Things You'll Need
- Egg incubator
Instructions
Ensure that the environment you are providing is appropriate for breeding. Keep temperatures around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and provide a basking area that reaches 105 degrees Fahrenheit or so. Perhaps most importantly, the chameleons you are planning to breed should get lots of calcium and sunlight or artificial UV light.
Make sure the chameleons are healthy. Their veils should be straight and they should not have crooked joints or weak bones. Female chameleons should be eating approximately 30 to 40 insects per week and males should be eating slightly more than this.
Watch for signs that your female is willing to breed. Females will fight with males during the breeding season if they are not ready to breed. If the female hisses and turns black when approached by a male, remove her from the enclosure for a few days then try again. If, however, she turns blue along the sides of her face and jaw and is receptive to the male's advances, she's ready to breed.
Watch for signs that your female has been inseminated. She will likely turn black with bright yellow and green spots. Remove her from the enclosure when she shows this color display or your chameleons may begin to fight.
Provide your female with a location to lay her eggs. Create an egg laying chamber by using a bucket or box willed with moist soil, peat moss, or paper towels. The moist substrate should be approximately 8-12 inches thick. Remove eggs laid by your female from the egg laying chamber. Be careful not to turn or shake the eggs. You can remove the eggs with your bare hands; the important thing is to be gentle and avoid harming the eggs. You may need to dig quite a bit in order to find the eggs.
Place the eggs in an incubation chamber. An incubator should be filled with vermiculite or peat moss that is moistened in order to keep the eggs hydrated. Incubate them at approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Eggs will typically hatch within 160-200 days.