Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I saw my carpets breed on the 13 of january. She is due to lay in about a week ot two, but she doesn't seem to lumpy in appearance. She has been showing very vibrant colors, but I'm not sure if they are gravid colors. She's been showing alot of red and white not black and purple like most of the pictures of the gravid females I have seen. I am not sure if she is gravid. I don't see why she wouldn't be, but she bred 15 days ago, should I be able to feel the eggs yet? I took her out of her cage to give her a nice long misting and felt around her abdomen to see if I could feel any eggs (Which I am not sure if I did or not). I did this rather quickly because I do not like to handle my animals. But her general girth seems to be larger. Maybe I couldn't feel the eggs because she has a small clutch? She is a rather young individual (about 3.5 inches sv) so I do not think she is going to carry a very large clutch anyways. In several days I am going to but her in a garbage can (with her trees, lights and food of course) filled with moist soil to she can lay. I heard this was a good method because even if she doesn't lay her eggs in the ground and only drops them on the floor, they will not dry out.

I think if you put her in a laying bin in several days you will be wasting your time and stressing her out unneccessarily. Wait about another week and a half to two weeks unless she starts acting like she wants to lay earlier. Since 24 days is mentioned as minimum gestation I'd give her at least another week and a half before you get her set up in a laying bin. It's just a number though, and we all know that all chameleons don't go by *the book*. So keep an eye on her, but if she's eating normally and acting normally just leave her.

From adcham:
"The female may stop feeding 3-6 days before laying and may exhibit increased pacing and agitation. Gestation can be 24-32 days but sometimes females will carry eggs up to 45-50 days if a suitable laying site is not provided."

Kristen
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1.2 c. quadricornis
1.2 c.j. merumontanus
0.0.2 neonate c.j. merumontanus
1.1 r. brevicaudatus
0.0.2 red eared sliders

You will know when she is ready. At this stage the eggs are still high in the abdomen. Gibve it another week or so and you'll start to see bulges.

I have had females that laid after 3 weeks and others that have gone as long as 5 weeks. The good thing is once you know your female you'll be able to time it much better. They are almost always pretty constant with their gestation period.

Keep up with calcium. Plain calcium can be offered every other day and D3 once a week.

As for the eatting I have seen females eat the day of laying and others stop eatting a week before. Just as with the gestation each girl is differant.

The garbage can is still the best method. Even if she doesn't dig the eggs will be in a moist enviorment so you don't have to worry about them drying out.

Sometimes it is hard to tell who is under more stress- the cham or us!

Carl