Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got my female about 3 weeks ago and i dont know how old she is and the breeder doesnt know either? Shes about 6 inches snout to vent, isnt that big? WHen i bought her she was susposedly 3 months but then i said i want the biggest one you have and maybe she isnt 3 months, because isnt that big for 3 months? Does this mean she can be bred soon?

Thanks
Andrew

I would personally wait a month or so, make sure shes fully grown and if she gets gravid then its for sure,

oh, and u can also go to other breeders and ask, or even look at pics on the net and compare..

First if you are saying she 3 months old she isn't ready. You don't use age as a reference as to when to breed your female, you need to go by weight. 55 grams is usually a good starting point.

Dennis Scott

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Well i weighed her on a scale that measures pretty low (it weighed my adult dragons at only 150 g and theyre pretty big). She came out at about 50-75 grams. Like i said this scale measures low (its a scale i use for cooking). Does this mean shes ready to breed? Ive compared her with other peoples females and she seems pretty big.

50-75 grams is a huge margin. I would highly suggest getting a better scale before atempting to breed. Scales are a GREAT investment when it comes to chameleons, because they like to hide sickness, the first thing that changes usually is their weight.
It is also good to keep a weekly weight record of your females while they are pregnate.

You can find a good ditital scale at any office supply store for $40-60 dollars. I took the top of the scale off and attached a little perch so the cameleon will not run away as soon as you try to weigh it.
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's kids listed below
1.1 Ambanja Panther
1.1 Tamatave Panther
1.1 Ambilobe Panther

I can't believe the breeder doesn't know her age. Sounds very careless. You've only had her 3 weeks, she has barely settled into a new situation, she doesn't sound full grown especially if the breeder can't seem to tell you if she's mature, and you have no idea if she's still rapidly growing or maturing. What is the rush to breed? Give her time, watch her growth rate (or lack of growth) by weight for a while, and then when you are sure she is healthy and acclimated think about breeding. It is always best to be conservative and you run much less risk of killing your female due to poor reproductive condition, injury, egg binding, calcium deficiencies, and stress. You don't have to breed to be considered a successful cham keeper. I'm sorry to vent a bit, but females are more than just breeding machines. Breeding is a huge energy expenditure and the riskiest thing a female does in her life. Give her a chance to have a decent life and be successful.

I have to agree. Even if she is old enough she is under stress just adjusting to her new home. If you feel you need to breed b/c you have heard the stories about females that die, eggbound etc. if you DON'T breed I can attest to that not being true. Luna is over a year old has successfully laid two clutches of 42 infertile eggs and is just fine.

As Carlton points out you should let her adjust and YOU too. Being a new, inexperienced (no ofense intended) cham keeper I think it would be very risky for you to jump into breeding. You then have to find an appropriate male and also keep in mind that once those eggs hatch you will need to provide for them until they are a few months old and then find good, safe homes for them. Just enjoy her

lele

>>I can't believe the breeder doesn't know her age. Sounds very careless. You've only had her 3 weeks, she has barely settled into a new situation, she doesn't sound full grown especially if the breeder can't seem to tell you if she's mature, and you have no idea if she's still rapidly growing or maturing. What is the rush to breed? Give her time, watch her growth rate (or lack of growth) by weight for a while, and then when you are sure she is healthy and acclimated think about breeding. It is always best to be conservative and you run much less risk of killing your female due to poor reproductive condition, injury, egg binding, calcium deficiencies, and stress. You don't have to breed to be considered a successful cham keeper. I'm sorry to vent a bit, but females are more than just breeding machines. Breeding is a huge energy expenditure and the riskiest thing a female does in her life. Give her a chance to have a decent life and be successful.
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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!)