Incubation of chameleon eggs is fairly easy so long as the various conditions for each species are taken into account.  There are big temperature differences between species, for example Veiled should be incubated at 26c whereas Panthers need about 24c.  Some, such as Carpets, need a diapause of one month at between 10 to 15c and then incubation at 24c.  Others, such as Fischers, will require low temperatures around 18c for most of the incubation period with a final month at 24c.

Keeping the temperature higher will not bring out the chameleons earlier.  Quite the reverse - higher temperatures will often slow down the process and Panthers could take an extra 3 to 6 months if kept at 26c or even fail to hatch completely.

In only a few cases should the eggs be left where they are.  The only exception are Brookesias and Rhampholeons, which we have hatched by just leaving the eggs in situ.  The risk is that you have no control over humidity or the damage caused by small insects.  However, with eggs as small as those finding them is a big problem!

The eggs should be dug up carefully and not rotated.  We use small plastic containers, e.g. 5 litre ice cream tubs, with holes drilled all along the sides to allow for air circulation.  The bottom is filled with damp vermiculite to a depth of about 3cm and the eggs carefully placed in the vermiculite so about two thirds is showing.

For incubation you might use an 80 litre plastic storage box with some bricks in the bottom. Water is poured in until it is level with the bricks.  An ordinary aquarium heater is secured to the bottom of the box and set to the required temperature.  Boxes with the eggs are laid on top of the bricks and the whole set up is left.  Ensure that the water level does not drop too low or else the heater might crack.  As there is water and electricity in close proximity use a qualified electrician to check the wiring.

Not all chameleons will hatch at the same time.  Typically, all of the Veiled chameleons in a single batch of eggs will hatch within a week of each other, often within two days.  Panthers may take up to 2 months for a single batch of eggs to completely hatch, so don’t throw eggs away if they seem to lag behind unless you are sure they are dud.

Temperatures seem to have little affect on the sex determination of the chameleons.  In many reptiles the sex is, to an extent, controlled by incubation temperature but studies of Veiled chameleons have not found this to be the case.  Whether other species are affected remains to be seen.