The Science, The Myth, The PR & The Truth: Inside the Life of a Chameleon Said to Die Every Year

11/05/2025

THE SCIENCE

1. A Unique Life History Among Tetrapods: An Annual Chameleon Living Mostly as an Egg (Karsten et al., 2008)

This groundbreaking study introduced Furcifer labordi as an annual species, meaning its lifespan is restricted to one reproductive season. Researchers found that most of its life cycle occurs inside the egg, with embryonic development lasting 8–9 months, while post-hatching survival is only 4–5 months.

Key Findings:

Unlike typical reptiles, F. labordi follows a fast-paced life cycle, hatching, growing rapidly, reproducing within weeks, and dying shortly after laying eggs.
The study hypothesizes this compressed lifespan is an adaptation to Madagascar's harsh dry season, with chameleons avoiding extreme drought conditions by remaining in egg form underground.
F. labordi exhibits rapid aging, similar to organisms with semelparous reproductive strategies (like some fish and plants), showing signs of age-related decline within months.

2. Highly Variable Lifespan in an Annual Reptile (Uller et al., 2017)

This study builds on Karsten et al.'s findings, exploring variability in F. labordi lifespan across different populations. While most individuals lived 4–5 months post-hatching, researchers discovered some survived beyond this typical limit, raising questions about environmental influences and genetic variability.

Key Findings:

Some chameleons lived longer than expected, suggesting lifespan variability across populations due to local environmental conditions.
Sex-based differences in survival were observed, with males outliving females, possibly due to less energy investment in reproduction.
Extended lifespan cases indicate some individuals may escape the typical aging pattern, though the mechanisms remain unclear.

3. Stress-Related Changes in Leukocyte Profiles and Telomere Shortening (Ecker et al., 2020)

This study investigates the physiological causes behind F. labordi's rapid aging, particularly the effects of stress and telomere shortening on early senescence.

Key Findings:

Chameleons experience significant stress-related leukocyte changes, indicating high metabolic demand accelerates aging.
Telomere shortening, a marker of biological aging, was remarkably fast in F. labordi, supporting the idea of age compression in their life history.
These findings suggest that environmental stressors (such as food availability and climatic fluctuations) further impact lifespan and aging rates.

These studies collectively establish F. labordi as a unique case in reptile biology, with an extremely compressed lifespan and aging process. The environment-driven evolution of annual lifespans may inform broader research on aging dynamics in vertebrates. Future studies could explore genetic adaptations, population-specific survival differences, and strategies for lifespan extension in this species.

Karsten, K. B., Andriamandimbiarisoa, L. N., Fox, S. F., & Raxworthy, C. J. (2008). A unique life history among tetrapods: An annual chameleon living mostly as an egg. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(26), 8980–8984. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0802468105

Uller, T., While, G. M., Wapstra, E., & Warner, D. A. (2017). Highly variable lifespan in an annual reptile, Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi). Scientific Reports, 7, 11701. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11701-3

Ecker, A., Kraus, C., & Kappeler, P. M. (2020). Stress-related changes in leukocyte profiles and telomere shortening in the shortest-lived tetrapod, Furcifer labordi. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20, 1724. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-020-01724-2

THE MYTH

The science delivered info in such interpretational way that the entire wold got the message:

The Labord's Chameleon is absolutely unique amongst chameleons, no other species shows same life strategy.

They all die within few months after hatch and no one lives to see the new generation hatching.

THE PR

Thanks to BBB mainly, a whole wave of documentaries was made. All great quality, nice, inspirational. All supporting and strengthening the myth.

in parallel, until today, repeated fantastic and exaggerated videos are shown and same reports are repeatedly published.

THE TRUTH

It is a truth that in some locations, in some years, especially when the conditions are harsh, the main population of Furcifer labordi can die within few weeks after egg deposition.

BUT

It is NOT true, that it fits to all the species: the northern populations do not face such harsh climate and survive much longer. In captivity, the Labord's Chameleons exceed two years in lifespan.

It is NOT true, that this fits exclusively to Furcifer labordi. Same patterns can be observed by several oviparous chameleons (in viviparous species, it is logically, impossible) living in areas, where part of the year is extreme due to harsh climate, such as: