Chameleon Giving Live Birth

[mikeg210]

Yeah so anyway, i downloaded this tv show on Itunes called "Life in the Cold Blood", well about half way through it starts talking about African Dwarf Chamelelons, it show's a female that is giving birth to live chameleons. She held them in her body and basked under heat to incubate them inside of her until they hatched and then she released them. Once released, they would stick to the tree branches and release themselves from the placenta.

Has this ever been heard of from common species??
(here are some screenshots)

If anybody is interested, the episode is called "Dragons of the Dry - Life in the Cold Blood", you can find it on Itunes, it's very interesting.

 

[dodolah]

That was the best documentary film about reptile that I've ever seen so far.
and to answer your Q, yes..
Jackson chameleon is one of the example that gave birth, instead of lay eggs.

 

[Syn]

I'll have to watch this sometime, and yes, Dodolah beat me to it, Jacksons are one!

 

[eisentrauti]

It's really uncommon that chameleons giving live birth
Here's a little list from a other forum:

Bradypodion caffrum
Bradypodion damaranum
Bradypodion dracomontanum
Bradypodion gutturale
Bradypodion karrooicum
Bradypodion melanocephalum
Bradypodion nemorale
Bradypodion occidentale
Bradypodion pumilum
Bradypodion setaroi
Bradypodion taeniabronchum
Bradypodion thamnobates
Bradypodion transvaalense
Bradypodion ventrale


Trioceros Unterarten

Chamaeleo T. affinis
Chamaeleo T. balebicornutus
Chamaeleo T. bitaeniatus
Chamaeleo T. ellioti
Chamaeleo T. fuelleborni
Chamaeleo T. goetzei
Chamaeleo T. harennae
Chamaeleo T. hoehnelii
Chamaeleo T. incornutus
Chamaeleo T. jacksonii
Chamaeleo T. kinetensis
Chamaeleo T. laterispinis
Chamaeleo T. marsabitensis
Chamaeleo T. narraioca
Chamaeleo T. rudis
Chamaeleo T. schoutedeni
Chamaeleo T. schubotzi
Chamaeleo T. sternfeldi
Chamaeleo T. tempeli
Chamaeleo T. werneri

 

[SliK JiM]

Yeah, there are quite a few species of ovoviviparous chameleons. If you're fairly new to chameleons, its probably not something you've come across and will only here about when you get into it a little more (or watch a David Attinborough program! )! Normally these species require more care than your veiled/panther chameleons so you don't look into them too much at first (maybe Jacksons, but reproduction isn't your main concern when you're first looking to buy one so you normally miss those details out!)