Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do I tell if my female is pregnant? She's orange and black at the moment. Shes been like that for a little over a month now. I placed a bin full of soil for laying in her cage. Please help. I just need to know how to tell if she's pregnant. Thanks guys!!

You didn't say what species, but I'm assuming that its a panther since you are talking about orange and black. You also didn't say how old she was or if she has been with a male.

The colors would indicate that she is non-receptive or gravid (pregnant)....which should mean that she is producing eggs and will need to lay them.

you're right Im so sorry. The species is a Nosy Be Panther Chameleon. She was with a male about a month and a half ago. He's my other Nosy Be. She's orange with black stripes right now. How long does it take for her to lay her eggs, and how can I tell? Thanks a lot for the response!!

Sorry, forgot again she's about 9 months old.

Yes, she would be gravid.

For future reference, I beleive the majority of breeders will agree that waiting until the female is at least 12 months old has its benefits.

Also, if you are just asking if she is pregnant now, after this long, I worry about the amount of supplimentation you hqave provided. It should be taken more seriously at thei period and a more frequent regiment in needed to ensure eggs are healthy- and that the female is getting her own needs covered after she puts her nutrients towards egg development.

There have recently been some threads here in the forum about how to provide good laying areas. I highly suggest you dig them up. In my opinion, bins of soil in the enclosure is not as good as moving the female to s secluded large container.

Kinyonga should post back with much info. Shes good like that.
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CANADIAN SILKWORMS

Yes she is gravid. 3 weeks after mating you should have provided a laing box or trash can. I love the trash can method as it almost induces the female to lay her eggs. I had just told another poster about the trash can method. you put about 18 inches of soil in the can and setup a basking site for the female. A branch with the heat light focused on it will do just fine. Also put the UVB strip over the can so the female gets all of her normals lighting. All the soil around her should induce her to dig and alls you have to do from that point is uncover them and incubate. good luck!

Here's what I do...
I always keep a container of washed playsand in any egglaying female's cage so that she can show me when she's getting ready to lay her eggs. The container (when empty) should be big enough and deep enough that she fits into it with a couple of inches to spare on all sides. I found that some panther chameleons "prefer" to lay their eggs in a small container....but I usually move them to a larger one.

I have a modified 65 litre rubbermaid container that I move them to when they are intent on laying. The modification is to the lid...I cut the center out and replace it with screen so that when I put the lid back on the container I can place a light over it so that the chameleon can see. I fill the container about half full of washed sandbox sand and add branches so that she has something to climb on. You can add a plant or a rock, but be sure that the rock is sitting on the floor of the container so that it won't collapse on her when/if she digs under the edge of it. I put the female in the container and put the lid back on and the light over the top. I can feed and water her while she is in there....just make sure that you don't leave any uneaten insects in with her because they can nibble on her or the eggs. I let her dig the hole and lay the eggs and fill the hole in and go back up into the branches before I take her out and dig up the eggs. Don't let her see you watching her while she's digging or she might abandon the hole thinking that its not a safe place to lay her eggs and if she abandons it too often she can become eggbound. Be aware though that she might dig more than one hole or dig the same hole for more than one day anyway before she actually lays the eggs.

They usually lay the eggs between 30 and 45 days after mating. Has your shown any signs of digging? Roaming the cage more than usual? Down on the floor of the cage more than usual? Does she still act normally?

Yeah she dug in a container i provided for her last on friday, but It was way to small so I got a 5 gal container(rubbermaid) and filled it with organic soil. She has been roaming the floors alot. But she bypasses the container and goes on to the cage floor. She's been acting mellow. She has been roaming the cage a lot more than she use to. Did I mess it up by switching the container while she was trying to dig? Thanks for all your help, This is my first time doing this and I just want to do it correctly without disrupting or harming her.

Alright here are some pics to better show the situation.

Sorry

The setup looks okay but the soil looks a little dry and loose. Is this what you used in the smaller container? Was the soil in the small container the same regarding moisture and looseness?

You said...."But she bypasses the container and goes on to the cage floor"...maybe she doesn't find the container to be suitable?

The roaming is a sign that she is looking for a place to lay the eggs.

You said..."Did I mess it up by switching the container while she was trying to dig?"...if the soil is the same it may just be that she's adjusting...but I have had the odd female that wouldn't lay anywhere but in the small container that was in her cage.

You said..."Thanks for all your help, This is my first time doing this and I just want to do it correctly without disrupting or harming her"...you're welcome for the information! I understand exactly what you are going through with it being her first time! Hard on the nerves, isn't it??!!

Keep us up to date please!

well the soil is a little different it just had the fertilizer balls in it. Is it suppose to be hard or soft? The smaller container is only 2 1/2 inches deep by 6 in lg X 3 on Width. What do u think? Should I switch back?

Hopefully by fertilizer you mean balls of perlite. Fertilizer can be harmful to your female and the eggs. The setup looks pretty good and she definately looks gravid. I would be sure the soil is moist enough for you to be able to dig a tunnel without is collapsing. If you can do it she surely can too. Also make sure the soil is packed rather firmly. Not as tight as you can pack it but pretty close to it. If she does not lay in another week or so you may want to consider searching a vet out because she may be egg bound which is a death sentence unless addressed by a veterinarian.

If the soil is too lose, she won't be able to dig a tunnel to lay the eggs in. They need the hole to keep its shape so that they can turn around to lay the eggs without the hole collapsing on them.

You said..."The smaller container is only 2 1/2 inches deep by 6 in lg X 3 on Width. What do u think? Should I switch back?"...that's too small. Hopefully she will use the one she's in now.

Can't remember if I mentioned it, but don't let her see you watching her when she's digging. It will make her abandon the hole thinking that its an unsafe place to lay her eggs. If she abandons the hole too often it can lead to eggbinding. A female may dig several holes or work on one hole several times before laying the eggs.

Hope she will start digging today for you!