Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi)

Short answers

Labord's chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×45×80 cm (by analogy with similarly sized Furcifer), planted and ventilated.

Labord's chameleon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–30 °C (rainy season, dry forest), basking spot 32–35 °C, at night 15–20 °C.

Labord's chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4).

Labord's chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: only 4–5 months in the wild (the shortest known lifespan of any land vertebrate); up to ~16 months in captivity.

Labord's chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–30 °C (rainy season, dry forest)

Night temperature

15–20 °C

Basking spot

32–35 °C

Humidity

rainy season 60–80 % (higher at night), dry season clearly lower

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×45×80 cm (by analogy with similarly sized Furcifer), planted and ventilated

Substrate

A loose soil, sand and coco mix, deep enough for egg-laying

Feeding

Food

Insects: crickets, house crickets, locusts, flies, roaches – plenty of them and well gut-loaded

Feeding interval

adults almost daily and generously (extremely fast growth), juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

~9–14 cm with the tail (males larger)

Life expectancy

only 4–5 months in the wild (the shortest known lifespan of any land vertebrate); up to ~16 months in captivity

Origin

South-western Madagascar, dry forest (Kirindy, Ranobe), 20–100 m

Protection status

CITES Appendix II; NO legal export from Madagascar → practically not legally obtainable; proof of origin required

Brumation

A pronounced seasonal dry spell; the species is annual and semelparous (its life cycle is tied to the rainy season)

Cohabitation

Single housing – males extremely aggressive, bite each other to death. Chameleons are pronounced loners, and mere visual contact with a conspecific already means constant stress — an animal that is always threatening or fleeing eats less and becomes ill. So keep even neighbouring enclosures visually screened from each other.

Notes

An annual species with a one-year life cycle; extremely short-lived and hardly sensible or lawful to keep. Only for specialised breeding projects, not for ordinary keepers. Some husbandry measurements are derived from related Furcifer.

Do you keep this species?

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Look for Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Angel's chameleon (Furcifer angeli) – Expert
• Antimena chameleon (Furcifer antimena) – Intermediate to expert
• Campan's chameleon (Furcifer campani) – Expert
• Unicorn chameleon (Furcifer monoceras) – Expert
• Forked chameleon (Furcifer bifidus) – Expert
• Belted chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) – Expert
• Minor chameleon (Furcifer minor) – Expert
• Rhinoceros chameleon (Furcifer rhinoceratus) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×45×80 cm (by analogy with similarly sized Furcifer), planted and ventilated), substrate (A loose soil, sand and coco mix, deep enough for egg-laying), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.