Labord’s chameleon  (Furcifer labordi)

Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).

Known for its remarkable life history, Labord’s chameleon is a fascinating and peculiar animal, with a compressed body, beautiful colouring, and turret-like eyes (4). The sexes differ significantly in appearance, with males being generally green with white stripes on the flanks, while females are considerably more colourful. The vivid green of the body is patterned with violet and blue markings on the flanks, and bright orange markings decorate the backbone. This contrasts with the striking red stripes on the skin of the throat. Male Labord’s chameleons are also distinguished by their high, bony head crest (known as a casque), and the presence of a well-developed appendage jutting out from near the nostrils; this protuberance on females is only very small (2). The nasal projection and bony casque of the male enables females to recognise potential mates, and can be used as a weapon when in combat with other territorial males (4).

This colourful chameleon is thought to be restricted to dry, western Madagascar (2).

Labord’s chameleon inhabits small trees and thickets of thorny bushes (5).

This small reptile has one of the most unique life histories of all the four-limbed vertebrates (the tetrapods), living for just one year and spending eight to nine months of that time within an egg. As the first rains fall at the beginning of the wet season, around November, the Labord’s chameleon eggs hatch. This synchronised hatching results in an entire population of Labord’s chameleons that are roughly the same age. After hatching, Labord’s chameleons have only four to five months of life left, the shortest known post-hatching lifespan of any tetrapod. They grow quickly, reaching sexual maturity in less than eight weeks, when they begin mating. Then, as swiftly as they have developed, Labord’s chameleons begin to die-off, and by the time the dry season sets in, this amazing chameleon can no longer be seen; instead the entire species consists of eggs buried underground (6). This extreme life history is likely to be an adaptation to the extreme environment. In the arid and unpredictable region of Madagascar that this chameleon inhabits, it is a shrewd plan to stay within the relative stability and safety of an egg, underground, until conditions above ground are suitable (6).

Chameleons are generally solitary, and move about on slender branches and twigs, which they grip with their fused toes. The prehensile tail provides an additional ‘hand’ on these precarious walkways as they scan the surrounding area with their independently mobile eyes for prey (4). Labord’s chameleons normally sleep within two metres of the ground (6).

Like other chameleons of Madagascar, Labord’s chameleon is likely to be facing two significant threats. Firstly, it may be impacted by exploitation for the wildlife trade, although this species is not one of the chameleon species that dominates Madagascar’s chameleon trade (7). Secondly, it may be affected by the habitat degradation that is taking place over much of Madagascar. It is estimated that only 17 percent of the original vegetation of Madagascar remains, with agriculture, mining, and logging being among the main causes of habitat loss (8).

Labord’s chameleon is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meaning that any international trade in this species should be carefully monitored (3). Otherwise, there are no specific conservation measures in place for this unique reptile, although numerous conservation organisations are working to conserve the remarkably diverse habitats of Madagascar and its intriguing animal inhabitants (9) (10) (11).

For further information on conservation in Madagascar see:

• Conservation International:
  www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/madagascar
• Madagascar Wildlife Conservation:
  www.mwc-info.net
• WWF:
  www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/madagascar

• Prehensile: capable of grasping.
• Territorial: an animal, a pair of animals or a colony that occupies and defends an area.
• Vertebrates: animals with a backbone.

1. IUCN Red List (July, 2007)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. Glaw, F. and Vences, M. (1994) A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar.M. Vences and F. Glaw Verlags GbR, Germany.
3. CITES (July, 2007)
   http://www.cites.org
4. Halliday, T. and Adler, K. (2002) The New Encyclopedia of Reptile and Amphibians.Oxford University Press, Oxford.
5. AdCham (September, 2009)
   http://www.adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/flabordi.html
6. Karsten, K.B., Andriamandimbiarisoa, L.N., Fox, S.F. and Raxworthy, C.J. (2008) A unique life history among tetrapods: An annual chameleon living mostly as an egg. PNAS, 105 (26): 8980 - 8984.
7. Carpenter, A.I., Rowcliffe, J.M. and Watkinson, A.R. (2004) The dynamics of global trade in chameleons. Biological Conservation, 120: 291 - 301.
8. Mittermeier, R.A., Robles-Gil, P., Hoffmann, M., Pilgrim, J.D., Brooks, T.M., Mittermeier, C.G., Lamoreux, J.L. and Fonseca, G. (2004) Hotspots Revisited: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Ecoregions.Cemex, Mexico City.
9. Conservation International (September, 2008)
   http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/madagascar
10. Madagascar Wildlife Conservation (September, 2008)
    http://www.mwc-info.net
11. WWF (September, 2008)
    http://ww.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/madagascar