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Veiled chameleon acting strange :( any ideas

2K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  Gemmatony10 
#1 ·
Found my little Lily sitting on the floor just now, she was mated with our male 19 days ago. She has been digging, as the coco fibre I have at the bottom (to catch the water, as its a custom cabinet) all poured out the door when I opened it.

Temps/humidity all fine, 6 ft custom cabinet viv.

She doesnt look too good, colouring is very dark...she's not very friendly so I have never held her. If she see's you walking across the the room she will run and hide...although she does tolerate me in spot cleaning.

Im worried that she is unwell or is this just gravid behaviour, as she is down next to the laying buckets, is she just checking it out ???

any comments/advice welcome, as this will hopefully be her 1st lay with us
 
#2 ·
Hmm shes up basking now, maybe just having a little practice dig
 
#3 ·
My females usually dig test holes for a few days before laying. Once you see her digging don't disturb her, especially as she's not friendly - if she is disturbed enough she will abandon the hole. If she does this enough, her window for laying will be gone and she may become eggbound. Make sure that the laying bin is deep enough for her and that the substrate in there is damp enough to hold a tunnel. Once she starts digging, leave her alone - cover the cage if necessary and only feed and offer water when she's up in the branches. Hope this helps, I know how stressful laying time is!
 
#4 ·
thanks so much for the advice. She was only mated 19 days ago, so was thinking it is a bit early for her to be digging, she doesnt even look like she is gravid

I will defo do that, and cover the bottom of the viv, to give her some privicy. She just keeps wandering around at the moment, which is not like her, as she is VERY shy....but always ends up back at the bottom.

thanks again for the help :2thumb:
 
#5 ·
What do you have in the laying tub? Mine wouldn't use playsand - they both preferred a cocofibre/sand mix. I suppose it's more natural to dig in and earth substance. Cocofibre is nice and light anyway so not quite so much effort is needed for digging through it. Please update how she gets on, and good luck!
 
#6 ·
There is a bucket of sand and a bucket of soil. This is the most recent pic I have of my viv...since then ive added alot more foilage, and some fiscus plants down the bottom around her buckets to kinda cover them up n give her more privicy.

Shes up basking again, but was hanging around the live plants a little while ago, surley its too early for her to lay, unless she was inseminated earlier than the 19 days ago that I thought.

Ive taped up some cardboard on the glass doors for time being.
 
#7 ·
Sounds like you are doing all you can. She should just get on with it when the time comes! I've never bred mine so I'm not sure how long they are gravid for.
 
#9 ·
From what I have read, I think it's possible that they may lay earlier, depending on how far along the eggs were in her cycle when she was mated.
 
#10 ·
if she started to dig in the coco fibre,i would mix this with some playsand.
i use a mix of eco-earth/playsand in my laying buckets/bins with no problems at all.to me it sounds like she will lay in a couple of days time,if your laying site is correct.
good luck

graeme
 
#11 ·
Oh okay thanks again, she is up at the top again, so will go do that straight away.

Dont want to lose her, I love her lots, as much as its never returned lol :flrt:
 
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