Dogs dig holes to bury belongings, and hamsters dig holes to store food. Is there a reason why chameleons dig holes? Do they even dig at all? It is very unusual for chameleons to dig holes of any kind. They are arboreal creatures so they spend all their lives on trees. Digging may be a sign that they are in distress, or that a female could be ready to lay eggs.
You will rarely ever find a chameleon on the ground. They are always crawling from branch to branch looking for prey around the trees. Even if you do find them on the ground, it is even rarer to find them digging holes for no reason. Here are some things I found after researching online that may help you to understand this phenomenon. Chameleons are arboreal creatures who spend most of their lives on top of trees. Not only is it rare to find a chameleon on the ground, but it is also even rarer to find them digging the said ground.
You will find wild chameleons stuck on branches most of the time instead of crawling on the ground. They blend into the trees better and this helps them to avoid being caught by predators. Captive chameleons, on the other hand, will most probably be off the ground for the same reason. The only difference is you will likely find them stuck to the wall as well.
There are several reasons why a chameleon would display such abnormal behavior. It will mostly depend on their surroundings. However, flap-necked chameleons are capable of digging a hole 20 to 30 cm deep to lay their eggs. It will take months for the baby chameleons to emerge. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to chameleons so more needs to be done to conserve their habitat. There are currently 25 described chameleon species in Southern Africa. One of the most high profile chameleons is the Cape dwarf chameleon Bradypodion pumilum that resides in the fynbos around Cape Town.
South Africa is home to two large chameleons, the flap-necked chameleon and the Namaqua chameleon Chamaeleo namaquensis , found in the western desert regions of Namibia, Angola and South Africa.
There are 17 species of chameleons that call South Africa home. The more common garden variety is the KwaZulu dwarf chameleon Bradypodion melanocephalum. As ectotherms, lizards adjust their temperature behaviorally: When lizards need to raise their body temperatures, they can bask in the sun or lie on a warm rock; to lower their body temperatures, lizard can retreat to the shade, alter body posture to reduce sun exposure, or burrow into the substrate.
Burrowing into the substrate is an effective means of cooling off; lizards do not have to burrow very deeply to obtain relief. Most often, lizards will burrow right below the surface , leaving nostrils and eyes above the dirt.
Sometimes they burrow more deeply during temperature extremes. Burrowing behaviors are helpful for thermoregulation in the winter, when the lizards escape low temperatures by going into the ground. By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use.
She will choose a place just once, with the right temperature for the eggs, and then nature will do the rest. In captivity you have to make sure that the female has enough soil to dig in, for example an extra bucket or tray with a deep layer of soil. If she does not find a suitable place for her nest, she will keep her eggs inside which can be harmful for her.
In a few hours the female will lay 10 to 60 eggs. She will close the tunnel again and go back to her normal ways. When a female chameleon that has mature eggs inside her body is unable to lay them, she is egg-bound.
Egg-binding is a serious problem for chameleons and could be deadly. The first thing to do is make sure that your female has a proper place to lay her eggs. This should be a bucket or tray with moist soil.
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