Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought a vieled chameleon in September she was just a baby, maybe 2 months old. Last night I notice she looked week and lumpy in the middle section, I check on her and feed her every day and she hasnt look any different until last night. She has never been with a male so it didnt occur to me that she could be pregnant. It was to late in the evening to take her to the vet. This morning I woke up and she was dead. I pretty proficient in dissection so I cut her open and found 17 eggs. Can they produce eggs with out a male? I didnt think that she was even close to breeding age? Please let me know if anyone has some info for me so I dont make the ame mistake again. Thanks Chrissy

Sorry to hear that you lost your female. Its not easy losing one...and for me, it hasn't gotten any easier over the years either.

Veileds can produce eggs as young as 5 months....and they don't have to be mated to produce them. They will, of course be infertile if the female isn't with a male.

Its important to provide a suitable place in a female veiled's cage from the age of 4 months on so that she has somewhere to dig to lay the eggs when/if they are produced.

Here's some more information to keep in mind if you get another one...
Do not let her see you when she is digging...it will likely make her abandon the hole and if it happens often enough she will become eggbound.

Feeding a veiled chameleon female too much can also lead to egglaying problems, large clutches and often constipation. You don't want to starver her...you just don't want to overdo it.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A all play a big part in bone health (and other important things) so its important that they are in balance. When trying to balance them, look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon. Temperature also plays a part because proper temperatures allow for proper digestion.

Thank you for the info. I jsut dont understand why my other female has not layed any eggs and she is about a year older. I suppose every case is different. I am learning as much as possible so I can hopfully succeed and have healthy mothers and babies. Thanks again. Chrissy, Sterling Exotics

Has either ever seen a male?

Husbandry (diet, temp.) plays a part in when/if they produce eggs but just like people, they don't all reach sexual maturity at the same age.