Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:25 am Post subject: In the wild

I have read that in the wild the yemen lays her eggs in the soil at the foot of a tree / bush. I have some questions please.

Is this so that when they hatch they can climb to safety?

Is this to help incubation tempretures?

Is this a combination of both of the above?

Do other chameleons lay eggs at the base of trees / bushes, if so what ones?

In the wild when the egg laying is complete does mum then do one and have no further contact even after hatching?

Can anyone recommend any good reading relating to chameleon behaviour / observations in the wild?

Thanks Rick Smile

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JStroud · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:51 am Post subject:

There's a book called Chameleons: Natures Hidden Jewels which is very good but the name of the author escapes me.

Laying at the base of a tree/bush would be half for the young when they hatch to immediately be able to climb to safety but also so the mother doesn't have to travel to far to lay the eggs. Incubation temps wouldn't effect it as much but could be a contributing factor, however its more then likely just down to those first two points. By laying here the chameleon is also likely to be more covered and so less stressed as other risks such as predation would be lessened.

All chameleons, as far as I know, would lay there as well with maybe the exception of some of the dwarf ground chameleons (e.g. Rhampholeon spp) where they aren't as arboreal. Some chameleons however are viviporous (live bearers) such as the Elliot's chameleon (C. ellioti) and so would drop there young on a large leaf or bark hollow and so wouldn't visit the ground to give birth.
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Scott W · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:04 am Post subject:

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:14 am Post subject: Thanks

Thank you both for the info.

Very interesting. I have a day off work today, deep bliss! So I shall search out a deal on the book.

Does mother cham have no further contact after egg laying?

Regards Rick
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JStroud · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:20 am Post subject:

Never been recorded as far as I know, even in reptiles its only been observed in crocodilians and king cobra's I think.
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Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:22 am Post subject: Cheers

Cheers. Rick
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Nerys · Contributing Member Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 171

and in some pythons too... memory tweaks reading somewhere about baby pythons staying near mum for the first week???

my yemen gets a bucket of sand, and spends two or three days digging a hole..

which she then backs into and lays the eggs, before coming out, filling the hole in behind her, and tamping the sand/soil mix down... that pic, i have taken the top layers of sand out, to expose the end of the nest burrow..

more sand out until the top of the first egg shows..

more sand out

and thats the clutch...

ready to transfer into incubator..

both times of laying, my female has shown no interest in the egg site post llay... not even fussed when i take the bucket out..

she would probably snack on the babies if she saw them when they hatched... they are not far off the size of a big black cricket at birth.. and she'll take a pink happy enough..

N

Rickeezee · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:13 pm Post subject:

How deep down did she lay the eggs? If the bucket was deeper would she bury them deeper? Did you use silver sand, so many questions Laughing

Rick
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Scott W · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject:

not sure if anyone has ever conducted that experiment but for what I have seen for just about ALL my reptiles that have laid eggs....they always lay them at the bottom of the container....so I guess if it was deeper then they would lay deeper (I guess there will be a depth limit, I'd be interested to see if anyone has tried to find it?)
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Rickeezee · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:49 pm Post subject:

Scott

I am all for an experiment, I shall fill my house with egg laying medium, you chuck some pregnant reptiles down the chimney, finders keepers! Sounds good to me! Laughing

How cool is this, In my study (where I keep my chameleons) I have an alcove in the wall, just under three foot up from the solid wall. The alcove is just over three foot wide three foot deep and six feet tall. With a fancy pine moulding around all edges including the top. Well I have my cham viv in the alcove (gets plenty of ventilation, have air purifier on floor below alcove, also blows cool air out the top grill not directly into viv but near enough to provide good airflow, plus viv is loaded with mesh for ventilation). Nicely high up to provide security and feelings of safety. The viv is 4 foot high, three wide and two deep.

Anyways; at this time of the day the sun shines through my study window, lighting up the base of the alcove (the viv is never in direct sunlight). When in the study I allways open the viv doors, again, to improve airflow. Well my male cham about 15 minutes ago climbed out of the viv and along the alcove moulding (moulding on internal top flat side 4.5 inches all round so safe) and is now happily basking in the sun! Wish I had got to grips with my digital camera that I bought last Sunday Laughing

Good for Alfie (chams name) the two females are called Cat and Mo, detect a theme going on here!

Rick
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