Live fast, die young

Chameleon holds record for shortest life

Fiery and fleeting, the shooting star of the vertebrate world has been unveiled. With an out-of-egg lifespan of just four to five months, the chameleon Furcifer labordi leads a briefer life than any other reptile, amphibian, mammal or bird.

FLEETING LIFE Labord’s chameleon, Furcifer labordi, perches on a branch in Ranobe forest in Madagascar.