Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello, again... i have been keeping a close eye on my female chameleon... she just laid her second clutch of eggs 2 months ago and she looks healthy, she is eatting and drinking regularly... the only thing is that it seems like she is sleeping a lot??? im not home all day so i dont know how she is in the morning-afternoon... she gets 12 hr of light... im using the powersun 100w... thats the only light i am using... i go to work from 7-430 and from 430-lights out it seems like she sleeps... what can i do, is she ok??? she looks fat...

I assume this is a panther chameleon...

You said..."she just laid her second clutch of eggs 2 months ago and she looks healthy, she is eatting and drinking regularly... the only thing is that it seems like she is sleeping a lot???"...is she sitting high or low in the cage? How large was the last clutch?

You said..."im using the powersun 100w... thats the only light i am using"...what supplements (specifically) are you using and how often for each?

You said..."she looks fat"...did she look thin after laying the last clutch?

yes it is a panther...

she sits up high most of the time, but she roams alot... and in her last clutch there was about 40-50 eggs...

yes that is all im using for the light... as for the vitamins im just using reptocal 1 every 2 weeks... whatelse should i be using???

and she did look a little thinner after the eggs... she just looks plum...

thank you again

I'm glad to hear that she's sitting high...but I'm concerned that she is sleeping during the day and about your supplementing.

You said she is plump...and that was a large clutch she had....so it might be that you are overfeeding her. How much do you feed her in a week? Do you gutload/feed the insects a nutritious diet? (Please be specific.)

Re: supplementing...since most feeder insects used have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus its important to dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to make up for it. If this it the powder you're using then it has phos. in it...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6418

It also has prEformed vitamin A and vitamin D in it.
I dust twice a month lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. I leave it to produce the rest of the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and cause problems...but as long as the chameleon can move out of the UVB from the light the body will regulate the D3.

I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene will not build up in the system like prEformed vitamin A can. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene so they give a little prEformed once in a while to make sure they get some without overdoing it. Excess prEformed vitamin A may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

Calcium, D3, vitamin A and phos. are all important players in bone health and they need to be in balance. You need to look at what you supplement with and what you feed to the insects and the chameleon when trying to balance them.

Does your chameleon have any bumps or bends in its legs or arms? Can you post a picture? Does it hold its body up off the branches?