MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: What is the lifespan of a chameleon?

Date: Sat Jun 6 11:47:26 1998
Posted By: Dave Williams, Science Department Chair, Valencia Community College
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 895602129.Zo
Message:

This is a very difficult question for me to answer in this forum. First of all, it is not clear what you mean by "chameleon". The word is used to refer both to the anole lizards of North and South America and the "true" chameleons of the Old World tropics.

Another problem is what you mean by "lifespan". There is a maximum lifespan based on the inherent genetics and physiology of an organism and the expectation that they will not die of accidental injury or disease. This type of lifespan is usually determined by the age of animals in captivity and is sometimes called the "captive" lifespan.

There is also an average lifespan based on the vagaries of the environment (including the likelihood of dying from accidental injury or disease). This may be called the "ecological" lifespan. Sometimes early (infant, for example) mortality is excluded from the calculation of the average lifespan so that a more realistic number is reached. Obviously, the average lifespan may differ for different populations of the same kind of animal.

For example, the average lifespan given for humans in industrialized nations is 70-80 years while the maximum lifespan is well over 100 years. The average life span of humans does exclude infant mortality. The assumption is that it includes only persons who survive the first year of their lives. In truth, this does not have a great effect on the average human lifespan because human infant mortality is typically low.

In the case of non-human animals (wild lizards, for example), infant mortality (or its equivalent) may be exceedingly high and its inclusion or exclusion from the calculation of average lifespan will make a great difference. It is likely that the average ecological lifespan of wild lizards, including early mortality, is under one year.

It is my guess that you are more interested in the maximum lifespan of chameleons. I have not been able to find any reliable, factual information on this on short notice but if feel that it is not unreasonable to assume that the lifespan of anoles would be measured in years (several years might not be out of the question) while that of the Old World (true) chameleons (with luck in a captive situation) would be measured in decades -- probably one or two at most.

If you are interested in keeping Old World chameleons you should use this WWW resource.


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