As your gravid chameleon gets closer to parturition, it is important that you prepare a nesting box in which your pet can deposit her eggs. If you do not provide your chameleon a nesting box, she may become egg-bound or simply drop the eggs from her perch, destroying them. Fortunately, nesting boxes are inexpensive and easy to construct.
The Nesting Box
Though preferences vary among species, most captive chameleons will use a nesting box filled with organic potting soil, moist sand, a mixture of sand and peat, or vermiculite. The substrate should be slightly damp but not wet. A good way to test your soil or vermiculite for moisture is to squeeze it in your hand; the soil should clump, but water should not drip from the soil. Place the chosen substrate in a plastic food container or small bucket. Place the entire nesting box inside the cage a few days before the anticipated date of egg deposition. Be sure to arrange at least one branch that allows the chameleon to climb into and out of the nesting box.
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