Hi all.
New bod here so please bear with me.
Have recently aquired two young male veiled chameleons. They are in large seperate cages, in different rooms with trickling water , uvb, branches, freshly picked greens, ventilation etc but one won't eat crickets unless he is starving, and then only ONE to stave off hunger. The other won't eat locusts - at any price!, and is a VERY minimal eater? They have both shed twice now in 3 months. One seems very friendly and will even walk off the branch onto your hand to eat. The other hisses and head butts so I do not stress him and leave him be. Is all this behaviour usual. Is the picky eater pining for something?
The other BIG concience pricking problem is this; In a local pet shop there is a gorgeous little female cham. i have been told 7 month old. She looks very healthy and fat. i got my [new] book out which implied that if the female is not bred in the first time of egg laying she will most likely die. If she is already carrying eggs {and not just fat}, and has not been with a male is it too late for her not to suffer a nasty fate? I have only got my info from the books and don't have any real common sense regarding reptiles. can anyone help?
Thanks
jan

I'm not to familiar with chams,,,but how long have you had them ? You stated they shed twice in 3 months so I'm assuming they have been in your care that long. If that's the case my first guess iis wrong as I was going to say it isn't eating properly due to a new environment. But 3 months is more than enough time to acclimate. We have experienced Cham keepers here that should be able to help.

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Ken
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

I have a little experience with Chams. I'm not sure about having to breed her or she'll die. I've never heard that before. If she is bred you want to make sure there is a suitable egg laying site or she'l become egg-bound and that is dangerous. I lost a female that way.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

I would think she would be like any other un-fertile reptile and just lay "blanks?" And as stated as long as she has a proper place to lay her eggs she should be fine. Someone correct me if I'm wrong (There is only so much reading I can properly remeber!)

As for your eating problem, check out the caresheet. I put a link in your other thread. Maybe you could offer a larger variety of things to eat.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

welcome! good luck with the chams. I know nothing so I can't offer any advice...

Many thanks all.
The subject about the female condition is in the book :Chameleons. published by Barrons it says: 'Captive females that are not bred during the first receptive period almost always die egg-bound when they do become gravid'.
So is this little females' fate sealed as she is in a small glass aquarium at the shop at the mement probobly more suited for a very small snake?

She's definitely on the wrong road. She's probably severely stressed out in the glass tank. As for the eating problem. Double check your temps. Often a 5 deg difference can restimulate eating.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Hi Mike.
Many thanks for the tip I will keep a close eye on the temp and see what happens.
jan

Good luck I know the pressure of eating problems and they are not fun!

Veiled Chameleons should be fed a variety of insects such as crickets, mealworms, earthworms, waxworms, flies, cockroaches, and slugs, and they can be given pinkie mice occasionally. It is recommended that insects always be dusted with a calcium supplement, and a multivitamin used about once a week will help ensure the chameleon is receiving the proper nutrition. Adults should also be offered a variety of plant matter. Dark leafy green vegetables such as collards, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and kale are very nutritious. Grape leaves and edible flowers are also good options. Some Veileds eat plant matter more readily than others, and juveniles usually eat only insects.

For a female Veiled Chameleon, reproduction is exhaustive work that depletes her fat and calcium reserves and takes its toll on her physically. Successful breeding requires that only healthy individuals with good weight and proper nutrition be bred. It is important to make sure females receive adequate UV exposure and calcium and that they are well fed prior to breeding. It should also be noted that females that are bred will often have significantly shorter lifespans.

Copulation usually lasts only a few minutes, but may take place many times over the course of a few days. When the female begins to rock back and forth, change colors, or otherwise display aggression when approached by the male, they should be separated. Females will lay their eggs anywhere between 15 and 42 days after copulation. Veiled Chameleons are very prolific, and they lay anywhere between 3 and 6 clutches of 10 to 70 eggs per year, though clutches as large as 100 eggs have been reported. The average clutch contains about 40 eggs.