Worried!

[wst0209a]

I am a little worried for my female veiled chamleon. She was mated once and I beleive she is on her second clutch now. I have seen her eggs in her belly for the past week now. She has stopped eating, looks healthy, is active (walking up and down her vine looking at the sand), she even basks a few times. She never digs in her sand though. I am worried that she may become egg bound and die. She I place her in her laying container and put a screen over top of it to restrict her from leaving. (sounds kind of mean) Any opinions?

 

[wst0209a]

does anybody have any opinions.

 

[kinyonga]

How long ago was it that she laid the last clutch?

 

[Ren]

April has been doing the same thing now for a while... She is about ready to lay her eggs, I have been keeping a close eye on her and she has now been going down and checking out the sandbox i have for her and i believe she will be digging really soon,,, just keep checking your pots and stuff if she has access to the dirt or sand or anywhere keep checking it to see if she may start digging some wheres else... its hard to draw the line between being patient and wondering when to have her looked at... April is huge right now.. This will be the last time she will be with Phil for some time... gonna give her plenty time to rest and rejuvenate. So give your female a bit more time, if shes checking out her space ad you've given her adequate laying spot she will dig...

 

[kinyonga]

If this will be April's first clutch since the last mating with Phil, she may still lay another with retained sperm...then you can let her rest. If she is laying huge clutches then you might also want to watch her diet to help keep the clutches smaller.

 

[Ren]

If this will be April's first clutch since the last mating with Phil, she may still lay another with retained sperm...then you can let her rest. If she is laying huge clutches then you might also want to watch her diet to help keep the clutches smaller.

I was thinking that but didn't write it earlier... thanks for the reminder though..

 

[wst0209a]

She laid her first clutch on June 25. So it has been almost three months now.

 

[kinyonga]

Three months would likely mean that any eggs she is producing right now are not fertile. Its hard to tell if she should be laying them now or if she's just not ready yet.

Keep an eye out for any signs of eggbinding and at the first sign, get her to the vets. You could even take her to the vets now to have an x-ray done, but I would worry about disturbing her if she is near the egglaying time...so its kind of a "crap shoot"....you'll have to decide what you think is best....I can't be certain of what to do.

 

[Ren]

What are some of the signs of egg binding that you could list for us?? For future reference..

 

[kinyonga]

Signs of eggbinding can include but are not limited to the following...
eyes closed, lethargy, lack of appetite, tendency to sleep on the ground or lower branches of the enclosure, may breath with the mouth open periodically (head slightly raised), may dig a hole and fill it in without having laid any eggs, has dug holes/a hole for several days but then doesn't dig any more, etc.