Quote Originally Posted by MasonC2K View Post
I learned last night on a special about Madagascar that there is a Chameleon that is so specialized that its life span is only 3 months. It's because for 9 months there is no rain. So the eggs take 9 months to hatch. The babies come out with the first drops of rain. They are full size at 2 months and spend the last months breeding and lay eggs and then they all die shortly after.

They were very pretty. The males were bright green with various spots of color and the females were almost black with colored spots that just popped.

I can't remember the species name. It's likely to come on again over the weekend.
That is amazing.

OK, I'm evil. I'm wondering if it takes them nine months to develop in the egg, or if it doesn't and they're merely cued into breaking dormancy by the presence of water, like brine shrimp. Most animals with that kind of life cycle have eggs that stay dormant until they're triggered by moisture. Most of them have very short hatch times once water is available.

Wow! If someone could get colonies of those going, think of the potential there for instant feeder lizards....