Labord's Chameleon

The paddle-nosed Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) is endemic to Madagascar and can be found in the southwest of the island. The majority of life (2/3) this chameleon species spents within the egg. After a 7 to 9 months incubation period the chameleon is hatching and lives for only up to 5 months. Hatching period is in November, mating period in January - shortly thereafter the Labord's chameleon dies, which means that all adults are dead before the next generation hatches. Those cirumstances makes the Labord's chameleon the shortest living four-limbed vertebrate. The entire population turns over every year.

The male Labord's chameleon is generally green with white stripes on the sides. It has a high, bony head crest and a huge appendage is jutting out from near the nostrils. The male is much larger in size than the female. The vivid green body of the female is decorated with violet and blue markings on the flanks.

Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Chamaeleonidae Genus: Furcifer Species: F. labordi