they told me was she has eggs for sure and not to worry. I then had it set up so when I was here I left her cage open so she could go in the bin whenever she pleased and she did not seem interested in it at all. And I thought it was just because it wasn’t in her own surroundings or anything’s. I then filled a smaller container (like a waste basket) with the vermiculite and put it in her cage and she was just mad the entire time it was in there. I then bout a real plant (ficus about medium height) and set all of that stuff up in a new bigger cage for her and everything. She still seems so disinterested in it. In October I noticed she had stopped eating and I noticed she had a runny nose which I read wasn’t good at all for her so again I scheduled to get into the vet again right away. (Different one this time because this one could get her in sooner) this one just checked her out and left me with the same answer as the other. She’s got eggs. And lots of them. But not to worry. She appears healthy as can be bones look healthy just dust more calcium on her crickets. But I feel like I should worry with her runny nose (she no longer has one now).


Anywho, I suppose my questions are what should I do for a laying bin for her that she’s might actually use? I’ve tried regular soil, the ficus, vermiculite, sand. Big bins, little bins. All has been damp enough to clump but not wet enough to drip when squeezed). I don’t know if I’m doing anything wrong? Or even how long do chameleons hold eggs for? I can’t seem to find that on any page when I search for it. She’s looking really big lately, does that mean she’s gonna be laying her eggs here soon? Or is there really no way to tell. I just don’t want her to become egg bound because she won’t use any laying bin I provide.
 
So this is my first veiled chameleon. I got her when she was just a baby. (Not sure of her actual age, the pet store wasn’t sure either) And I did as much reading as I could before I got her in July. And then in September I noticed her acting strange. And first she turned black and I got super scared and asked the guy At the pet store first. And he instantly told me she was dying. I then set an appt at the vet I could get in soonest which even then wasn’t until the next day at noon. So that night she seemed fine. The next morning (around 5am) I noticed she was just still on the bottom of the cage. She wouldn’t move and didn’t wake up until I actually moved her, Which terrified me. I did more research on female chameleons and read she could be getting ready to lay eggs so I hurried and bought vermiculite and filled one of my bins with it and set her in there. She seemed so mad about it and pretty much ran out of it. I took her to the vet and all they told me was she has eggs for sure and not to worry. I then had it set up so when I was here I left her cage open so she could go in the bin whenever she pleased and she did not seem interested in it at all. And I thought it was just because it wasn’t in her own surroundings or anything’s. I then filled a smaller container (like a waste basket) with the vermiculite and put it in her cage and she was just mad the entire time it was in there. I then bout a real plant (ficus about medium height) and set all of that stuff up in a new bigger cage for her and everything. She still seems so disinterested in it. In October I noticed she had stopped eating and I noticed she had a runny nose which I read wasn’t good at all for her so again I scheduled to get into the vet again right away. (Different one this time because this one could get her in sooner) this one just checked her out and left me with the same answer as the other. She’s got eggs. And lots of them. But not to worry. She appears healthy as can be bones look healthy just dust more calcium on her crickets. But I feel like I should worry with her runny nose (she no longer has one now).


Anywho, I suppose my questions are what should I do for a laying bin for her that she’s might actually use? I’ve tried regular soil, the ficus, vermiculite, sand. Big bins, little bins. All has been damp enough to clump but not wet enough to drip when squeezed). I don’t know if I’m doing anything wrong? Or even how long do chameleons hold eggs for? I can’t seem to find that on any page when I search for it. She’s looking really big lately, does that mean she’s gonna be laying her eggs here soon? Or is there really no way to tell. I just don’t want her to become egg bound because she won’t use any laying bin I provide.
Here’s a screen shot on egg info.
Lowe’s has a pot the perfect size here: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Treasures-17-75-in-W-x-17-75-in-H-Black-Plastic-Planter/3878879
Lowe’s also has play sand (you need to use this or half this and half organic soil): https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sakrete-50-lb-Play-Sand-Sand/3055675
Take the plant out of the bin, just have a few branches and/or vines leading into the bin. Make the bin a permanent part of her viv
Could you fill out this form as well, please? https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Here’s the veiled care sheet, too: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
 

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Yes sorry! Veiled, female, unknown age. I bought her in July. I handle her almost everyday. She tries to come out when I get home from work so it’s the same time around 6pm everyday. I don’t want to stress her so I don’t try to hold her a whole lot since she’s been getting bigger but sometimes she just climbs right out to me so I give her some love. Feeding: usually medium or large crickets depending on sizes of them. Occasionally blueberries (she really likes) or collard greens. I usually put a dozen crickets in and see how much she eats. She used to eat all of them and then some blueberries. Then she stopped eating and now she’s averaging about 5 crickets a day. (Mediums right now) she gets fed when I get home from work around 6 pm everyday. (Unless she wants held then as soon as I put her back In the cage she eats. Crickets eat flukers orange cubes and flukers cricket quencher
I dust them in zoo med repot calcium with d3 and Exoterra multi vitamin
Watering: I have a monsoon automatic misting system that goes off every hour for 12 seconds (I’m trying to boost her humidity some right now) I also have a cave fountain at the bottom of the cage that I clean out every other day along with the cage.
Fecal description: brown, clear, yellow, white. Has not been tested for parasites that I know of. When I last took her to the vet was when she stopped eating and I could only manage to get a small piece from her and took it in but they didn’t mention it.
Cage info: all screen 24x18x36
Temps basking is about 80-85 mid area is 74 currently it bounces
Bottom is currently 70
To measure this I use three different temp gages on different sides of the cage at different levels the humidity is about 48 or 49 (trying to raise it by misting more often and going to buy more live plants when I’m off.
I have 2 live plants one ficus and on terrarium plant (wasn’t specific on what kind)
She is located in my room near my door, across the room from the window. With no open vents around. The top is about 5 feet and three inches from the floor (it’s taller than me by about an inch I’m guessing.) and I live in Fort Wayne indiana!

