Chameleons are fascinating lizards known for their color changing abilities. If you’ve ever wondered how chameleons reproduce and whether they lay eggs or give birth to live young, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Chameleons are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs from which their offspring hatch.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about chameleon reproduction, including their mating behaviors, gestation periods, how many eggs they lay at once, what the eggs and hatchlings are like, how the mothers care for the eggs, and more.
Chameleon Mating Habits and Reproduction
Breeding Seasons and Courtship Displays
The breeding seasons for chameleons vary depending on the species and local climate conditions. In general, chameleons living in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons, like Madagascar, tend to breed at the onset of the rainy season when food becomes more abundant.
This breeding season generally lasts around 3-5 months for most chameleon species.
When ready to mate, male chameleons engage in elaborate courtship rituals to attract females. Visual displays are very important, with males showing off their brightest colors, puffing out their throats, bobbing their heads, and even shaking branches. Some species also emit vibrations or make sounds.
Females indicate receptiveness through subtle color changes or allowing the male to approach.
Once a female has signaled her readiness to mate, the male will mount the female and insert one of his hemipenes to transfer sperm. Chameleons are generally solitary and only come together to mate. After copulation, which may last 5 minutes to several hours, the male and female will part ways.
Copulation and Fertilization
The actual transfer of sperm during mating is known as copulation or coitus. For chameleons, the male has a reproductive organ called a hemipenis which stores sperm. During copulation, he everts one of his hemipenes to transfer sperm into the female’s cloaca.
Once inside the female, the sperm swim up the oviduct to the infundibulum near the ovary where fertilization occurs. Here the sperm penetrates the jelly coat surrounding the ovum and fuses with the female pronucleus to form a diploid zygote.
Cell division then starts taking place without ovulation or egg laying.
Most chameleon species are ovoviviparous, meaning fertilization and early embryonic development happen inside the female’s body. However, there is no placental connection to nourish the developing embryos. Instead the embryo relies on its own egg yolk.
Once the embryos become advanced enough, the female will lay eggs in a secure location.
Egg Laying and Development
Gestation Period and Egg Laying
The gestation period for chameleons varies by species, but generally ranges from 4-6 weeks. When it’s time to lay eggs, the female chameleon will search for a secure location with proper conditions. She may choose a hole in a tree, an underground burrow, or even under leaves or debris on the forest floor.
The mother chameleon lays between 5-50 eggs (depending on species) in a nesting cavity and then heads off, leaving the eggs to incubate on their own.
Egg Incubation
Once laid, chameleon eggs take anywhere from 120-600 days to hatch, again depending on species. Proper temperature and humidity are critical for successful incubation and hatching. Ideal incubation temperatures range from 72-82°F. Too hot or cold and the embryos will not develop properly.
The eggs are also susceptible to drying out, so sufficient moisture and humidity must be maintained in the nest cavity.
Some chameleon species may guard or attend to the eggs during incubation while others leave the eggs unattended. Either way, the eggs are vulnerable to predators like snakes, rodents, and ants which may raid the nest and consume the nutritious eggs.
Survival rates for chameleon eggs in the wild are estimated to be quite low, often less than 20%.
Hatching and Early Development
When incubation is complete, the baby chameleons use a specialized “egg tooth” on their snout to slit the egg shell and emerge. These hatchlings are on their own from day one. They are fully formed mini replicas of the adults, able to walk, climb, feed, and even change color already.
Their first few weeks are the most perilous as they are easy prey for a wide range of predators. If they can survive to adulthood, chameleons generally live 3-10 years depending on species.
The tiny hatchlings feed on any small insects they can capture with their ballistic tongues. Growth is rapid if food is abundant. Some species may reach adult size in under a year. Males and females become sexually mature and begin breeding in their first year of life.
So the cycle continues, with the female chameleon laying her clutch of eggs and leaving the next generation to fend for itself.
Maternal Care and Raising the Hatchlings
Once a female chameleon lays her eggs, she will stay close by to guard and care for them. Chameleons generally lay their eggs in hidden, isolated areas like underground burrows or dense vegetation. The mother will stand guard near the nest, using her color changing abilities to camouflage herself in order to avoid detection from predators who may eat the eggs.
The mother chameleon will care for the eggs by regulating temperature and humidity, which is critical for proper embryonic development. For example, if she senses the nest area is too cold, she may expose herself to sunlight and transfer that warmth to the eggs when she returns.
Or she may open and close the nest entrance to control airflow and moisture levels. Her keen instincts drive her maternal behaviors.
Hatchling Care and Development
Once the eggs hatch, the baby chameleons (hatchlings) are on their own and must fend for themselves. The mother provides no further care or protection. However, the hatchlings instinctively know how to hunt small insects and climb branches just hours after emerging from their eggs.
During the first few weeks, the hatchlings focus on rapid growth to decrease their vulnerability to predators. Their color changing abilities also aid survival. Within 6-8 months, they reach adult size and sexual maturity.
Amazingly, the hatchlings are a carbon copy of the parents in terms of looks, behaviors, and survival instincts!
Conclusion
In summary, chameleons are oviparous lizards that lay eggs after mating rather than giving birth to live young. The female lays her clutch of eggs in a nest she digs in the ground and guards them until they hatch.
After a two to nine month incubation period depending on species, the hatchlings emerge ready to hunt insects and fend for themselves with limited parental care.
