Posted by:
kinyonga
at Tue Dec 20 10:16:55 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by kinyonga ]
You said..." Is it better to get a pair so that the possibility of egg binding is decreased or is the risk still the same?"...IMHO technically the risk is the same since egg binding has nothing/little to do with whether you have a pair of chameleons or not. (IMHO it is not true that a chameleon will become eggbound from not being mated as soon as she reaches sexual maturity...in case that is what you are referring to....and in my experience and opinion, mating a chameleon before it is full grown is not a good idea if you want the chameleon to live a long life.)
From what I have learned from reading and my own (many years) experience is that egg binding is caused by things like improper husbandry practices that result in such things as metabolic bone disease, or other imbalances in their diet. Also, improper temperatures or hydration levels can play a part.
Then, "physical" things such as deformed eggs, fused eggs, eggs that have been retained until they are too large,and deformities (for lack of a better word to desctibe what I mean) in the chameleon's reproductive tract can also be reasons for egg binding.
Not providing a proper/acceptable (to the chameleon) place for the female to lay her eggs is one of the most common reasons for the chameleon to become eggbound. (Many female chameleons, if not all, will produce eggs (infertile) without having been mated...and its hard for the inexperienced keeper to even know that she is carrying eggs sometimes so they will not even provide her with any place to dig.)
With any egglaying female chameleon I always provide a container in her cage for her to dig in when she is ready to lay her eggs. I also have a modified 65 liter rubbermaid-type container that she can be moved to once she is intent on digging the final hole to lay the eggs in.
IMHO you have not picked one of the easier chameleons to start off with. I hope that you will have success with her anyway!
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RE: A Few Questions for all you Flapneck keepers... - kinyonga, Tue Dec 20 10:16:55 2005