Labord’s Chameleon

Labord's Chameleon (Furcifer labordi) is a semelparous species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. This tetrapod (four-limbed vertebrate) species spend more of its brief lives within the egg than outside and have the shortest longevity of any four-limbed vertebrate species ever documented (only 4-5 months post-hatch). This low life span is unknown in other tetrapods. These results imply that the quick demise of chameleons in captivity may really represent the natural adult life span for some species.

Labord's chameleons emerge from their eggs in November, growing at an incredible rate, and become sexually mature by January. By February, they will have engaged in fierce competition for partners, bred, and laid their eggs. The only representation of the complete species for the following nine months is eggs.