Oklahoma State researchers study rare chameleons' sex habits

While it's every boy's dream to have sex as early as he can in life, it's doom for a mini Madagascar species of chameleon. As reported in New Scientist, Kris Karsten and his Oklahoma State University comrades spent four years following tagged F. labordi lizards.

Here's the summary: They hatch, they have sex about seven weeks later, then they all die. Yes, all. It's fairly easy to track when your subjects start falling out of trees. (Haven't they ever heard of just rolling over and going to sleep?)

Karsten told New Scientist he believes these chameleons' mating behavior is just too dangerous, including bouts of "violent" sex and possibly high levels of hormones that lead to their early demise.

Currently, it's a toss-up as to which would be worse: being a chameleon studied in Stillwater or being a photogenic dog in Tulsa.

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