Help! We're new at this and now we have eggs!

[lizardsister2]

Okay we recently (less than two months ago) bought a pair of veiled chameleons. Now our female has laid 27 perfect round white eggs. We couldn't tell that there were any veins in them but all 27 were firm, bright white, and very plump. Everything I read says infertiles are yellow or miscolored and dented with no veins, so what does it mean if they're white and plump but we can't clearly see veins, likely to be fertile? We didn't think so because the one time we saw him try to mate she rejected him pretty harshly (bit him on the ribs) but the idiot we bought them from had actually been housing them together so it is possible breeding took place.

Also, our book is telling us to incubate them half buried in sand or perlite that is moist but not wet. It also said to incubate at mid 80's during the day and let it drop to mid 70's at night and to keep them in the dark. That's how we've set them up. Will this work okay if they are fertile?

 

[Cookiegirl]

I have hatched 6 clutches of eggs and another incubating. I have always kept mine in my closet at room tempature 75 to 78 degrees. I have read any hotter than that and the eggs mold and mildew. I also used perlite and vermiculite. You for sure have fertile eggs infertile are smaller and yellow and they mold a few days after laying. I always think of fertile looking like small white jelly beans. I had my girls each lay an infertile clutch and you can tell by looking they are infertile after you have seen a fertile clutch. I use a rubbermaid shoes size box container with the perlite and verm. put 2 pinsize holes in the top just make sure the sand just clumps together and about 8 months later you will have hatchlings. Good look they are so small and cute when they first hatch.

 

[Fezzik]

Thanks for your response. We have them around 80 now constant in a room that is kept dark most of the day with a towel over the glass to cover when the light is on. We have seen a lot of discussion about incubation temperatures. No one gives hatch rates just time it takes. The books seem to indicate that there should be some temperature variation between day and night. Mid 70's at night 80's during the day. Is that old information like the females should never miss their first breeding thing? No one ever talks about giving a temperature variation on any forums we have looked at. Also it seems that slower hatchings are usually larger and probably more likely to survive. Is this correct?

Sorry to ask so many questions but there is a lot of conflicting information out there about chameleons and it seems to be somewhat different depending on the species. We have veileds.

Oh and for those wondering I am the fiancee of one of the lizardsisters.

 

[Cookiegirl]

The clutches I hatched were veileds. You keep them room temp.in your closet 75 to 78 and they nwill hatch in about 8 months.

 

[Dave W.]

Howdy,

More info can be found at:

http://www.chameleonnews.com/ref.html and checkout the "PRENATAL and NEONATAL CARE" section first.

 

[Cookiegirl]

Another good website is www.adcham.com. It has a nursery section.