Eggs Together—or Just Chance?

Communal egg‑laying in chameleons is rare. Archaius tigris is known to do it, and now a similar scene was observed in Madagascar's Itremo Massif. In January, one Furcifer minor female laid eggs on a sunny riverbank; another began laying just 30 cm away, and two days later a third nested between them. All nests were 2–3 m from the water, in sand exposed to over five hours of sun daily—perhaps a better site than the shaded forest soil nearby.

Deforestation may be forcing females to share limited nesting spots. Or maybe, after all, it was just coincidence.

Edmonds, D. (2024) Communal egg-laying in the Lesser Chameleon, Furcifer minor (Günther, 1879), at Itremo Massif Amoron'i Mania Region, Madagascar. 

Herpetology Notes 17, 2024: 579-581