Why is my Chameleon digging a hole?

SethandNezbit

New Member
I have a 6 month old female veiled chameleon named Mrs. Nezbit. Up until recently, she has been a very active and healthy chameleon, eating nearly ten crickets a day and eating superworms out of my hand. For the past week, though she has been very irritable. She has stopped eating out of my hand and she won't stop digging a hole in the back of her cage. She also has changed color, normally she is a healthy light green, but now she is a darker brownish green. She has not been exposed to a male so she can't be pregnant. Is this normal behavior? Is she just going through a phase? How can accommodate her? I have about three inches of coconut substrate in the bottom of her cage so she has reached the bottom. Is there anything I can do to get her back to the way she was?
 
I have a 6 month old female veiled chameleon named Mrs. Nezbit. Up until recently, she has been a very active and healthy chameleon, eating nearly ten crickets a day and eating superworms out of my hand. For the past week, though she has been very irritable. She has stopped eating out of my hand and she won't stop digging a hole in the back of her cage. She also has changed color, normally she is a healthy light green, but now she is a darker brownish green. She has not been exposed to a male so she can't be pregnant. Is this normal behavior? Is she just going through a phase? How can accommodate her? I have about three inches of coconut substrate in the bottom of her cage so she has reached the bottom. Is there anything I can do to get her back to the way she was?

It sounds like she needs to lay eggs. They do not need to be exposed to a male to develop eggs. She needs a laying bin to lay in. Here is a link about a laying bin: https://www.chameleonforums.com/egg-laying-need-some-advice-37754/ She needs privacy, do not let her see you watching her while she is digging. Others will offer more advice. You may also want to check out this: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/ excellent for a veiled owner.

You should also fill out this form: https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ A substrate should not be used in a veiled chameleon cage.
 
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So I don't have a female so this information is just what I've gathered from reading. It sounds like she is getting ready to lay eggs. Females will do this even if mating doesn't occur and they reach sexual maturity at a young age.

I hope this information helps! I will try to find the thread I read this in and post it for you.
 
Yeah like others said, she is going to lay eggs. She will do this every so often- kind of a like a chicken and how they lay eggs regardless if they've been fertilized. Just make sure you allow her the privacy and correct conditions or she could become egg bound and die.
 
I have a 6 month old female veiled chameleon named Mrs. Nezbit. Up until recently, she has been a very active and healthy chameleon, eating nearly ten crickets a day and eating superworms out of my hand. For the past week, though she has been very irritable. She has stopped eating out of my hand and she won't stop digging a hole in the back of her cage. She also has changed color, normally she is a healthy light green, but now she is a darker brownish green. She has not been exposed to a male so she can't be pregnant. Is this normal behavior? Is she just going through a phase? How can accommodate her? I have about three inches of coconut substrate in the bottom of her cage so she has reached the bottom. Is there anything I can do to get her back to the way she was?

Is this happening just today .. or has it been happening a few days? My female was doing it for a little while but stopped. She wasn't gravid. Try feeling her stomach softly to feel for eggs .. does the stomach look like a bag of marbles?
 
Just to reiterate. Remove all substrate from your cage. It is a bacteria breeder and not healthy for your cham. Put paper towels in the bottom to help keep your cage clean. Also, the container for her to lay her eggs should be about 12" high and big enough so she can turn around. I use a plastic bathroom garbage container...seems to be the right size because my females have no trouble laying in this. I fill it to about 2" from the top with clean sandbox sand which you can get from Home Depot, Lowes or I suppose any garden spot as long as it is clean. Wet it down good and mix well before you put it in the garbage can. It needs to be wet enough so when you squeeze a handful it maintains its shape.

Sounds like you will be getting eggs within a day or two of putting a container in her cage, but be sure to put a container in there today.
 
make sure the laying bin is opaque, preferably dark in colour - if she digs down and gets to the side of the container and sees light she'll not want to lay. The medium, sand usually, should be damp enough to hold a tunnel but Not Wet. Do this soon. Then leave her alone. If she is unable to lay her eggs she could die.
 
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