--- title: "Chameleon Bursts Into Pulsating Color Just Before Dying" description: "A new PBS documentary captured the last moments rare Madagascan chameleon bursting into a vibrant display of color as she died." date: "2024-01-28" modified: "2024-01-28" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chameleon-bursts-into-color-dying" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "animals" - "lizard" - "madagascar" - "the digest" --- # Chameleon Bursts Into Pulsating Color Just Before Dying ![A new PBS documentary captured the last moments rare Madagascan chameleon bursting into a vibrant display of color as she died.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Diva Down What a way to go. A [new *PBS* documentary titled "Big Little Journeys" captured]() the final moments of a rare Madagascan chameleon as she broke into a vibrant, pulsating display of color just moments before her death — a magnificent, if tragic, sight never previously observed in the wild. "In her last moments, her skin erupts with color," series narrator Bumper Robinson says in the video, in which the reptile's skin can be seen lighting up in mesmerizing patches of reds, purples, blues, and yellows, "as if uttering her last words." ## A Lizard Life Per [*Live Science*](), this gone-too-soon reptilian was a Labord's chameleon, a species that's long fascinated scientists due to its extremely short lifespan. Most chameleon species can live naturally for anywhere from two to seven years, with larger species like the [Parson's chameleon]() pushing upwards of ten to 14. After hatching, Labord's chameleons only live four to five months — as *Live Science* points out, that's one of the shortest known lifespans of any four-legged vertebrate, let alone the shortest of any other chameleon species. Fascinatingly, according to the researchers, the Labord lizards' deathly display is believed to be caused by their still-firing nervous systems, which continue to send signals to skin cells in the critters' last moments. "During death," Fabbri-Kennedy and Raxworthy told *Live Science*, "nervous signals continue to transmit and to change the shape of the skin cells, creating the chaotic technicolor patterns that were captured." ## Eggxiety But the drama of this herpetological diva's death — which was filmed in the Kirindy Forest in western Madagascar — doesn't end with the technicolor show. Female Labord chameleons die shortly after laying their eggs; in the clip, this female can be seen using her last few ounces of energy to bury her fragile eggs in the sand to protect them from the approaching dry season. "The females put all their energy into producing eggs that need to get through the long drought while underground," series producer Valeria Fabbri-Kennedy and American Museum of Natural History herpetologist Chris Raxworthy told *Live Science.* "They die within just a few hours of having laid them, as they have few resources left." And though they can't chalk it up to the egg-laying of it all, the male Labord chameleons live just as long as the females do — meaning that for the majority of their development, the Labord population's next generation is only as protected as a layer of sand. Anxiety-inducing, but also kind of metal! Anyway. RIP, queen. Your last moments were spectacular — and here's to the next generation. **More on lizards:** [*Asexual Lizards Stressed by Military Overeating to Cope, Scientists Say*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()