Chameleon Life Cycle

Chameleons are creatures best known for their ability to change color. This ability is largely exaggerated in popular culture, however. Chameleons can only change to a few colors and the change is based on mood, not for camouflage.

Gestation

Females have a 3- to 6-week gestation period. After her eggs mature, she digs a hole in the ground where she deposits her eggs, and then buries them. Smaller chameleons may lay only two eggs, while large species lay up to 100.

Hatching

The eggs hatch between 4 and 12 months later, depending on the species of chameleon.

Live Births

Some chameleons do not lay eggs, but instead have live offspring. After a 5- to 6-month gestation period, the babies are born. Theses chameleon species have anywhere between eight and 30 young at once.

Maturity

After only a few days, baby chameleons begin eating insects. Before the end of their first year, they are sexually mature.

Lifespan

It is unknown how long chameleons survive in the wild, but some live up to 10 years in zoos. One rare species, the malagasy chameleon, spends more time as an egg than it does as a mature adult.

References

• San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes - Chameleon
• Physorg.com - Exotic Chameleon Spends Most of Its Life as an Egg