when do i place my laying bin? right after breeding?

[AndrewBrian]

Hi guys just a question on when to place the laying bin.... I bred my chameleons last friday it's been 5 days since then her color has already changed to dark chocolate... should i place the laying bin in now or later on like after 2 weeks? I used topsoil without fertilizers do i have to moisten the soil from time to time? my enclosure is outdoor the sun hits the soil during the afternoon it could possibly dry up a bit right now when i got the soil it's already a bit damp i didnt add anymore water i dont think it will cave in

 

[kinyonga]

How old is your female? What species?
Once a female is sexually mature I always make sure she has a place all the time in her cage where she can to dig and lay eggs. I use playsand that is moist enough to hold a tunnel and I use an opaque container that is at least 12" by 8 " x 12" deep.

 

[AndrewBrian]

my female by estimate is around 10-11 months old nosy be panther and i've mated her with my male 5 days ago... her color has changed and im pretty sure she is gravid... I live in a small town in the philippines only topsoil is available here they dont sell playsand... I dont know her exact age because she was smuggled in from usa by some pet trader that never really cared for these chameleons i can only guess based on how long i've had her and that's about 8 months. she was probably 2 months old when i bought her waaay too small to travel her other companions died in week after they arrived she was the only survivor... sad.. i felt cheated because my supplier promised juvis they looked like hatchlings

 

[AndrewBrian]

by the way how old are panther chameleons usually sexually mature? i have another female that is now receptive... i tested it a while ago she wasnt fighting off the male or trying to run away which she was doing a month ago..... she's around 40 grams i didnt wanna risk breeding her yet because of her lack in size but shes receptive.... sad i dont know their ages

 

[NHenn]

I wouldn't take being receptive as being a green light for breeding. Just because she might be receptive doesn't mean she is big enough to handle mating/laying yet. My 7 month old female is still showing her growing colors and is way to small to breed but if she see a male she remains calm and cool so I'm sure she would mate but I would never attempt that until she is much larger.

I would wait until they are 12 months or older as a general rule of thumb. Their bodies need to develop completely and they need to reach a mature size before they can safely handle the whole breeding process.

 

[CLP]

by the way how old are panther chameleons usually sexually mature? i have another female that is now receptive... i tested it a while ago she wasnt fighting off the male or trying to run away which she was doing a month ago..... she's around 40 grams i didnt wanna risk breeding her yet because of her lack in size but shes receptive.... sad i dont know their ages

I agree with NHenn. Just because they are showing receptive colors, does not mean you should breed them. One of the ways to extend the life of female chameleons is to try to lower the number of clutches they lay in their lifetime. Laying eggs is very stressful on their bodies. You should not be rushing into this. You already have a female you have bred and as this is obviously your first time, I suggest trying your hand at the first clutch and go from there. And judging from the questions you have been asking, you have not educated yourself about breeding and the requirements of the eggs and the female which you really should have done before breeding them in the first place. I suggest you do a lot more research before you go any further. The eggs and babies will both have specific requirements. I suggest you know what those are before your cham lays her eggs.

But to answer your questions, the recomendation is to wait until they are at least 12 months old before breeding. And as for the laying bin, especially for new owners, females should really have access to a laying bin at all times, not just after they have been bred.

 

[AndrewBrian]

thanks for the info... it's just sad i dont know their exact ages... sorry for newbie errors it's good i didnt breed my second female i'll probably wait till she's 55-60 grams to be safe... here's another newbie question at what age do the females usually lay eggs even infertile ones? 8months? 10 months old? 1 yr old?

 

[NHenn]

It all depends on the individual chameleon and the environment they are given. I would read through Olimpia's Blogs as they are excellent as well as Lynda Horgan's article.

Olimpia's:
http://muchadoaboutchameleons.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-specific-care-of-females.html

Lynda's:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Olimpia's explains more about a female's care while breeding. Where Lynda's talks about raising females that never lay eggs. As you are already breeding, I would also read through the other blogs by Olimpia as she has additional information about breeding, the eggs and the hatchlings.

 

[AndrewBrian]

thanks nhen.... I have 1 female chameleon that's still a virgin i decided not to bred her yet wont make the same novice mistake twice although she is receptive but still at 40 grams also

 

[fluxlizard]

OK, so this is just me but I watch my females and put the laying bin in not long before they need to lay. You can tell- the female will become restless and move around near the floor more than usual. Or you can wait until about day 20 and put it in there. That way your soil won't dry out. By the way, fresh dug topsoil is great- it smells right and feels right to them where I live, is always the correct moisture content where I live if I dig downa few inches and I am sure where you live as well. (Not sure if you live in a desert like arizona or something). You can make it more attractive by adding a few dead leaves over the soil and maybe half sink an old dried treeroot or something into the soil- they like to dig around treeroots I've noticed and like the cover the dead leaves give also.

 

[AndrewBrian]

I appreciate the advice.... i've seen them going to the bottom of the cage but this was before i bred them and now they are still doing the same thing... 1 of my females are definitely gravid because her color has changed.... bred her last week....