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it!
 
Also here is the X-ray they did in October the second time I took her. So it’s for sure eggs she has right now.
 

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She was acting strange for a while there like usually if someone gets too close she’ll puff up like normal and warn them but lately if my mom were to get to close to her or anyone else she would actually bite them (she’s never bitten anyone before) and she’s tried to bite me a couple days ago when I was untwisting a vine in her cage. But she’s been moving around a lot more than before but she does look big and just looks uncomfortable. But she is moving occasionally but is uninterested in any of the plants or anything. But I’ll go buy regular soil tomorrow and fill on of the bins again to try again with this for her, or do you think a bigger pot for the ficus could work? I’ll post a pic of her right now in a couple of minutes here @jannb
 
I also find it strange she has a whole other side of the cage that is covered in leaves but she always sits in this one where it’s open. (I have to get more decor to cover more of the other side)
 

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Yes sorry! Veiled, female, unknown age. I bought her in July. I handle her almost everyday. She tries to come out when I get home from work so it’s the same time around 6pm everyday. I don’t want to stress her so I don’t try to hold her a whole lot since she’s been getting bigger but sometimes she just climbs right out to me so I give her some love. Feeding: usually medium or large crickets depending on sizes of them. Occasionally blueberries (she really likes) or collard greens. I usually put a dozen crickets in and see how much she eats. She used to eat all of them and then some blueberries. Then she stopped eating and now she’s averaging about 5 crickets a day. (Mediums right now) she gets fed when I get home from work around 6 pm everyday. (Unless she wants held then as soon as I put her back In the cage she eats. Crickets eat flukers orange cubes and flukers cricket quencher
I dust them in zoo med repot calcium with d3 and Exoterra multi vitamin
Watering: I have a monsoon automatic misting system that goes off every hour for 12 seconds (I’m trying to boost her humidity some right now) I also have a cave fountain at the bottom of the cage that I clean out every other day along with the cage.
Fecal description: brown, clear, yellow, white. Has not been tested for parasites that I know of. When I last took her to the vet was when she stopped eating and I could only manage to get a small piece from her and took it in but they didn’t mention it.
Cage info: all screen 24x18x36
Temps basking is about 80-85 mid area is 74 currently it bounces
Bottom is currently 70
To measure this I use three different temp gages on different sides of the cage at different levels the humidity is about 48 or 49 (trying to raise it by misting more often and going to buy more live plants when I’m off.
I have 2 live plants one ficus and on terrarium plant (wasn’t specific on what kind)
She is located in my room near my door, across the room from the window. With no open vents around. The top is about 5 feet and three inches from the floor (it’s taller than me by about an inch I’m guessing.) and I live in Fort Wayne indiana!

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it!
I’ll let jannb give you info on egg laying, but I can give some info on correct husbandry. I really recommend reading the veiled care sheet here. I wouldn’t handle her everyday unless she asks for it and is rewarded with positive reinforcement, like a treat, going to a free range set up, going outside (when it’s warm enough of course), etc. You need to feed in the morning so your cham can bask and digest during the second half of the day. Fluker’s Cricket Cubes are a crap gutload, get either a quality commercial gutload like Repashy, Cricket Crack, Pangea, Mazuri, or organic fresh fruits and veggies off of the gutload list here in the food and nutrition tab in resources, or both. You need to dust with phosphorous free calcium without D3 every feeding, phosphorous free calcium with D3 twice monthly, and a multivitamin twice monthly (don’t use Exo Terra, it’s crap, use Zoo Med Reptivite without D3 or Repashy Multivitamin-I believe it has a red eyed tree frog on it). You can also do phosphorous free calcium without D3 every feeding and a multivitamin with D3 twice monthly instead. Set the automated mister to 2 minutes and space out the mistings more (play with it until you get the correct humidity). Chams need to misted for at least 2 minutes to have time to start drinking and to clean their eyes. I personally would take the fountain out, even if you’re actually disinfecting it with bleach or something similar. Once you up the misting lengths, it’ll trigger drinking. The basking needs to be a steady 85*. Go to the hardware store and get a digital temp gun to measure the basking and a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo for ambient temp and humidity. Your humidity is fine.
 
It’s hard to tell from a pic but she appears to have ALOT of eggs, I’m thinking 50+. If you get her through this you need to cut her food intake in half, temps are ok. Too much food will cause these clutch sizes which are way too taxing on her system and will lead to an early death.
 
I have a bin with schefflera at all times in my two girls cages. The mixture is play sand and organic soil. More soil than sand to keep the plant alive. The bin is 17x14x15. The mixture is damp, but not overly so. It is perfect for them to tunnel and lay. Your girl needs privacy too. The first time my girls layed eggs, I had to cover the cages with a sheet. They need lots of foliage to make themselves feel safe. They are both over 3 years old now so I think I am doing it right....They lay two or three times a year.

I hope this helps....
 
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