Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I finally gae Salvador (Nosey Be male) the female I had been promising him for three years now!
She was showing receptive colors and is the right age.
I decided to mate them even though my computer crashed and I had to get a new one, which was not hooked up yet. I was nervous about mating him without being able to get on line for help but decided to try anyway.
I showed them to each other and she turned a bright receptive peach and he started bobbing his head and got starry eyed (star shaped lines on his eye turrets).
I introduced him into her cage. He went for her and tried to mount her but Sal is not the cham he used to be. He is quite old and stiff and his front feet do not grip like they used to.
The poor old boy could not hang on to her. He turned this way and that clumsily trying to approach her from all angles. His first attempt failed miserably. He did not seem to be able to figure out what to put where. These failed attempts went on for almost a week. Every day I would put him in and every day the same thing.
Then yesterday I tried again and all of a sudden as he approached her he started bleeding from his vent.
I was terrified he had hurt himself. The poor old guy, Was she too much for him. Dali (Dolly) is a big girl. almost as large as Salvador. As I went across the room to separate them Salvador finally got it right! He was doing it correctly! But at the same time he was bleeding from his vent. I did not want to pull them apart and cause some more damage. I waited for him to finish as the blood dripped on the leaves below and on the cage bottom.
When he finished I pulled him out and cleaned him up. He almost instantly stopped bleeding. He continued acting normally and even ate so I left him alone.
Today after my new computer was set up (dude I got a Dell) I e-mailed my vet. He said even though it was rare that sometimes happens to virgin males when they get too excited by seeing their first female and injure themselves on their first attempt.
Even though Sal's bleeding was a bit more severe than any he had seen before, he felt Sal should be ok.
Dali turned from a peach to a dark black with orange spots on her sides within 12 hours of mating.
If the mating shook me up just the thought of the egglaying has me terrified!
If anyone with panther breeding expertise has any hints on feeding gravid females, laying boxes and medium, gutload recipies for gravid cham's insects, or any advice at all that would help me get my female through this I would appreciate it.
I have seen too many females get eggbound and I am petrified that this could happen to Dali. She is just over a year old and is a rather large female so I am hoping she can get through this.
Sonia

I haven't had to deal with bleeding from the vent, but I wouldn't worry about it unless it continues. There is alot going on down there. I would begin weighing her (in grams) immediately and keep good track of it. In about 20-23 days from whenever she got her orange/black gravid colors, you should expect her to be laying. She should gain quite a bit of weight between now and then (30 percent maybe). For more info on the egg laying thing check out the bottom of the FAQ page on my website (bluebeastreptile.com) I've written out a long piece there. There's also info on supplementing gravid females on the panther chameleon care page. Good luck and keep us updated!
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

np

The simple way to do it is:
About a week of her dropping place a container of sand (deep enough to tunnel), beach sand playground sand etc; Get it moist not wet (so it can hold a tunnel).
After she lays you can get a spoon or anything that allows you to scoop out the eggs and place in what ever comtainer your going to use containing vermiculite or perilite.
I place my eggs in top of closet and let nature do the rest.
I don't use an incubator as it varies too much and the temps in my area (central coast of Ca.) are great for my way of incubating..
Good luck and when you see those little bodies it's well worth the long wait..

man...what an ordeal!

I would of been a WRECK going through that! And then to be computer challenged on top of it all would of driven me crazy with worry...knowing I couldn't get reassurance from the people here.

It seems like you handled it well though.

And...that was an amusing post to read too! I was picturing Salvador trying to get it all worked out, and getting the job done.

Good luck with the mom to be, and the eggs...and tell Salvador he did good for an old man!
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Kim

Well at least untill the bleeding started. Then it wasn't so funny.