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Just wanted to give an update. So far there is still no sign of Aurora (veiled) laying. I have been calling home every day pretty much, and my mother says that the lump seems to be shifting downward so who knows! Hopefully I should be able to go home next weekend and check up on her personally but untill then just keeping my fingers crossed!

My question though is that her cage is right next to the males cage, but there is a towel seperating them. Could being close to him be stressing her out so she wouldnt feel comfortable laying? I know that chams can sense other chams around, I think there was a looong post about this a while back. But I didnt know if maybe moving her to a new room sans other chameleon/cats etc would make her more comfortable?

Thanks all!

Erin
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1:1 Veileds (Gene and Aurora)
1:1 Albino Clawed Frogs (Phedre and Jos)
?? Fire belly toad (Harold)
Various cats and dogs

No, don't move her. You need to keep in mind that chameleons don't like change. As long as she can't actually see the male, she should be fine. Moving her now would only cause more undue stress, which would only add to the other problems she may be experiencing.
Hope this helps,
Cricket

Hi Erin,

I have been wondering about Aurora...hey, I FULLY understand your frustration At one point Luna's thighs got really full and she was "carrying" lower as well. Though for her it was still at least another month. Both times she laid she wanted OUT of her cage a lot right before, then began to show up at the bottom oif the cage in the morning for about 4-5 days before she would lay. If her tub is in there for her (just make sure it remains moist enough so as not to collapse when she digs. A simple "finger tunnel" will tell all.) she should be OK.

I agree with Cricket, this is no time for change.

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

I'm having a similar situation right now. My cham has full thighs, is not eating, carrying low, and is hanging out around the bottom of the enclosure. She is extremely lethargic though and it seems that she is having trouble climbing with this new added weight. She even sleeps nearby the bottom, last night she actually did sleep with her lower half in the dirt. I added a 5 gallon bucket with moist sand/dirt mix and left her in there this morning. I got that advice from several other threads, but now hearing that change is no good at this time, am I creating more of a problem? Lele, I keep seeing you mention "the tub". Can you elaborate on that for me, please? I'm sure you guys are sick of answering these questions, but I and Lola (the cham) really appreciate it. Thanks alot in advance.

Hi - no problem on repeated questions ESPECIALLY where their current health is concerned. First I have two questions: was she bred or are these infertile and you have substrate on the bottom of the cage? Typically that causes more problem and generally it is suggested not to use any, but we can discuss that later.

She is stayting at the bottom of the cage because she needs to lay not b/c she can't climb. The fact that she had herself in the soil definitely says she is ready to lay and you want to provide her with the proper setup ASAP. The "tub" am referring to is her laying tub. It should be deeper than she is long b/c she will dig deep. I used a large plastic plant pot. (I use a mix of coco-fiber (the packed together bricks that expand in water that is used for substrate) and builder's or "play" sand which you can pick up at home depot for a few dollars. If you do not have the coco on hand use peat moss or whatever you have - no time to waste - the setup you have will probably be fine this time around. It should be moist but not wet. gently pat it down as you would when repotting a plant then stick your finger in all the way to see if it holds it shape - the idea is for it not to collapse in on her while digging. You do not want to delay this b/c if she does not have an appropriate place she may become eggbound. Once you have it setup put her directly in it so she knows it is there. Some folks begin to dig a hole to get her started. You may want to put a basking light on it for a little while to warm it and her up unless your temps are good.

Once she begins to dig she will probably spend the night in there and will come out sometime the next day. As tempting as it is to check on her it is best toleave her alone once you know she has begun to dig. I put a large towel over her cage so she has complete privacy and minimal stress. Once she is done she will look like a skinny neglected animal and wuill have a HUGE appetite so feel free to fatten her up for awhile.

btw, have you been giving her supplemental calcium during htis time?

Sorry so long but I wanted to cover everything since her time is imminent!

Also, did you look in the dirt she spent the night in to see if she did deposit any? These pics show the tub and her (yes, her tail looks short b/c it is and what she looked like the day after laying 42 eggs!

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

Thanks so much, Lele. These eggs are infertile and the only substrate I have is the soil in the pots of the three ficus trees I have in there. There is only newspaper at the bottom of her enclosure. I should have made that clear. Yes, I give her a calcium supplement whenever she decides she wants to eat during this time, which she hasnt done in the last two days. I was thrilled to hear that I am using the same sand/coconut fiber mix that you are. I have that mix in a 5 gallon bucket, and it is of good moisture and will hold a tunnel. I have her in there now. I put her in there earlier this morning and I havent checked on her since. I was concerned with the notion of " this is no time for change" being that this is the first time she has ever laid and thus never seen this laying bucket. Anyway, any other suggestions? You probably covered everything in your last post, haha. Thanks so much again.

Ah - plants in soil - duh! I probably should have considered that Cool that you are using the same mix!

Peeking in on her to see if she is in the pot would be OK but leave her be. I don't recognize your username so I am not sure how long you have been on this forum but Luna began showing signs of being gravid (color, lack of appetite, etc.) in December and laid in May! The folks on this forum were SO supportive thru all my obsessing! I had only gotten her in Sept. at about 4 months old. Then, after the May lay (lol!) she laid again in late August! But this time I recognized her behavior and it was a breeze! ha!ha! Both times infertile as I do not plan to breed her.

For future reference you can get Neo-Calglucon form a number of sources. It is liquid calcium and good to have on hand. Btw, who did you get her from?? I got Luna from Sonia in FL (anson is her forum username) and I think she said she sold one of her siblings to someone who named her Lola - could it be? Probably not if this is Lola's first clutch.

Please keep me posted!

lele & Luna
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

No, I dont think we have sibling chams, haha. I'm in NJ and bought her from a pet store in Philadelphia. It's great to hear that the people on here are supportive when you are obsessing because I'm doing alot of that now! One thing I'm a little unclear of, should I put her in the bucket and leave her there or just give her access to it so she can go in and out as she pleases? Earlier, I just put her in it and walked away, but when I went to check up on her, she had climbed over to one of the pots where the soil is not fit for laying and was hanging out on the bottom there. Again and again, thanks a bunch.

What I did was place her on the pot so she knew it was there and I also propped up branches so she had easy access. If she leaves, let her. You could make easy access connecting If she begin to dig in one of the plants just let her do it. Chams have been known to somehow manage to dig b/t packed roots and lay so if that what she attempts to do let her do it especially if she has begun to dig. Glad to help!

lele

>>No, I dont think we have sibling chams, haha. I'm in NJ and bought her from a pet store in Philadelphia. It's great to hear that the people on here are supportive when you are obsessing because I'm doing alot of that now! One thing I'm a little unclear of, should I put her in the bucket and leave her there or just give her access to it so she can go in and out as she pleases? Earlier, I just put her in it and walked away, but when I went to check up on her, she had climbed over to one of the pots where the soil is not fit for laying and was hanging out on the bottom there. Again and again, thanks a bunch.
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

Well, she's climbed out of the bucket, and now is roosting in one of the ficus trees, near the bottom. She ate two crickets and i misted her. Maybe she just likes keeping me in suspense. At least now she should know that she has an adequate spot to lay. Her lights will be off soon so I guess I'll have to wait another day, unless she lays at night. Do they do that, by the way? I'll keep you updated. Thanks