When is my veiled ready to lay?

[CamrynTheCham22]

I have a female veiled chameleon who is about 1 year old. I think that she is pregnant, and I have a container and topsoil/sand set aside for when she is ready. I will set up a pvc frame for the lights above the container. I just do not know when to put her into the container, because I don't want to put her in too early. There is no male in the picture, the clutch is infertile. I am just wondering what are the signs that I should look for, for when she is a few days from laying eggs? She is eating about 8 dubia roaches very other day, and is always very eager. Will she stop eating when she is ready to lay her eggs? Is that when I should put her into the container?

 

[kinyonga]

First of all I would recommend that you put an opaque container at least 12" x 12" x 8" of washed playsand inside her cage and leave it there. The sand should be just moist enough to hold a tunnel.

Signs to look for are exploring the cage, drinking more, maybe eating less, etc. It's important not to let her see you watching her while she's digging. It can make her abandon the hole and if it happens often enough she will become eggbound.

Here's how the laying should go...
The female may dig several test holes but should decide on one and dig it until she's happy with it. She should then turn around in the hole, butt down and lay the eggs...likely in the evening. It may take an hour or several hours or even more sometimes. The lights can go out at the reular time. Some people leave them on. She should then fill in the hole and tamp it down and return to the branches hungry and thirsty.

If it doesn't go this way then she may need a vet.
If she becomes lethargic, sits low in the cage, sleeps during the day, phantom lays, etc then get her to the vet right away.
Hope this helps!

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

Thank you. I will keep a very close eye on her. My container is slightly transparent, so I will either cover it in an opaque paper or duct tape the sides.

 

[kinyonga]

Be careful with duct tape...you don't want to get any stuck to the chameleon believe me!