Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a gravid veiled and this will be her second clutch of eggs. Last time she laid the eggs in a small container I kept in her reptarium. but she's to big for that container now. Anyway last time i was told to put her in a five gallon bucket fillled about 1/3 with soil and leave her in that until she lays the eggs. Does this sound right? i would appreciate any input.
Thanks,
Stolie

I am under the impression that when your Females become gravid, placing a container with some good poting soil or coconut fiber in it will suufice. Granted it might not be a good idea to do an hour before she lays her eggs, but she will HAVE to lay her eggs so if there is only one suitable place in her whole screen enclosure i.e. your rubbermaid container then that is where she is going to lay her eggs because realy she has no other choice. I believe the key is just having the container in there long enough prior to the hatch so that she choose's it as her nesting sit as well as making it a container that can be easily accesed and climed in and out of. Let me know what your finaly decision is though and how it worked out I'm very intrested in all the methods people choose to use to collect there eggs

Chameleons instinctively look for a nesting site near the base of a plant or tree. In the wild, they are walking on the ground to find such a ideal spot.

It is a well-known fact that a female chameleon can reject an offered laying bucket. If you put a container with sandy soil in her enclosure - she may reject it and hold on to her eggs (egg binding).

If you place her in a 33 gal rubber trash can with sandy soil and a plant and a stick - she will be more likely to lay her eggs. This scenario more closely simulates the "natural" setting.

Hope this helps,
Morgana - Reptayls, Ltd.

This is true a gravid female can reject a laying container. I know this from experience because I rescued a female veiled from a pet store two months ago knowing she was probably eggbound. The store which is in the same strip mall where I work only offered her about two or three inches of soil to lay her eggs in. She was also kept in a glass tank only about 20 gallons. I bought her and took her to the vet and with an x-ray he determined she was eggbound and had peritonitis.
She has been given less than a 2% chance of making it but we decided to try with antibiotics and steroids and hope for the slim chance that she will reabsorb the eggs.
She has finished her ten day course of meds and we are hoping for the best. So far she has not missed a meal so I know she is a fighter.

http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/mar2003/eggs/egg_incubation.html
this will tell you whatyou need