What do i use
- Thread starter pedro92
- Start date
Jordan
New Member
I use a large flower pot. I think 12" high. I fill mine with a half and half mix of peat moss and sand. There are other options I am sure some other people will throw some other ideas at you. I like the peat moss and sand because if it is moist you can take your hand and make a tunnel real easily. Which in essence is what your female will be doing.
I would recommend that you do not fill it all the way. That extra inch or two will act as a barrier should you come in the room while she is at work. If you disturb her she might stop digging and this could cause complications. Regardless of the material you use it should be moist but not wet. To wet or to dry and she will not even bother digging.
There is not need to incubate veiled eggs in most cases. I used a large plastic storage container. I drilled the top with many holes to allow for ventilation. I orginally set it up with a 1:1 ratio of perlite and water (by weight not volume). I stored the container at the top of my closet. I misted it about every other week to restore the humidity. I have only had one clutch of fertile eggs so it may be better to get some other opinions on this.
I would recommend that you do not fill it all the way. That extra inch or two will act as a barrier should you come in the room while she is at work. If you disturb her she might stop digging and this could cause complications. Regardless of the material you use it should be moist but not wet. To wet or to dry and she will not even bother digging.
There is not need to incubate veiled eggs in most cases. I used a large plastic storage container. I drilled the top with many holes to allow for ventilation. I orginally set it up with a 1:1 ratio of perlite and water (by weight not volume). I stored the container at the top of my closet. I misted it about every other week to restore the humidity. I have only had one clutch of fertile eggs so it may be better to get some other opinions on this.
I use washed playsand for my veiled females to lay their eggs in. With any egglaying female chameleons I keep a container of this in the cage from the time they are sexually mature.
Some females will lay the eggs in a container of sand that is no bigger than about 9" long and 8" deep and 7" wide...but larger is better. Once they start digging in this container that I keep in their cages, they can be moved to larger container like a trash can or 65 liter rubbermaid container in which there is about 1' of sand. I use the rubbermaid...I cut away most of the middle of the lid and screen over it. I put the sand (moistened so that it will hold a tunnel ) in the bottom of the container...add a branch and the female to the container. I place the lid on and add a light over the screen. Be careful not to bake her....after all it is a closed in container!
Do not let her see you watching her when she is digging or she will likely abandon the hole. If she abandons it too often it can lead to eggbinding. Normally the female will dig one or more test holes but should settle on one that she may dig in more than once or for a couple of days. Eventually she should turn around in the hole (bum down) and lay the eggs. Its often in the evening that she will reach this point. She should lay the eggs, fill the hole in and tamp it down somewhat and return to the branches. At this point you can dig them up...carefully. I use a plastic spoon and just dig a little away at a time until I find the eggs.
I use shoebox sized plastic containers with lids to incubate the eggs in. I poke two very very tiny holes in the lid. I fill the container about half full of barely moist vermiculite (coarse grade). To test for moisture, take a fist full of the vermiculite...if you can not squeeze out more than a couple of drops of water, then the vermiculite is at the right moisture level. Place the eggs in rows about 1" apart in all directions and put the lid on the container. Try not to turn/rotate the eggs as you are moving them from where they are buried to the container.
I incubate the eggs at about 78F...it can be slightly cooler...I don't like to go warmer myself. If you have a place that is that temperature then you won't need an incubator. If you don't have a place then you will need an incubator.
You will likely get humidity on the walls and lid of the container you are incubating the eggs in. I rarely have to add water during the whole incubation..but if I do I don't let it go on the eggs directly but rather add it around the edges of the container...or in the spaces between the rows of eggs.
As was said, there are many ways of doing all of this....I just haven't changed what works for me.
Some females will lay the eggs in a container of sand that is no bigger than about 9" long and 8" deep and 7" wide...but larger is better. Once they start digging in this container that I keep in their cages, they can be moved to larger container like a trash can or 65 liter rubbermaid container in which there is about 1' of sand. I use the rubbermaid...I cut away most of the middle of the lid and screen over it. I put the sand (moistened so that it will hold a tunnel ) in the bottom of the container...add a branch and the female to the container. I place the lid on and add a light over the screen. Be careful not to bake her....after all it is a closed in container!
Do not let her see you watching her when she is digging or she will likely abandon the hole. If she abandons it too often it can lead to eggbinding. Normally the female will dig one or more test holes but should settle on one that she may dig in more than once or for a couple of days. Eventually she should turn around in the hole (bum down) and lay the eggs. Its often in the evening that she will reach this point. She should lay the eggs, fill the hole in and tamp it down somewhat and return to the branches. At this point you can dig them up...carefully. I use a plastic spoon and just dig a little away at a time until I find the eggs.
I use shoebox sized plastic containers with lids to incubate the eggs in. I poke two very very tiny holes in the lid. I fill the container about half full of barely moist vermiculite (coarse grade). To test for moisture, take a fist full of the vermiculite...if you can not squeeze out more than a couple of drops of water, then the vermiculite is at the right moisture level. Place the eggs in rows about 1" apart in all directions and put the lid on the container. Try not to turn/rotate the eggs as you are moving them from where they are buried to the container.
I incubate the eggs at about 78F...it can be slightly cooler...I don't like to go warmer myself. If you have a place that is that temperature then you won't need an incubator. If you don't have a place then you will need an incubator.
You will likely get humidity on the walls and lid of the container you are incubating the eggs in. I rarely have to add water during the whole incubation..but if I do I don't let it go on the eggs directly but rather add it around the edges of the container...or in the spaces between the rows of eggs.
As was said, there are many ways of doing all of this....I just haven't changed what works for me.
