Chris & Tiger

Home Up Mating Dangers

Chris and Tiger mated on October 20, 2002.  Tiger laid her first clutch of eggs December 2, 2002.  You can take a peek at the eggs here.

 

Movie - Chris and Tiger Mating (1.4MB)

Male/Female relationships between Panther Chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) are limited to sexual unions.  Upon seeing a female, the male will rapidly change to bright colors and begin bobbing his head.  A receptive female will show light colors and remain quiet.  The male mounts the female from behind.  The female will lift her hind quarters slightly allowing the male access to her cloaca.  The male Chameleon has a hemipenis - it's all one structure but divided in two which makes it appear that he has two penises, one on either side of his tail stored in a bulge called the hemipenal sac.  Only one branch is inserted into the female per mating.  Coitus lasts several minutes and can be repeated several times over the course of a few days.  Females can retain sperm and lay two or even three fertile clutches of eggs many months apart after just one mating.

Close-Up of Reptile Coitus